Disneyland Diamond Celebration Truffles: Carthay Circle

Click here for my review of the first box, from Steakhouse 55, and here for the second box, from Blue Bayou.

It's been a fun journey, but now I've come to the last of the Diamond Celebration truffle boxes from Disneyland. It's bittersweet--and yet it also feels like like all the thoughts I've given toward these chocolates have now been fulfilled. I have conquered the Disneyland truffles.

So. The third box is from Carthay Circle. Given that it's a fairly new restaurant and looks very much like a fine dining restaurant, I've never eaten there. I did the same thing as before and asked the hostess at the front (which is sort of outside of the building, though underneath the roof) about the truffles. She sent me inside to the lounge; I hadn't even known that the restaurant has a lounge. I sat down in one of the chairs and felt a little awkward because I'd left my group outside, thinking that I would be fairly quick (I don't know why I was thinking that). 

But despite feeling odd that I was alone, I was also delighted to have come into this building. The lounge is fairly big, almost like two rooms, and is decorated in elegant, early 1900's (I believe 1920's, right?) style. Gorgeous. It was kind of thrilling that these truffles gave me the excuse to go in. There was only one waiter taking drink/appetizer orders from everyone in the lounge, so I would say service was on the slow side in general, not just for me. I would probably recommend stopping in for a drink while you're getting your truffles: it takes long enough already that you might as well stay a few minutes longer. It's a lovely place to be in, after all.

By the time I had ordered my box of truffles (by the way, this is the only box where you're required to show ID that you're over 21), my group wandered in to wait with me--which was good since this was only about the halfway point in how long I had to wait. Once again, the waiter brought the truffles with the check--and once again I felt like I should leave a small tip even though I wasn't eating or drinking there. But it was strange. I felt like this waiter didn't give me as good of service as I received elsewhere, including from the Carthay Circle hostess. He wasn't rude. But he didn't seem as friendly. And then it seemed to take so long. I decided he must be very busy and therefore could use a tip--I also thought that probably most people who come in just for truffles don't leave a tip and therefore the people who have to go to trouble to give them their box get a little disgruntled that they go through all that without even getting a tip.

I guess I'm overthinking everything.

Not as happy-looking as the Blue Bayou truffles, the Carthay Circle set looks more similar to Steakhouse 55's group: they both even have one white chocolate, two milk chocolates, and one dark chocolate.

Let's begin with the Carthay Manhattan: "Whiskey, Vermouth Angostura Bitters and maraschino cherries." This is dark chocolate with a dark ganache and a shiny purple top. The ganache here is very smooth in texture and the truffle tastes simply of cherries and dark chocolate; it's very good. The alcohol flavor tends to come in more at the end, in the background, or with your second bite; it fits in with the flavors and doesn't feel biting or out of place. A pretty good truffle.

Next is the Hazelnut Tiramisu: "Classic Tiramisu with hazelnut." A milk chocolate shell with that slightly darker ganache and bits of hazelnut on top. The primary flavors are warm: milk chocolate, vanilla, light coffee, brown sugar, hazelnut. And yet it isn't overly sweet: there is coolness also to all of those warm flavors. It's a simpler truffle than the Manhattan, but still quite nice.

Third is the B52 Coffee: "Grand Marnier, Kahlua, Irish Cream, coffee topped and whipped cream." Another milk chocolate shell holds a dark chocolate ganache has tiny sprinkles of coffee as a garnish. The flavors take half a second to appear and then, wow, they all come in together magnificently. Chocolate (both milky chocolate and rich chocolate), coffee, cream, and vanilla. Is it sweet? A bit. Is it rich? Somewhat. But what it really is is so balanced, everything coming together to create one elegant flavor. It's really good--possibly my favorite out of all three boxes. The case may be that these are simply my flavors; but still I would call this truffle fantastic. 

