Another Blogger Date: Catal Restaurant & Uva Bar Event

Last week Heather asked me if I was free for dinner the following week to attend an event as her 'plus one', so I checked my social calendar and noticed that I had already penciled in 'laze around on the couch playing iPad games' but seeing that it was Heather I thought that just this once I could blow off my other engagement.

It took me an hour and half to get from work to this event that was only 16 miles away. Traffic be crazy! But when I finally found a parking spot and started walking towards Downtown Disney all that stress just disappeared. Here's a fun fact about me...I've lived in Southern California almost my entire life and have never been to Downtown Disney. It is safe to say that I will be coming back in the near future.

So once I got to Downtown Disney, I walked around for a while looking for the restaurant where the event was held but at last had to admit defeat and stop to ask for directions. A park attendant pointed me in the right direction and told me to just walk until I see a huge outdoor bar. So I did and lo and hold there was a giant outdoor bar right in front of the Catal Restaurant [part of the Patina Group]. By the way...it is pronounced CAT-TAUL (rhymes with 'haul'), if you pronounce it any other way no one will know what the heck you're talking about. Don't be unsophisticated like me and pronounce it CATTLE! Yeah that was only a little bit embarrassing.

Park attendant: What's that, you're looking for CATTLE? Well, I think you need to go to a farm. Oh, you mean CAT-TAUL, well that's just right down that way until you hit the giant outdoor bar.

Me: *melted into a puddle of embarrassment on the pavement*

I met up with Heather shortly after I got there and we checked in to this deliciousness...

Cocktails, wine, candied nuts, dried fruit and the biggest servings of cheeses I've ever seen.

Then the appetizers started coming out! Mini tuna tar-tare tacos with avocado and micro-greens, goat cheese/caramelized onions on an endive leaf [not pictured], and air-puffed bread filled with melted goat cheese topped with a piece of prosciutto. They were all fabulous in their own way but my favorite was the endive leaf. It was light and rich all at the same time. I love food that offers a little bit of everything.

The grande finale was this humongous pan of paella x2. I'm a huge paella fan and was super happy when I saw two cooks carrying this out from the kitchen. It was that big that it required two guys to carry it. It was also big in flavor. I dare say that this was one of the best paellas I've ever had. I hope my fiance is reading this...'take me here for dinner, fiance'.

Plus, check out our view for the evening. It's really not a bad way to spend a Thursday. Almost as exciting as lazing on my couch paying iPad games. I kid but I do love my iPad games. I need help.

Thanks for the fun date Heather! Heather also introduced me to Angry Julie and Kelly who came to join our table so we didn't look totally out of sorts because we all know how fun it is to go to an event especially as someone's plus one and not know anyone there.

Catal Restaurant
1580 Disneyland Drive
Anaheim, CA 92802
714-774-4442