Carthay Circle Gluten-Free Lunch
Carthay Circle is a gorgeous, fancy restaurant at Disney California Adventure. If you are looking for luxury and fine dining, this is the place to go. The dining room is located on the second floor of the building with an elaborate chandelier and ceiling in the center of the room. Our table was right next to the kitchen, (half table half booth) where we were far away from the noise but close enough to witness the chefs working and checking the meals. An interesting thing that I noticed was the preparation of allergy meals in a kitchen area to the side of the main one. A chef inspected every meal before he sent waiters out with them.
After asking if we had any allergies, the waiter immediately suggested some gluten-free bread. When the bread came out, I was surprised by how much there was. The basket was full of bread, seasoned to perfection and soft in the middle. When the waiter came to take our orders, I knew which items I thought were gluten-friendly and was prepared to ask about those, but the waiter was already prepared, and told us every option on the menu that could be made gluten-free and how. I was surprised that so many entrées were able to be switched over! Not many of the introductions (appetizers) could be made without gluten, but I was able to order the Brentwood Corn-Jalapeno Soup Broth, which sounded delicious. As my entrée, I ordered the Golden Tomato Duck Bolognese made with gluten-free pasta.
When my soup came out, I was surprised at how large of a portion it was. The bowl was huge and could easily have been my whole meal. The soup was wonderful, with a creamy broth that was not too thick. There was plenty of meat in the soup, and it was full of flavor. I never felt like it was too spicy or tasted too much like jalapenos. I would highly recommend this soup and would eat it again and again.
After the soup, I was definitely full. I knew I had a meal coming though, and when it arrived, I was again surprised by its size. The beautifully plated portion was again large. The plate was full of pasta, vegetables, duck, and sauce. Even though I was full, I was able to fit a couple of bites in my mouth. It turns out, I am not the biggest Bolognese fan which I should have known going in. I love meatballs but have never been a fan of meat sauce. For me, the flavors were a little too strong, strictly because I do not like Bolognese. Although the pasta was cooked to perfection, the vegetables were delicious, and the meat was flavorful and a nice touch. I highly suggest this meal to Bolognese fans. Another excellent gluten-free pasta lunch option is the Spaghetti Bolognese from Wine Country Trattoria.
My dining companion had the gluten-friendly version of the Korean Chili Glazed Angus Sirloin. To make the dish gluten-friendly, they had to leave an ingredient out of the rice although they could not tell us what it was, as well as the glaze off the steak. The dish itself looks beautiful but is rather plain. The rice lacked any flavor by itself only getting the briefest bits from the chunks of fruit and vegetables in it, and the steak was just a grilled steak without the glaze. However, the Tropical Pineapple Red Bell Pepper Sauce was fantastic. Flavorful and a perfect pairing with the dish, the only problem is that there was nowhere near enough to pair with every bite. For the price of this dish, the portion is relatively small – especially when comparing to the other items we ordered. The lack of flavor leaves much to be desired when you have dietary restrictions and need to omit the sauce. With so many other options on the menu that can be made gluten-friendly, I recommend selecting a different meal.
Ultimately, Carthay Circle was a wonderful dining experience and a great place to go if there are food allergies. Carthay Circle changes its menu seasonally. To see the current menu for Carthay Circle, visit the Disney website here.