And the last one is the Brown Derby: "Bourbon, fresh grapefruit juice and honey." Despite the name, this is the only white chocolate shell, with an accompanying white center and an orange stripe pattern and orange sprinkles on top. I would have called it the prettiest truffle from the box except that it came lopsided: some of the filling leaked and when I cut the chocolate in half, I could see the filling sitting in a partially hollowed shell. That's neither pretty nor detailed. The first flavor is citrus, which quickly narrows into grapefruit and is followed unmistakably by honey and then by white chocolate. Honey also stays as the after taste. So it is the honey that dripped out of the shell; while it's great that they added honey, I do wish it could've been kept more stable. Still, it's definitely an interesting flavor combination and one that I'm finding unique and enjoyable. It's pretty nice. 

Hands down, this was the best box of the three, just as Blue Bayou's was hands down the worst. All of the truffles in here were good, though some were better than others. This box might even justify its $16.99 price tag. So it would seem that my theory was correct: the quality of the truffles does seem to coincide with the quality of the restaurant. (That is, I've never eaten at Carthay Circle but it looks like it could be better than Steakhouse 55, though I'm certain that both are "better" than Blue Bayou, much as I love Blue Bayou.) So if you get only one box and you simply want the best box (as opposed to wanting to try certain flavors), I would recommend this one.

I was a little worried when I heard that you'd need ID for this box: usually chocolates with that much alcohol taste bad. Maybe it's just because those tend to be the cheap chocolates, or because the focus with them is more the fact that they have alcohol than a slightly more complicated flavor profile. But these truffles certainly didn't taste bad; I don't think they even tasted cheap--and they also didn't taste all that much like alcohol. The Carthay Manhattan probably tasted the most alcoholic, possibly followed by the B52 Coffee (although that one's odd because it tastes like Kahlua, which already doesn't taste that much like alcohol itself). 

Can we do that again?

Or maybe I can: while reviewing, I was only eating one half of each truffle. So now I have one half of twelve truffles to eat at my leisure--no, I am not sharing with anyone.

This was a great idea, Disney. Thanks for the truffles. Maybe make another set for the 70th anniversary please?

Disney Diamond Celebration Truffles: Blue Bayou

Click here for my review of the first box, from Steakhouse 55.

"Ye come seekin' chocolate and sweet little truffles, eh? Well, ye've come to the proper place. Now sit back and hold on tight, with both hands if ye please."

Wait, what? Oh, nothing, just a little playing with a Pirates of the Caribbean quote in celebration of the Blue Bayou and its box of the Diamond Celebration truffles. I do love the Blue Bayou, don't you? I've only eaten there twice, but just the idea of dining inside of a ride is . . . hilarious and yet remarkably serene given the quiet bayou setting. 

Generally considered Disneyland's finest restaurant (omitting, of course, the members only Club 33), Blue Bayou was the natural choice as the location for one of the boxes of truffles. I bought this box during my first day at the parks. Now, I have a bit of a phobia around aquariums and the like (even the fish tank section at Petsmart gets me a little uncomfortable) and that includes the Submarines at Disneyland: I usually avoid them. So while the rest of my party went on the Submarines, I went by to see if Mr. Toad had a short line (it didn't, so I passed), went instead to the Sleeping Beauty Castle Walk-Through (which closed for the day just a moment after I walked in), and then made my way to the Blue Bayou.

I asked at the main counter about the truffles and one of the women there went to bring a waitress. Both of them were friendly and gave good service. Here I waited just inside the door to the waiting around (for people dining there). First I had to wait for the truffles and my receipt and then to get my card back after it was scanned (bringing cash will speed your waiting time). Given my thoughts at Steakhouse 55 on the tip section of the receipt, I find it worth noting that when she brought me the receipt (in the usual black case you get at a restaurant), the waitress told me that she just needed my signature--I took it as a polite way of letting me know that it wasn't necessary to give a tip in this context (I still gave a small one because I was still feeling happy and generous). 

