It’s Time to Celebrate and … Eat! Come on Down to Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney District for Fat Tuesday
posted on February 17th, 2012 by Janet Knox, General Manager, Downtown Disney District, Disneyland Resort
Join us on Fat Tuesday at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen as “New Orleans Mardi Gras comes to Downtown Disney!”
Fat Tuesday is famously celebrated on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, but here in the Downtown Disney District at the Disneyland Resort, we have our very own taste of New Orleans! Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen will offer a festive celebration on Tuesday, Feb. 21, where guests will enjoy special New Orleans entrees by Executive Chef Darrin Finkel featured all day, including:
- Red Beans & Rice
- Gumbo
- New Orleans Jambalaya
- Be sure to enjoy the famous Jazz Kitchen Beignets!
And don’t forget these terrific drink specials:
- Abita Draft Beer Specials – $3.00
- Hurricanes – $5.00
Special entertainment will feature:
- Performances by Kenny Sara and the Sounds of New Orleans, playing Mardi Gras favorites from 7 – 10 p.m. in the Flambeaux Room. Get your beads and napkins ready to start a 2nd-line parade when they play “When the Saints Go Marching In”!
- Magician performing table-side tricks from 5:30 – 9:30 p.m.
- Authentic Mardi Gras beads for sale – bring your own beads or add to your collection!
Plus, fans of Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen on Facebook can “Become Jazz Kitchen Royalty for a Day!”
- “Like” Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen on Facebook and enter to win.
- One lucky fan will be crowned King or Queen on Fat Tuesday at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen!
- Winner gets VIP Seating for you and your Royal Court, Specialty Beads, AND $100 to spend on Fat Tuesday at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen.
- For complete rules, visit rbjazzkitchen.com.
We look forward to seeing you at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen for a night of fun for the entire family!
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Kick Off St. Patrick’s Day March 15 at Raglan Road in Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World Resort
posted on February 17th, 2012 by Pam Brandon, Disney Parks Food Writer
The best excuse to eat and drink in March is St. Patrick’s Day – the “feast day of St. Patrick,” by the way, has been observed in Ireland on March 17 for centuries but we’re starting a couple of days earlier at Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant. (March 17 falls during the fasting season of Lent, but on St. Patrick’s Day the prohibitions against eating meat were lifted, and the Irish would celebrate their patron saint with dancing, drinking, and feasting.)
The fun this year begins at the Downtown Disney restaurant at Walt Disney World Resort with Chef Kevin Dundon onstage for a four-course kickoff lunch and culinary demo at 1 p.m. on Mar. 15. Chef Kevin will show how to make each course, then you get to taste with wine pairings.
We had the pleasure of attending last year’s lunch and, needless to say, many of the dishes involve rich Irish cream and butter. This year it’s darne (thick-cut) of hickory-smoked Irish salmon served warm on buttered leeks with mead cream reduction; espresso of roasted tomato and gin soup; loin of traditional Irish bacon with Irish Mist glaze on colcannon potato with parsley cream sauce; and a jam jar of silky rhubarb jelly panna cotta.
Cost is $45 plus tax and gratuity. Call 407-938-0300 or 407-WDW-DINE, or visit www.raglanroad.com.
It’s All About the Food at New Orleans Bayou Bash! at Disneyland Park
posted on February 13th, 2012 by Pam Brandon, Disney Parks Food Writer
New Orleans Bayou Bash! kicked off February 10 with fantastic live music, Disney characters and over-the-top street performers, but let’s be honest – for some of us, it’s really all about the food!
From 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on select dates through March 11 in Disneyland park, you can nosh on everything from bacon-cheddar popcorn to a steaming bowl of bouillabaisse with lobster, red snapper, cockle clams, shrimp and mussels at Blue Bayou Restaurant.
Other savory favorites include Fat City Snapper at Café Orleans with pan-seared snapper topped with tomato Scotch Bonnet sauce and mango pineapple relish, served with crispy onion straws, asparagus, rice and red beans; Mardi Gras Southern meatloaf and a French-style chicken-pork sausage sandwich with homemade apple-carrot slaw, both at French Market Restaurant; and Mardi Gras Southern corn chowder in a sourdough bread bowl at Harbour Galley.
