I remember going to Disneyland when I was a kid. One of my favorite rides was the Pirates of the Caribbean. The cool robotic and realistic figures causing havoc in pirate land was so entertaining. They just looked so real! Drifting away deeper and deeper into the fake world of pirates, I couldn’t help but get lost in it all. One thing I always remembered was the beginning of the ride. Gazing at the people dining near the Bayou in the dimly lit setting, I always wondered who these people were. How did they get over there, I asked myself. In my young and naive mind, I came to the conclusion that, “those people must be special”.
Twenty odd years later, here I was, waiting to be seated where those “special” people had sat. I entered the dining area, and it was just as I imagined. Dimly lit with candles and lanterns, cool ambiance of the swamp bayou, and people on the boats riding Pirates of the Caribbean on the calm water. I had come to realize that I was on the other side of the looking glass — I was finally here.
The setting was romantic. You almost forget you are at Disneyland — inside of a theme park attraction even. The waiter gave us some bread and butter along with our waters. I ordered the Buccaneer’s short rib and my girlfriend ordered the Cajun spiced salmon.
My short ribs were really tender and flavorful, but really salty. I like salty and savory foods, but even this was too salty for my taste. Eating each bite of meat with the bread or potatoes really helped a lot. My girlfriend’s salmon was really good though. The strong flavors of the seasoning and the crawfish beurre blanc was delicious.
Is it weird that I liked the appetizers more than the main course? The chicken gumbo was really good — the Cajun flavors were really prevalent in the dish. I also liked the starter salad. The craisins and fresh greens really made this salad pop.
So I guess my thinking is still correct. It is virtually impossible to get a fantastic meal in the happiest place on earth. I guess the food doesn’t have to be spectacular at the Blue Bayou. They make it up with the nice views and scenery. I must say though, it was a dream come true eating here. I had finally made it on the other side of the water.
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