Welcome to a full marketplace booth review for the 2020 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival. This year, the Golden Dreams booth returns for its second year to the festival with an entirely new menu. This booth stuck with us last year after creating the Cotton Candy Soda, so we’re excited to see what interesting flavors they play with this year.

Golden Dreams Marketplace at Disney California Adventure 2020 Food & Wine Festival

As a quick history aside, the booth is themed after the opening day California Adventure attraction of the same name, which closed in 2008. The Golden Dreams attraction was a film about the history of California narrated by Whoopi Goldberg. The show building featured red columns and a blue dome on top, which can both be seen on the festival booth’s sign.

Menu for Golden Dreams Marketplace at Disney California Adventure 2020 Food & Wine Festival

Food:

• Brunch Fried Chicken & Waffle Sandwich with Mimosa-inspired Slaw and OJ Bubbles – $8.00
• Seared Verlasso® Salmon with Lemon Pea Purée, Black Rice and Meyer Lemon Relish (Gluten-Friendly) – $7.75

Beverages:

•  Strawberry-Rose Lemonade (Non-Alcoholic) – $6.00
• Fig & Lavender Cold Brew (Non-Alcoholic – $6.50

Photos of Menu Items from Golden Dreams Marketplace at Disney California Adventure 2020 Food & Wine Festival

*NEW* Brunch Fried Chicken & Waffle Sandwich with Mimosa-inspired Slaw and OJ Bubbles – $8.00

This was a very fresh twist on the classic chicken and waffle dish. Fried chicken sits in an almost taco-looking waffle topped with mimosa-inspired slaw and OJ bubbles. We were hesitant at first glance, but this was a flavorful dish.

The fried chicken was very soft and had almost a honey taste. It was easy to bite into and was cooked well. The waffle was a little bit thicker than we thought it would be, but it ended up being great. It was sweet, but tasted more like a normal wheat bread than a waffle. The slaw and OJ bubbles made the dish. While slaw can be bitter sometimes, this one had a crisp taste with a hint of citrus. The OJ bubbles add a fun texture, as well as throwing in some citrus. Overall, this is a good option!

*NEW* Seared Verlasso® Salmon with Lemon Pea Purée, Black Rice and Meyer Lemon Relish (Gluten-Friendly) – $7.75

This dish presented a beautiful piece of seared verlasso salmon topped with a lemon pea purée and Meyer lemon relish, sitting on black rice. The salmon was tender with a rich buttery taste. It melted in your mouth with every bite. We were worried it was going to be too oily, but it ended up perfect.

The lemon pea purée was a little bit sour and had a thick consistency, which was a strange pairing for the fish. The lemon relish was okay, but once again, the flavors didn’t go together very well. On the other hand, the black rice was the perfect addition to the salmon. It tasted almost like a black bean, but had the consistency of rice. While the fish was excellent, some of the flavor pairings were strange.

*NEW* Strawberry-Rose Lemonade (Non-Alcoholic) – $6.00

This strawberry lemonade comes in a plastic cup with one rose petal placed on top. While it is rather acidic, overall, it has a great flavor. The strawberry is obviously the most prominent flavor but there are hints of rose. This is a great, refreshing non-alcoholic drink option for guests at Food & Wine.

*NEW* Fig & Lavender Cold Brew (Non-Alcoholic – $6.50

This cold brew comes in a plastic cup and is topped with purple sprinkles. Being a coffee lover, I was very excited to try this drink. Fig and Lavender aren’t usual flavors we see attached to coffee, but thank goodness it’s available at the festival, because we love it. The cold brew itself is perfect, the coffee was extremely smooth with no bitter aftertaste. The lavender and fig add a clean, floral freshness to the drink. That, mixed with the cold brew, made for probably the best coffee I have had on Disneyland property.

What did you think about the interesting flavor combinations this booth is starting to become known for? Leave us a comment below!

Alicia