Oh, the sweets are hard to resist: fresh fried apple fritters a la mode at Blue Bayou Restaurant; chocolate and red velvet cupcakes (almost too beautiful to eat) and bananas Foster cheesecake with caramel rum sauce at French Market Restaurant; Royal Street bananas Foster crepe at Café Orleans; beignets at the Mint Julep Bar; and apple fritters rolled in cinnamon sugar at Royal Street Veranda.
It will take several visits to try it all – have you found a favorite?
Remaining dates are February 17-21; February 24-26; March 2-4 and March 9-11. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Wow Your Valentine With This Gluten-Free Treat from Disney’s Hollywood Studios
posted on February 10th, 2012 by Pam Brandon, Disney Parks Food Writer
Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. We keep this recipe just for special occasions – an old favorite from The Hollywood Brown Derby at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. You won’t find it on the menu right now, but we’re sharing in case you’re home for Valentine’s Day dinner with your sweetheart. (And if your Valentine’s Day includes dinner at the Derby, try the Chocolate Three Ways dessert they’re starring now.)
We don’t bother with frou frou garnishes, but it’s delish with fresh raspberries or strawberries. And you can make it a day ahead. Just add a flute of bubbly – or a glass of ice-cold milk, whichever your sweetheart fancies.
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Makes 12 individual cakes
Flourless Chocolate Cakes
1 cup butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons freshly brewed espresso or instant espresso
2 tablespoons hot water
6 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons rum
Ganache
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup dark chocolate chips
For cakes:
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease two 6-cup silicone muffin molds.
- Combine butter and chocolate chips in a glass bowl and microwave on high for 60 seconds. Stir until smooth. If not melted completely, return to microwave for 15-second intervals, stirring between each until melted. Set aside.
- Combine cocoa powder, espresso and water in a separate bowl. Stir until smooth and set aside.
- Combine eggs, sugar, and rum in a large mixing bowl, whisking thoroughly. Add cocoa-espresso mixture to egg mixture, then stir in melted chocolate mixture. Whisk until smooth and creamy.
- Pour batter into prepared muffin molds and bake until cakes puff slightly and surfaces are set, about 22-25 minutes.
- Cool, then refrigerate for at least three hours.
For ganache:
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add heavy cream and bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips; whisk until smooth.
To serve:
- Remove cooled cakes from molds.
- Set a wire rack over a large bowl, and one cake at a time, place on wire rack and coat with ganache, making sure to cover sides.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Favorite Quick-Service Vegetarian Options at the Disneyland Resort
posted on February 9th, 2012 by Pam Brandon, Disney Parks Food Writer
I just spent a week tasting my way through the Disneyland Resort and some of my favorite tastes were vegetarian – deliciously beyond salads and pastas.
Over a tofu scramble for breakfast at Tangaroa Terrace – Casual Island Dining (with a splash of Thai hot sauce), I counted off some of the best vegetarian finds of the week.
Other breakfast finds included the egg white and spinach burrito at Taste Pilot’s Grill at Disney California Adventure park, generously loaded with Portobello mushrooms, bell peppers and feta cheese, wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla.
At Disneyland park, I love anything sweet from the new Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe, but opted for the savory Jolly Holiday Caprese sandwich with tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, lettuce and basil vinaigrette on toasted focaccia – a stick-with-you breakfast.
For lunch or dinner, it’s the fried green tomato sandwich at Hungry Bear Restaurant at Disneyland park, the fried tomatoes layered with fresh ones, topped with cheese, creamy remoulad and jicama-mango slaw on a multi-grain bun. You can share this one. Also at Disneyland park, we liked the vegetable po’boy at River Belle Terrace, a warm, tomatoey jumble of veggies on a sub roll.
Over at Disney California Adventure park, skip the dog and go for a Portobello mushroom Philly at Award Wieners with grilled portobellos, onions & bell peppers sautéed in Hefeweizen (wheat beer), topped with pepper jack cheese. Or the soft tacos with roasted veggies topped with cheese at Cocina Cucamonga. Yum!
Finally, it’s back to Tangaroa Terrace – Casual Island Dining, where I’ll mention just one salad: the crispy tofu salad with ginger-soy marinated tofu fried crispy in coconut panko bread crumbs, sitting atop fresh greens with a citrus vinaigrette. Behaving on vacation was never this easy.