I was glad, though, that I had come over here without my group: it did, once again, take a few minutes. And yet that's exactly why I felt nicer giving at least a small tip: it seems like everyone kind of has to go out of their way to get you your box of truffles and while that's part of their job, you do feel like they deserve a little something extra for it (although the thought did occur to me that the first woman I spoke to also had to leave her place at the front to get the waitress and yet she probably doesn't get tips). 

Okay, enough on that. Let's move on to the box, which, as you can see, is exactly the same as the first one. Small and blue with the Diamond Celebration castle. (I stored it away in our Main Street locker with our sweaters for the rest of the day to make sure it would stay safe.) All four of these truffles, however, are milk chocolate, perhaps because milk chocolate was thought to better suit the casual mood of Disneyland? They're also all fairly colorful and happy-looking, which might either speak to the mood of Disneyland or the New Orleans style of the Blue Bayou and its surrounding area. The color palette I like, but the milk chocolate exclusivity I'm not sure about. I'm especially not sure about it because my air conditioning is off (it was almost completely out for a couple of days, too) and so it's a bit difficult to deal with milk chocolate without it melting right away. 

Let's start with the King Cake truffle: "Confection sugar and lemon juice menthe." It has a slightly darker chocolate ganache and colorful, almost metallic sprinkles on top, making it truly ready for a celebration. I've only had King Cake once and I think it was someone's first attempt at making it, so I really don't know much what it tastes like. Here, however, is what the truffle tastes like: bananas, brown sugar, creaminess, and milk chocolate. It doesn't taste at all like lemon to me, which I certainly don't mind. The banana taste, though, made me wonder if it had perhaps absorbed some of the flavor of the Bananas Foster truffle while sitting in the box. It's a good chocolate, I say with a shrug. 

Next comes Creme Brule: "Creme, brown sugar and vanilla." Once again, the center looks slightly darker (and also a little more syrupy than with the other truffles); brown sprinkles decorate the top of the shell. I taste the vanilla, yes, and the sugar, too, and just a hint at that caramelized flavor of the dessert that served as inspiration. In fact, it's rather like the dessert (which is rather sweet to begin with), just with a lot of milk chocolate in there, too (although it's a dessert that's often flavored, with anything from chocolate or maple to coffee or berry). Possibly I would say that the milk chocolate is a tad too dominant of a flavor this time, though. Despite being a bit sweeter, I would call this truffle a little nicer than the King Cake one.

One of the truffles I was most looking forward to happened to be one of my disappointments, the Mint Julep: "Sugar, lime juice, lemon juice and creme de menthe." Its cream-colored center is fairly free-flowing, and green stripes with a couple of those metallic sprinkles in blue decorate its top. Now, when I'm at Disneyland, one of the snack stops I like is the Mint Julep bar, where you can get a mint julep and a bag of Mickey Mouse beignets--or you can order a mint julep to drink when you eat somewhere like the Blue Bayou. I just think they're pretty and they taste nice and somehow I'm amused by the fact that Disney has turned an alcoholic drink into a non-alcoholic one. So I had a lot of hope for this truffle.

It tastes right away like mint, quickly followed by something that turns into lime, then it all tastes a little chalky. About halfway through, the milk chocolate develops as a background flavor. Yes, the truffle does taste a bit like Disney's mint juleps but it also tastes like an Andes mint--and you can get 10 of those for $1 or something like that. So it's an alright chocolate, maybe even nice (Andes mints are good, in their way), but much less than I had hoped for. It would have been better if it didn't taste so chalky and if it were made with dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate (Whoever pairs mint with milk chocolate, anyway? That's rare). 

Finishing the box off is the Bananas Foster: "Banana, vanilla ice cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, and dark rum." Again, the ganache looks slightly darker than the chocolate; yellow stripes stretch across the surface. This truffle tastes of bananas and more bananas and not much else, even though it has such a long list of flavors. There's some cinnamon in there, and I guess there's also some vanilla. I suppose the definite sweetness counts for the brown sugar; I can taste the milk chocolate. But I'm not getting any rum. So I suppose if you like bananas and chocolate together (and they are an underrepresented pairing in chocolates, if not in desserts), it's nice. 

