DISNEY’S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE: Festival of Holidays 2022
Over a month ago, my family and I had enjoyed a day at the Disneyland Resort, where we attended the 2022 Festival of Holidays at the Disney’s California Adventure theme park. The festival ended on January 8, 2023. Below is a selection of the food and drinks I had enjoyed at the festival:
DISNEY'S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE: FESTIVAL OF HOLIDAYS 2002
Pork Belly Adobo - This dish consists of braised pork belly, served with Garlic fried rice, chicharron pieces, and topped with green onions. A first bite of the pork belly revealed a strong vinegary flavor. But once I ate it with the rice and green onion, the strong vinegar flavor receded somewhat, and this proved to be a delicious selection.
Lox & Everything Bagel Nachos - Although not a big favorite of mine, I rather liked this dish of bagel chips, cream cheese, diced smoked salmon, everything spice, onions, tomatoes, and capers. I would have preferred if the bagel chips had been softer, but the smoked salmon was deliciously fresh.
Mickey Shaped Gingerbread Cookie - Although I found the sprinkles irrelevant, I really enjoyed this rich gingerbread cookie. I also thought the ginger flavor was strong and perfect.
Churro Toffee Coffee Cold Brew Latte - This coffee latte with Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Co. Mexico Origin Blend Coffee, demerara, cinnamon sugar, vanilla bean, and almond milk garnished with churro syrup, whipped cream, and chocolate toffee crumbles was delicious, but very familiar to me. At the moment, I cannot recall when or where I have drunk something similar before. There is an alcoholic version of this drink with coffee liqueur.
IMPOSSIBLE Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes - This was a surprisingly first-rate dish with meatloaf made from IMPOSSIBLE ground meat and served with mashed potatoes, classic gravy and crispy shallots. Honestly, the meatloaf almost tasted like real meat. Almost.
Pumpkin Layered Cheesecake - I really enjoyed this rich and delicious dessert made from layers of New York-style cheesecake, pumpkin gooey cake, and graham cracker topped with spiced Chantilly and a chocolate decoration. The mixture of cheesecake and pumpkin flavors struck me as first-rate.
Brisket Slider - This mini sandwich consisted of smoked brisket with smoked onions and horseradish ketchup on a pretzel roll. Yes, the horseradish ketchup came off as a bit strong on the first bite, but the brisket was . . . O-M-G! It was simply delicious and tender. It was some of the best brisket I have ever sampled. Even the pretzel bun was nice and soft.
Peri Peri Chicken with Yellow Jollof Rice - This dish was served at the Flavor of Wakanda booth but is not considered part of the official festival. Nevertheless, this was the best thing I had eaten at the festival that day - grilled chicken flavored with the peri peri seasoning from Mozambique and served with the heavily seasoned Jollof rice that originated in the Senegambian region. Superb!
If you had attended the 2022 Disney’s California Adventure Festival of Holidays, what were your favorite dishes?
