BaseLine Tap House is a welcome addition to Disney's Hollywood Studios thanks to its stunning charcuterie plate and beer flight! Occupying a space that was previously Writer's Stop, we were skeptical that this new addition could compete with the nostalgic carrot cake and double chocolate chunk cookies we savored at this location as kids. Turns out, we've now formed a grown-up attachment to this place, and so have many of you!
One downside regarding our many trips to BaseLine Tap House is that, with kids in tow, we are usually in a rush. For us, it's a "run in and grab a pint of beer to go" stop. When we see those gorgeous BaseLine charcuterie plates and beer flights, we suffer from some serious FOMO.
Luckily, the menu spells out all the components of its California Cheese and Charcuterie Plate, including brand names of the specialty cheeses so it's not a mystery to make up a plate back home:
Toma Farmstead Cheese, Point Reyes Original Blue Cheese, Laura Chenel's Sonoma Goat Cheese, Chorizo and Calabrese Salami, Cornichons, Grapes, and Toasted Baguettes
At this time, the California Cheese and Charcuterie Plate comes with 3 cheeses, which we located in our local grocery stores. The Toma Farmstead cheese is creamy and mild and tastes similar to white cheddar. This one is the least adventurous on the plate, and sure to be enjoyed by all cheese lovers, including kids. The Point Reyes Original Blue Cheese is very similar to any gorgonzola cheese we've ever eaten. It pairs nicely with the red grapes.
Especially impressive on the cheese and charcuterie board is the Laura Chenel's Sonoma Goat Cheese rolled in dried cranberries and pepitas. This one is creamy and rich, with a pronounced goat cheese flavor. We like this one on the toasted baguette.
The plate has two salamis, a calabrese and a chorizo. The calabrese we chose was Olli Salumeria Calabrese Spicy Salame with Sangiovese Wine. From Oceanside, California, this one keeps with BaseLine Tap House's California exclusive selections. This salami has the same salty salami taste we know and love, with a hint of fennel. It is not spicyl, and very tasty.
The dry-cured chorizo we purchased is made by Fermin, a product of Spain, and is labeled as Iberico Pork Dry-Cured Chorizo Sausage. It was good, like a chili and paprika infused pepperoni. When we make this plate at home again in the future, we will search instead for Olli Salumeria's Chorizo Smoked Paprika Salume, a product of California.
Rounding out BaseLine Tap House's California Cheese and Charcuterie Plate is grapes, whole grain mustard, toasted baguette, and cornichons. We discovered that cornichons are sour little French pickles. There is quite a difference between these little guys and the sweet or dill pickles we are used to. However, we found the cornichons and whole grain mustard provided a nice acidity to the plate. Have fun trying different flavor combinations, and enjoy!
BaseLine Tap House California Cheese and Charcuterie Plate Copycat Recipe
(Yield: 5 plates)
Special Supplies
- Charcuterie/cheese board
- Unbleached parchment paper such as this (affiliate link)
Ingredients
- 8 oz. Laura Chenel's Sonoma Goat Cheese log
- 5 oz. Point Reyes Original Blue Cheese
- 5 oz. Point Reyes Toma Cheese
- 6 oz. Olli Salumeria Chorizo Salume chub
- 6 oz. Olli Salumeria Calabrese Salume chub
- 25 Cornichons
- Baguette loaf of bread
- Whole grain mustard
- 1 pound red grapes
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup roasted and salted pepitas
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Goat Cheese Log
Prepare the cranberry and pepitas goat cheese log by chopping dried cranberries and roasted pepitas by hand or in a small food processor (like this one / affiliate link). Roll the log in the cranberry and pepitas mixture until coated.
Step 2: Assemble the Charcuterie
- Slice the toma cheese in triangles from the wedge.
- Cube the blue cheese.
- Slice the calabrese and chorizo salami.
- Slice the baguette. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush the top of each slice with olive oil. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted.
- Assemble the California Cheese and Charcuterie Plate as pictured below, on a butcher block cutting board lined with unbleached parchment paper (paid links). Starting in the upper left hand corner and continuing clockwise: chorizo salami, blue cheese, grapes, baguette, goat cheese, Toma cheese, Calabrese salami, whole grain mustard, and cornichons.
Of course, this epic charcuterie board pairs nicely with beer! Fortunately, most of BaseLine's California beer is available across the US. For instance, we live in the Midwest, but we still were able to locate 5 of the 9 beers listed below at our local Total Wine store. The beer selection changes, but below is the current list of beers offered according to the official BaseLine Tap House menu.
BaseLine Tap House's Beer Flight Choices
- Golden Road 329 Lager (Los Angeles, 4.8% ABV)
- North Coast Scrimshaw Pilsner (Fort Bragg, 4.7% ABV)
- Lagunitas Pils (Petaluma, 6.0% ABV)
- Golden Road Hefeweizen (Los Angeles, 5.0% ABV)
- North Coast Red Seal (Fort Bragg, 5.5% ABV)
- Sierra Nevada Tropical Torpedo IPA (Chico, 6.7% ABV)
- Angel City IPA (Los Angeles, 6.1% ABV)
- Stone Delicious IPA (San Diego, 7.7% ABV)
- Ballast Point Black Marlin Porter (San Diego, 6.0% ABV)
For our beer flight (see photo below, we used this Craft Beer Tasting Flight Set including a wood paddle (affiliate link). Thrilled, we noticed that one of the 4 glasses included in this set is a miniature version of the Libbey Cider glass (affiliate link) we like to serve our Galaxy's Edge drinks in at home (see copycat recipes here).
For our at home beer flight, we chose 5 oz. pours of: North Coast Scrimshaw Pilsner (Fort Bragg, 4.7% ABV), Lagunitas Pils (Petaluma, 6.0% ABV), Sierra Nevada Tropical Torpedo IPA (Chico, 6.7% ABV), and Ballast Point Black Marlin Porter (San Diego, 6.0% ABV). Seeing as how we always get an IPA and porter on our trips to Hollywood Studios, it's not surprising those were our favorites. The great thing about recreating a flight at home is that just like at BaseLine, you can always pick the beers you want based on your own preference.
Overall Thoughts
It should be noted that we spent $70 on our version of this California Cheese and Charcuterie Plate. Nevertheless, it’s worth it since, for that amount, we can make 5 plates. At BaseLine Tap House, this just $10 a plate, and quite a steal! As luck would have it, making your own beer flight at home is much more economical. We figure our beer flight costs a little over $3 (compared to $12 in restaurant).
If you are in Disney World, go to BaseLine Tap House for the beer and charcuterie! If you aren't currently basking in the Florida sun, we highly recommend creating this BaseLine inspired beer flight or cheese and charcuterie plate in your house! Three of us devoured the entire plate and felt as though we had experienced a special tour of California cheese, salami, and beer. From now on, we won't be passing up this tasty deal, no matter how busy we may be on our Disney World vacation!
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