Knott’s Berry Farm!

Located in Orange County, California, Knott’s Berry Farm holds the title of being “America’s FIRST theme park.” Due to state guidelines, Knott’s Berry Farm has been closed since March, however, Knott’s became creative and created a whole new experience. The ‘Taste of Calico’ is a tasting event created by Knott’s which allows a limited number of guests to walk through the parks and try a variety of foods. Tasting cards cost $25 for adults and $15 for children (annual passholders receive a 10% discount). Tasting cards allow each guest to try 5 tastings each ( 3 for children). Now you might think that 5 is not a lot, but after my family and my experience, 5 was the perfect amount. Most of the food options were Boysenberry themed. A berry created by Rudolph Boysen and gifted to Walter Knott for his theme park.

On top of the various tasting booths set up, guests can purchase additional food and drink items separately while visiting. Select shops were also open for shopping. Although only half of the park was open to walk around (the ghost town side), extra tables were set up along the premises to ensure social distancing guidelines.

My goal was to get only food items with my card and then purchase the drink items separately (you can choose to use your 5 credits for drinks if you would like instead). We all decided to head towards the back of the park where the gumbo, chili, corn, and boysenberry sausage rolls were. A couple of us began with the Boysenberry sausage on a Hoagie roll while the others opted to begin with the steak Chili with a Boysenberry Cornbread Muffin. My sister, who is a vegetarian, went for the Roasted Corn with Butter, Cotija Cheese, and Cayenne Pepper.

The boysenberry sausage was delicious especially with the Boysenberry ketchup. Not only that, it was a full sized entree Sausage dog unlike traditional tasting events (remember when I said that 5 tastings is the perfect amount?). As for the chili, my family and I all agree that the chili was good however it was definitely lacking in spice. The lack of spice made the chili taste a little bland. Had there been some Tabasco sauce, it would have been perfect. The cornbread on the other hand was absolutely wonderful. I would have loved to have another cornbread because it was sweet and the Boysenberry flavor really popped! My sister enjoyed the corn and said it was really fresh. What’s nice is that the employees ask you how much spice you want on your corn. If you want it spicy then they’ll add more, and vice versa.

Next on our list was the Gumbo with Chicken, Shrimp, and Boysenberry Sausage on Basmati Rice. Much like the chili, the taste was good but it was lacking in seasoning and spice. I do wish there was a Boysenberry cornbread with the Gumbo because it would have been a nice addition and the gumbo would make the perfect dip.

Another popular dish that my sister ordered was the Mac and Cheese Bites with French Fries and Sriracha Ketchup. She thought they were good and had no complaints. Just like the other dishes, the portion was really nice.

The next stop on our food adventure was actually to one of the beer stands located next to the Calico Railroad entrance. Here they had Boysenberry beers and sangria. They scanned our state ID’s and placed a yellow ID band on our wrist confirming our age. My brother and I got the Boysenberry beer while my sister got the Boysenberry sangria. The beer was good and had a slight fruity taste. I tasted the sangria which was really sweet and juicy (also very delicious).

After walking around and letting some of our food digest, we decided it was time for a sweet treat. A couple of us got the Mini Stuffed Churro with Boysenberry Filling which was my favorite dessert, while a few of my siblings got the Boysenberry Jam Soft Serve Cookiewich which they said was not only big but their personal favorite dessert.

Although I had just drank my beer, I really wanted to try their Strawberry Swirl Popping Boba. The drink was a fruity Boysenberry drink with Strawberry popping boba. I am SO glad that I got one because the drink was unbelievably good (and pleasant to the eyes)!

After enjoying our treats, we ventured out for our next tasty bites. My brother and I went for the Pastrami Sandwich on a Pretzel Bun with Boysenberry Mustard and a Side of Chips, while my parents got both the Pulled Pork Sliders with Jalapeno Strips and a Mini Funnel Cake with Boysenberry Topping. Each of us enjoyed our dishes and we were all pretty full by the time we finished them.

A few of us had another tasting to use up so I ran off to try and grab one of the Boysenberry cookiewich’s for myself while the rest of my family went for the Boysenberry slushie. They all loved the boysenberry slushie and some claimed it to be their favorite tasting. Sadly for me, the cookiewich was sold out at one location and the ice cream machine broken at the second location. They ended up giving me the cookies by themselves instead. Although the cookies were good and had a true Boysenberry flavoring, I didn’t get the full experience of the dessert due to there being no ice cream inside.

All in all, The Taste of Calico was a wonderful experience and having the opportunity of being inside a theme park again was great. The Taste of Calico event has since ended, HOWEVER, Knott’s has created an all new tasting event beginning August 21st and running Fridays-Sundays through September 13th. The “Taste of Knott’s” will have a similar setup expanding through the ENTIRE theme park this time with even more food options. If you’re interested in attending The Taste of Knott’s I’ve attached the link to the website down below! Get your Boysenberry on!

https://www.knotts.com/play/events/taste-of-knotts