There are plenty of good pictures out there anyway, and I hope everyone will get to see it all themselves, but I feel the lack in my reviews when I remember how amazing the design is. The Pacific Wharf are.
There are really two areas here, because in addition to the Pacific Wharf, you also have some homage to Wine Country. Actually, it also seems to bleed into Grizzly Peak a little. The Blue Sky Cellar is listed on the web site as being in Grizzly Peak, but it is in the Golden Vine Winery, whose three restaurants are all listed as being in Pacific Wharf.
That may make sense. These areas are left over from when the park was more about celebrating California in an educational/historical/cultural way, when it was still finding it's footing. They don't have the same kind of anchoring you would have with rides, and there is not much in the way of attractions, but the look is amazing, and a lot of your food options are here.
Obviously one of the attractions is the Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar. I expressed my love for this one in other posts, but seriously, you have to go. Look at the sketches and models, and watch the video. Yes, it will almost certainly be for something that is not open yet, meaning you will need to go back, but there is nothing wrong with that. It really broadens my appreciation of the magic to listen to the people who make it.
The Bakery Tour: There also used to be a tortilla factory tour and a winery tour. I think they were less popular. One issue may be that the video here, with Rosie O'Donnell and Colin Mochrie, is more entertaining than the others were, but also the bread bowls that are being made here are constantly being used. They get used in the Pacific Wharf Cafe, and the bread bowls used in the Magic Kingdom probably come from here too, so even if no one took the tour, the process would still be needed. Also, while the company that made the tortillas had a local history as well, it did not have the name recognition of Boudin Bakery. The tortillas were good, back in the day, but we never did the winery tour.
The cafe is right next to the Bakery tour, but you have an eating area that is adjacent to two other restaurants, The Lucky Fortune Cookery, which makes rice bowls, and Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill, with Mexican food. Therefore, this area is the most similar in concept to a food court, and you can easily have members of your party choose the food they like, and then all eat together.
I have had a rice bowl and it was fine. It didn't become a favorite, where we always need to go back, but it is nice having variety available. We do always have a bread bowl, but we prefer getting those in New Orleans Square in the Magic Kingdom. There's no logic to it; it's just kind of traditional. You have the same choice of clam chowder, corn chowder, and gumbo in both, but the clam chowder is the best. One advantage with the Wharf location is that you can buy fancy bread loaves in shapes like Mickey's head.
One other thing about California Adventure is that it seems to be easier to get alcohol. It's not something we think about a lot, but it is more prominent. Therefore, in this "food court" type area you also have Rita's Baja Blenders, and you can get wine at any of the restaurants associated with the Golden Vine Winery. These include the Wine Country Trattoria, Mendocino Terrace, and Al Fresco Lounge.
My brother and his wife really liked the Trattoria, saying that it was really good food. We have intended to try it, but have not made it yet. We picked up our picnic dinners with our World of Color tickets at the Al Fresco Lounge, but I don't know if those are there regular menu items, or special for the picnic bags. I will say that the buildings are gorgeous. No surprise there.
Ghiradelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop: This is very much like visiting Ghiradelli Square in San Francisco, except people are friendlier. It is really fun to look around in, so it is almost as much an attraction as a place to get treats.
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