I've let myself repeat phrases when describing this box. Everything is nice or good or pretty. Everything is milk chocolate. But nothing really stood out to me and certainly nothing was worth the $16.99 price tag. This is more what I had been initially expecting from this truffle line (before I tried the Steakhouse 55 set and found them just a little bit better): mediocrity. This is the kind of thing I get from Godiva when I have a coupon or they have a sale and I'm just in the mood for some sweet and flavored milk chocolate to munch on. The Steakhouse 55 box was definitely better overall: perhaps its execution was more varied, or more thought out.

Or maybe. I'd almost hate to think it, but you know, as much as I love the Blue Bayou Steakhouse 55 is a better restaurant than the Blue Bayou. So maybe the quality of the truffles varies with the quality of the restaurant? I'd hardly call that an excuse--but given the fine dining style of Carthay Circle I do hope their truffles will be better than these. 

Because if these are just the weaker of the three boxes (and I would be okay with that), that could mean an acceptable overall quality for the Diamond truffles. As you all know, I'm probably a little more quick to criticize chocolate than the average Disneyland goer--so while I find some depth lacking in this box, maybe most everyone else will just all them another Diamond Celebration dessert: they're nice little chocolates. 

Click here for my review of the second box, from Carthay Circle.

Disneyland's Diamond Celebration

I thought I would take a moment to share the things I bought at Disneyland. Then I thought also I would give a couple of thoughts on the 60th Anniversary happenings. The castle, for instance, I was not prepared for: I had seen pictures of its crowns and banners, but none of that showed how beautiful it looked in person. It glistened in the sunlight, truly part of the Diamond Celebration: all the little top pieces on the towers catch the sun and twinkle like jewels. 

I was undecided on whether or not to watch World of Color. Ultimately I decided not to since I was going with a couple of people who'd never been to the parks and I decided I'd rather have them watch Fantasmic than World of Color. We did watch the fireworks twice, though. The first day in front of Small World and the second day at our spot (by the railing) in front of Rivers of America. Okay, they weren't as much a celebration of the park as the 50th fireworks were, but they were nonetheless wonderful. The projections added something extra special, Nemo traveling along Tinker Bell's route was fun, and the snow during "Let It Go" was just . . . wonderful. I've seen snow in Disneyland during December, but I didn't know they had brought it back for summer, too: talk about bringing out your inner child. 

Now let me go back to my purchases. I feel like I didn't buy much this time--though I in fact bought more than I usually do (except maybe the time I went during my birthday--but I had some birthday money and a gift card that time). I started off with pins. I like to keep my pins on lanyards (as opposed to those binder carriers they sell) so that I can hang them up and see them all the time. I already had two full lanyards, so I bought a new black one. It's already half full. 

I already bought the seven-piece set of Star Wars symbol pins. I really only wanted the Jedi Order, Rebellion, and Empire ones, but you have to get the set for them, so I did. I also picked out a simple 60th Anniversary pin (a blingy Mickey hat) and a Splash Mountain pin: I'd been needing a Splash pin since it's one of my favorite rides. If you're curious, you can see my 50th Anniversary pin fifth down on the left edge there on the pink lanyard. 

At the parks, I wore the new black lanyard this time, filling it with some new pins and some of my favorites of the other pins. If I remember rightly, I wore the Partners statue, POTC, the blue Tower of Terror, the Crocodile, Mr. Toad, the Teacups, the Matterhorn (maybe), the Storytellers statue, Yoda, Fantastic, the 60th pin, Splash Mountain, and the Rebellion pin. Maybe I wore the Disneyland sign also. For some strange reason, I never took a picture of the lanyard I wore before I put everything back the way it was (I like to keep them on the lanyards in the order that I bought them in). 