What’s your favorite Disneyland Resort vegetarian meal?
Look for These New Kids’ Menu Items Starting Feb. 15 in Magic Kingdom Park
posted on February 8th, 2012 by Pam Brandon, Disney Parks Food Writer
While some little ones are content with mac ‘n cheese or a burger, other young guests have a, well, more sophisticated approach to dining. Four Magic Kingdom Park table-service restaurants are adding some delicious new dishes just for kids for ages 3 to 9. At Tony’s Town Square, look for a steak skewer “spiedini” with roasted sweet potato fries and fresh fruit (spiedini refers to cubes of meat cooked on a skewer, an Italian specialty). Also at Tony’s, a grilled cheese sandwich on multigrain bread sliced into “dippers” with tomato sauce on the side should appeal to just about any child.
Liberty Tree Tavern is featuring a new barbecued chicken and pineapple flatbread pizza with a side of crisp veggies and apples, or oven-roasted turkey with mashed potatoes, veggies and fruit.
At Cinderella’s Royal Table, youngsters can try the new chicken drumette with rice and broccolini, grilled beef skewers with mashed potatoes and corn, or a chicken pot pie topped with a biscuit crust. (We want to try that one.)
And The Plaza Restaurant has a kids’ plate with grilled chicken slices, cous cous and a fresh fruit skewer. Ah, to be a young ‘un again.
Earl of Sandwich Coming to Downtown Disney District at the Disneyland Resort This Summer
posted on February 7th, 2012 by Janet Knox, General Manager, Downtown Disney District, Disneyland Resort
If you read my posts last week about the changes coming to La Brea Bakery Café and the LEGO Store, you know that there are new and exciting things coming to Downtown Disney District at the Disneyland Resort, and today I am excited to announce that Earl of Sandwich is coming in early summer 2012!
The new restaurant, which continues to have historical ties to the inventor of the sandwich, the Sandwich family, will be located adjacent to AMC Theatres. Signature hot sandwiches will be available including The Original 1762, a sandwich of freshly roasted beef, sharp cheddar and creamy horseradish sauce all on freshly baked artisan bread. Soups, salads, wraps and desserts also are on the menu. Earl of Sandwich offers a vast array of hot and cold beverages including The Earl’s Grey Lemonade. Breakfast sandwiches and pastries will be available in the morning and a variety of catering options will be offered at this location.
This will be the only Earl of Sandwich in California and it is sure to be a favorite among our guests as it has been at the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Paris.
We are very excited to welcome Earl of Sandwich to Downtown Disney District and hope to see you all there this summer!
Yummy Valentine’s Day Treats at Disney Parks
posted on February 6th, 2012 by Steven Miller, Merchandise Communications Manager
I know it will be a great conversation when Patrice Guy, product developer for Consumables, stops by my office. She recently appeared at my door and asked, “How would you like to photograph some treats?” I think I proved a person can travel faster than the speed of light as I grabbed my camera. Patrice wheeled over a cart full of Valentine’s Day treats that were recently introduced at Disney Parks. We talked about this year’s selection.
“We have a few familiar favorites,” said Patrice. “One new item is the Mickey Mouse-shaped sugar cookie. I also love how the cupcakes turned out. They are colorful, bright and delicious.”
Patrice wasn’t joking – they are delicious (of course, I had the tough assignment of trying one after the photo shoot). This year, you will also find elaborately decorated, Mickey Mouse-shaped Rice Krispies treats (yes, add them to the delicious column). Patrice explained that she works closely with the operations teams when creating these items at Disney Parks.
“I believe in collaboration,” explained Patrice. “I work closely with the operations teams in the various show kitchen locations. They love trying new things and find ways to step up their game. I think their direct experience with our guests helps create better options. Plus they like to have fun with the creations.”
I think the chocolate covered strawberries were my favorite (I’ve been a fan of them for years, especially from Karamell-Küche in Germany Pavilion at Epcot.
These and other treats are offered at a variety of locations including Marceline’s Confectionery at Downtown Disney District in California; Goofy’s Candy Company and Candy Cauldron at Downtown Disney in Florida; Beverly Sunset Sweet Spells at Disney’s Hollywood Studios; and the Main Street Confectionary at Magic Kingdom Park.
