Paradise Pier at Disney California Adventure park continues to debut new experiences. Fans now are lining up to take a dive under the sea in The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure. But as a foodie, I was just as excited to see my favorite Corn Dog Castle, right next to the attraction, back in business – that spicy dog is a must.

Now two more quick-service restaurants have opened in Paradise Pier for lunch and dinner, side by side with 900 shared seats.


At Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta, on-stage kitchens turn out flatbreads, pastas and freshly tossed salads. Our top choice is the BBQ chicken pizza with applewood smoked bacon, smoked Gouda, mozzarella, red onions and cilantro. You can go for traditional cheese or pepperoni, and there’s also a Portobello mushroom and spinach flatbread with pesto, artichokes, mozzarella, ricotta-salata and Pecorino Romano cheeses.

Pasta fans can dig into classic spaghetti and meatballs, pasta tossed with chicken in a sun-dried tomato cream sauce, or five-cheese ravioli with pesto and toasted pine nuts. Three salads are on the menu, and our favorite is the field greens with Craisins® dried cranberries, raisins, caramelized pecans and a basil vinaigrette. There’s also a hearty chicken Caesar and an Italian chef salad with provolone, salami, capocollo, fresh mozzarella, cured ham, roasted peppers, olives and greens in a red wine vinaigrette.


On a hot afternoon, sip a Bud Light or Peroni and watch the world go by.

Next door, Paradise Garden Grill has a Mediterranean spin with varieties of skewers and kabobs – lemon-oregano chicken, beef kefta, grilled steak or veggie and tofu served with rice pilaf, cucumber salad and grilled pita, with your choice of sauces to make it your own: Moroccan chili tomato, chimichurri, tandoori-spiced yogurt and tzatziki (a yogurt-cucumber-garlic sauce). A classic Greek salad with grilled pita also is on the menu. For kids, there’s a grilled chicken skewer or a beef kabob, both served with choice of sauce. Grown-ups can pair their lunch or dinner with a Belgian-style Blue Moon or Boston-brewed Sam Adams beer.