Hello one and all! I (Cassie) am so happy to be back, blogging about my favorite place! 2016 turned out to be a pretty whirlwind year for me. Between starting a new career and getting married, I unfortunately did not make much time for visiting The Happiest Place on Earth. However, 2017 is off to a wonderful start and I am hoping to reinstate my Disneyland Annual Pass very soon! This means, more trips, blogs, advice, and happiness in Cassie-land! Woot!

I would like to start my journey back to the Blogosphere by sharing a wonderful foodie experience that has been on my mind since my last Disney trip back in August. I wound up going to the parks with my co-worker/friend Dom, and meeting up with fellow blogger Andrew and his family. The day was easily one of my favorite Disneyland trips of all time, and included quite a few firsts.

One of my very favorite parts about the day was my trip to The Cove Bar with Dom. I had only been to The Cove Bar once before, and did not have the same experience as I did upon this trip. In fact, I hardly remember the first time I went, as it was roughly four years ago and I just swung in for a quick drink.

Dom and I arrived at the entrance to The Cove Bar roughly ten minutes before it opened. (11am.) I would recommend to anyone that you arrive early to this hot-spot restaurant, as it was packed busy even before opening. We ended up wandering by later in the day, and the wait was nearly an hour. Mind you, this was on a Sunday in August, a notoriously busy time at the parks.

We were quickly seated in what I believe was the best spot in the house. Our table faced out over the water and we had a great view of Mickey’s Fun Wheel. I can only imagine how popular this place is at sunset…the views must be amazing.

Our server was an absolute hoot, and was very kind and attentive to our many questions about the fruity, fluffy drinks. As one by one brightly colored concoctions passed our table, we would wave our service over to inquire what the bar tender was creating. It is widely known that The Cove Bar has a secret drink menu, including drinks with names like The Fun Wheel and The Earthquake. I won’t get into too many details about ALL the drinks, but they are very fun! Our server kindly recommended his favorite drink on the menu, The Neverland Tea. The drink was a vivacious green, and included Peach Schnapps, Pineapple juice, Sprite, along with a plethora of other alcohols. Due to the time of day and strength of the drink, Dom and I shared one and also spilt a Corona. The Neverland Tea was fruity and delicious.

For food, we spilt the legendary lobster nachos. This was, as I said earlier, my first time eating at The Cove Bar, and the nachos did not disappoint. Dom had been telling me all week leading up to our trip that the nachos were our number one priority for the day. Now I know why.

For starters, the portion was humongous. I am so glad we decided to spilt an order, as we didn’t end up finishing the plate. The nachos included a large amount of fresh lobster, house-made tortilla chips, Pico, beans, Cheese, jalapeños, and a chipotle cream. I had to ask for the Pico on the side, as I loathe cilantro. The combination of the chipotle sauce and jalapeños made the dish fairly spicy, which I love. I believe, the spicier the dish, the better.

We enjoyed every minute of our delicious meal, and stayed for a second round of beers, not quite ready to give up the view. When we finally paid and decided to part, one funny event occurred. A giant green June bug flew right into The Cove Bar, much to the panic of many of the guests. The bug was roughly the size of my ear and really gross. It landed on a neighbor’s table and they swatted it to the ground. Without thinking, I squished the bug under my Nikes with a loud “CRUNCH.” I kid you not, the entire bar erupted in applause while Dom and I exited, having saved the day! We laughed and laughed about the incident all day long, even though I felt pretty bad for ending the life of the June Bug. He probably just wanted to join us for some of those delicious nachos.

I can’t wait for my next visit to the parks! I am hoping to go very soon, likely with my friend Dom again as she also is renewing her Annual Pass. I am sure to make The Cove Bar a regular spot, and can’t wait to try all the other delicious items on the menu!

– Cassie