As I've mentioned, I also bought all three boxes of the 60th Anniversary truffles--that's the main place where I emptied my wallet. A couple of years ago, I bought some of the Wonderland tea and really enjoyed it, so I bought a tube of English Breakfast tea this time--and somehow completely forgot that the other tea was loose and this one was just tea bags. I must've been distracted when I was picking it out: given the choice, I always prefer loose tea. And it isn't as good as the tea I got before: it's okay but nothing special and so I guess I only got it for the container. 

I kept admiring the journal with the 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration castle on it, all glistening with bling. On the first night at World of Disney, I thought that I would wait until after I'd been in the parks to get it: you know, in case I saw something else in there that I'd rather get. I almost bought it at the Emporium. And then when I went back to World of Disney the day after the parks, I still didn't get it (I don't know why: I love notebooks and it was like a little bit of history). Instead I got this book about the making of Cinderella. It's a lovely book and I'm looking forward to reading it, but I'm not sure I should have spent the money on it (especially since I didn't spend it on the journal I kept stalking--which was half the price of this book). 

And then because I'm crazy, here is a picture of the bags the stores are using right now. That's the bling castle that was on the notebook I liked. And I suppose I'd better stop showing pictures now before I start putting up a picture of the park maps and the napkins. 

Disneyland Diamond Celebration Truffles: Steakhouse 55

Ah, Disneyland, you know me so well. You know that which will delight my heart. For the 60th Anniversary, what special something did you have on offer, just for me? Truffles. And not just one but three separate boxes of them, too. Ah, I am delighted.

I heard about these truffles not long before I found out also that I would be able to visit the parks in late July. So even though each box comes with a $16.99 price tag before taxes, I made my plans to get all three. Each box is designed for one of the restaurants around the resort: Steakhouse 55 in the Disneyland Hotel, the Blue Bayou in Disneyland, and Carthay Circle in Disney California Adventure. Initially, you were supposed to be dining at the restaurant to purchase the truffles but they quickly opened that up to allow everyone to buy them, regardless of whether you're eating at the restaurant. 

It is my tradition to spend the evening before the park day(s) in Downtown Disney, walking around and shopping at World of Disney and having dinner somewhere there. So I made a stroll over to the Disneyland Hotel and spent some time in the lobby looking over their lovely giant map of Disneyland, and then headed over to the Steakhouse 55 entrance. I asked the hostess about the truffles; she was friendly and let me know that I could buy them from the waiters or the in the lounge. So I went up to the bartender and he brought a box out for me; he was also nice, telling me about how I was the first one to buy a box that day. That somewhat surprised me: given how excited I was for these truffles, I would have thought everyone else would be, too. 

Here was where I ran into the unexpected: when you pay, you realize that your receipt looks exactly like it would if you were dining at the restaurant or having a drink in the lounge. That is, there is a space for a tip. Feeling generous (since I was around Disneyland), I thought I'd rather give a small tip than not give anything, even if perhaps not everyone tips when they're just picking up a box of truffles on the go. You'll also want to note that I did have to wait a few minutes from the time I arrived to when I left; so plan on taking your time and enjoying your surroundings, even if you're not dining in. Which, by the way, if you would like some nice dining, I do very much recommend Steakhouse 55, where I once ate for my birthday: it's a quiet, luxurious, and lesser-known corner with good food and service. I just had no plans to eat there (or at either of the two other restaurants with truffles) on this particular trip.

The truffles come in sets of four in small, rectangular boxes of roughly 2.5 inches by 6 inches. Classic Disney blue with a simple decoration of Sleeping Beauty Castle with a star soaring over it and the Diamond Celebration announcement make for something of a souvenir box. I was so happy with my little box that I had to hold it in my hands for a few minutes before stowing it safely away in a bag (the one I already had from World of Disney). 

(I hope you don't mind that my photographs are against the background of Disneyland: Then, Now, and Forever, which was released for the park's 50th anniversary.)

