Elegant Alternative

Nearly a hundred years ago the Anaheim citrus packing house hummed with the activity that gave Orange County its name.

Local farmers arrived to unload trucks of freshly picked citrus to begin the process of washing, grading and eventual packing into wooden crates. Once completed, the crated and labeled citrus would be loaded onto rail cars parked on the side of the building to be shipped nationwide.

When Walt Disney opened his theme park in 1955 on what had been a 160-acre orange grove, it marked the beginning of the end of agriculture in the county.

The packing house had been abandoned for decades until entrepreneur Shaheen Sadeghi restored it as an elegant dining hall with over 20 vendors, none of them chain outlets.

Short ribs, fried chicken, and seafood.

On our first trip it was tough making a decision. We settled on comfort food from the Kroft and fish from the Chippy. We were not disappointed.

Less than three miles from Disneyland, the packing house is a nearby alternative to fast food and pricey sit-down restaurants. We'll be back on our next trip.