Patrice said that assortment will vary by location which sounds like the perfect excuse for a confectionary world tour. Who wants to join me?
La Brea Bakery Café to Expand at Downtown Disney District at the Disneyland Resort
posted on February 2nd, 2012 by Janet Knox, General Manager, Downtown Disney District, Disneyland Resort
Hi everyone! I’m Janet Knox, general manager of Downtown Disney District at the Disneyland Resort. I have had many different roles during my 13 years at the Disneyland Resort, and having the opportunity to lead Downtown Disney District for the last two years has been my favorite. This position allows me to combine my experience in retail with my passion for discovering new and emerging trends. I’m excited to join the Disney Parks Blog team and share all of the great things in store for the Downtown Disney District.
If you’ve been to the Downtown Disney District lately, you’ve likely noticed the exciting changes underway. On January 3, La Brea Bakery Café began a significant refurbishment of its current location including expanding the restaurant’s footprint, creating a new exhibition bakery, adding a new kitchen in the express area, and placing an awning over the outdoor seating in the full-service dining section.
The remodel, as seen in this early concept artwork, also will allow La Brea Bakery Café to produce fresh baked items at the restaurant, which will include a selection of breads, pastries, sweets, flatbreads and foccacias.
The café will feature menu items inspired by La Brea Bakery’s founder, Nancy Silverton. From double-dipped French toast and fontina strata at breakfast to burgers, salads, panini and authentic Italian focaccias made fresh throughout the day, the focus will be on fresh, healthy and flavorful foods.
La Brea Bakery’s full-service restaurant remains open during the refurbishment through mid-March. The restaurant will reopen its doors with a fresh new look in April.
Landscape of Flavors at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort at Walt Disney World
posted on January 30th, 2012 by Pam Brandon, Disney Parks Food Writer
“Better-for-you” options at five mini shops serving breakfast, lunch and dinner is the overarching theme of the new Landscape of Flavors food court still being tweaked for Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, opening in May. The new restaurant will be adjacent to the lobby.
“The idea is that you customize your choice,” says Chef Ed Wronski, Director, Food & Beverage Concept Development, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “From burgers to pasta, salads, ethnic flavors, omelets, even parfaits and gelatos, everything is made fresh as you order.”
There’s a big focus on beverages, too. Fresh fruit smoothies are made to order, ditto for lemonade and pomegranate limeade. They’re stocking organic teas, beer (including gluten free), wine, coffee and juices. You can get a plain cup of coffee or a French vanilla or mocha iced. And half bottles of wine are paired with cuisine from the food shops.
We got a sneak peek at the menu, and here are some of the highlights:
- The Soup-Salad-Sandwich Shop lets you create your own salad (with beef or chicken) and offers a caprese sandwich with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes on focaccia, or a Buffalo-style turkey sandwich with arugula and a blue cheese-Buffalo sauce-mayo spread. Both are served with delish house-made potato chips.
- The World Flavors Shop adds Indian-African flair to breakfast, too, with scrambled eggs, tandoor potatoes, Portuguese sausage, slab bacon and a mini-naan; or a veggie flatbread sandwich on naan with cauliflower, spinach and paneer. Lunch and dinner is a choice of tandoori chicken or shrimp, Mongolian beef with vegetables, mahi mahi, Portuguese sausage or roasted acorn squash served with sides and naan bread.
- The Pizza Shop features make-your-own pasta, cheese and pepperoni pizzas and meatballs on ciabatta bread. Room delivery is an option, too.
- The Burger Shop includes a breakfast burger with chicken breakfast sausage, cheese and scrambled eggs on a multi-grain bun, and a steak-and-eggs breakfast burger with a burger topped with fried eggs, cheese and bacon. Besides the traditional burgers, lunch and dinner includes a surf and turf burger with crab cake and fried popcorn shrimp, and a pastrami cheeseburger topped with pepper jack cheese and a slice of fried green tomato.
- The “grab ‘n go” Market Shop offers drinks, yogurt, bagels, pastries, gourmet cupcakes, cookies and gelato.
The food court will be part of the Disney Dining Plan, details to follow.