A clear, circular sticker on each end of the box keeps it shut without ruining the look of the box. Underneath the lid you'll find a glossy paper with the Diamond Celebration logo in one corner, the Steakhouse 55 logo in the other, and images and descriptions of the four truffles in the center. The flavors are different for the different restaurants and are inspired by drinks or desserts associated with each restaurant. 

My truffles had a slight look of age about them, just the barest hint at bloom on the surfaces--perhaps they just weren't kept at the right temperature? (And this wasn't my fault this time: I peeked inside the box right away.) Otherwise they look nice in a clear plastic setting, inside their little chocolate papers. 

On the left we have the Kahlua truffle, which is described thus: "Coffee, brown sugar, vanilla." It has a milk chocolate shell with some darker chocolate stripes and a dark ganache center. You can definitely taste the coffee and sugar right away, with only a very slight alcoholic taste; it does have the flavor of Kahlua. The vanilla is in there, too. The milk chocolate makes the right base for these flavors, though I didn't get the chance to taste it much on its own. 

Simply for the profile of flavors, this truffle was pretty good. It was probably a tad sweet and not quite on par with its price tag (which I was expecting, anyway), but it was still very enjoyable. It might be my favorite of the four.

Next we have the Cosmopolitan, which has "Vodka, triplesec, cranberry juice, lime." It's white with a swirl of pink on top and a white ganache center. There is more of a bite to this truffle, what with the flavors of alcohol and lime, yet it is also very creamy from all of the white chocolate. The effect is like a citrus dessert, except that it isn't just the flavor of citrus that gives the sting here. 

I'm not generally into tangy chocolates (or desserts), so I did enjoy this one more than I generally like citrus chocolates. I would say that owes to how much the white chocolate balanced out the tang. 

Coming in third is the Primitivo: "Fruit flavors, raspberry, blackberry, cherry, plums, and raisin." It appears to have a dark chocolate shell, with a swirl of magenta color on top and a dark ganache center. Here is the order that I tasted all of the flavors: blackberry, raisin, cherry, raspberry, plums; I was impressed that I did taste each of these, in quick succession yet still individually. They're all woven in quite nicely, each with their own moments even while they blend together like a rich fruit jam. Again, I can't taste the chocolate itself much: it's just a base for the very pronounced added flavors.

Still a tad sweet for a truffle--but otherwise rather good and one of my favorites from the set. 

Last is the 24 Layer Chocolate Cake: "Milk chocolate, hazelnut, and a hint of vanilla." This chocolate appeared slightly darker than that of the Kahlua truffle; it's topped off with little bits of hazelnut. Probably I would call this truffle the most disappointing of the lot. It began alright. I was tasting the nuttiness along with the chocolate and it was very nice, like a warm dessert, but then I suddenly got a weird, artificial or stale flavor. It must be the vanilla. Granted, it didn't taste quite so weird on a second tasting, but was still very disappointing. 

I love chocolate and hazelnut together and I love good vanilla (it's great in tea), but there was just something here that didn't come over right. It tastes like a mediocre ingredient to me. The truffle was okay--but I'd call it the weak one out of the four. 

Call me pessimistic, but I wasn't expecting much from these truffles, as excited as I got over them. I was simply excited over the idea of them and the fact that I'd get to keep the boxes forever and I'd get to review Disneyland truffles. But, you know, I think these truffles were good. Yes, they seem fairly mass-produced and they are overpriced (but what Disney food isn't?). But they were a lot of fun to buy and to try and to bring home with me. And the flavor profiles were pretty good: overall, it appeared a lot of thought went into what flavors should be portrayed and in what balance they should all appear. 

So with the Kahlua and Primitivo truffles as my favorites, I'll approve of the Steakhouse 55 box. Next up will be the Blue Bayou. 

Click here for my review of the second box, from Blue Bayou, and here for the third box, from Carthay Circle.