the first drinks were served in. It’s said that O’Brien cre- ated the rum-heavy drink as a means to rid himself of the large stock his Southern distributors forced on him. It was delicious; the best thing being it’s fresh fruit juice. Next, Bruno Duarte, the lively sales & special events manager who arranged our adventure, came over to say hello. He joined the team eight years ago as a manager and in that time was promoted (if you have an event this is the man to contact). “Over the years we have refined the preparation and presentation to accommodate both local and tourist’s sophisticated palates” stated Duarte. Guess you won’t have to break your own shellfish in a bag with a hammer! The General Manager and Director of Operations of the 245 member staff is Dave Williams. Although away on business the night we were there, his presence was felt as things ran like a well-oiled machine - with heart. Rightly so, since his first general manager’s Job was at the ripe age of 21, as General Manager for the Concept Division of Red Robin International. Between then and now he has held several prestigious job titles with the finest of establishments. After a few sips of my Hurricane while chilling to the
superbly talented classic Jazz duo, Just the 2 of Us, I started falling into a Big Easy state of mind. The effort- lessness continued when our appetizers arrived; first we tried the Coconut Gulf Shrimp with pineapple-mango salsa & tabasco pepper jelly dipping sauces - pretty darn good. The Blackened Chicken Spring Rolls filled with caramelized onions, fire-roasted corn, napa cabbage, pepper jack cheese, in a crispy wonton wrapper, with creole honey-mustard and avocado ranch dipping sauces was my favorite. The Louisiana Crab Cake with baby greens and Cajun tartar sauce was very tasty, but could have used a bit more crunch in the coating. The Gumbo Ya-Ya was true soul food, composed of chicken, andouille sausage, a dark roux, creole season- ing and rice—oh, so soothing. I ordered a glass of Shalom 2007, Cabernet Sauvignon to balance it with
the soon to come Black & Blue Filet Mignon; blackened filet topped with blueberry-Merlot demi glace, ac- companied by blue cheese dauphinoise potatoes (so yummy) and the butter poached asparagus. John had the Abita Lamb Chops with Madeira wine demi-glace, a tad spongy, but very flavorful served with authentic goat cheese grit cake and eggplant-mushroom ragout. Executive Chef Darrin Finke’s culinary career spans
from coast to coast. He is a graduate summa cum laude from the prestigious Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island and worked as a Tournant at Fidler’s Elbow Country Club in New Jersey. As Sous Chef, he moved on to Jamie’s Restaurant and then to Ship- wreck Grill. In 2001, he became Executive Chef of the acclaimed Halstead Avenue Bistro in Harrison, New York. Then in 2002 he had the opportunity to contribute his strong knowledge of the Louisiana Gulf Coast to the Jazz Kitchen’s culinary operations. He currently serves as the culinary host of the Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Orange County “Mardi Gras” fundraiser held annually at the Jazz Kitchen. Throughout his career, he has participated in several other fundraisers including; Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation®, The National Kidney Foundation and Great Chefs of Orange County. You can certainly taste and feel the difference when a compassionate hu- man being is in charge of food preparation. The dessert menu was totally enticing, I opted for the
Key Lime Ice Box Pie. Graham cracker crusted, berry coulis topped with whipped cream rocked my world as did the Mint Julep I selected as a night cap. We couldn’t resist trying the Cafe Au Lait Creme Brulee, coffee flavored custard, topped with caramelized sugar crust, true decadence. The Jazz Kitchen has scheduled an official Mardi
Gras Celebration on March 8 from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. There will be a festive parade on the streets of Downtown Disney as well as Parade Route Cusine featur- ing New Orleans Specialties, Abita Beer Specials, $5.00
Hurricanes and of course lots of beads! Open for lunch daily, with a N’awlins Brunch Fest
every Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Take out is available at the Jazz Kitchen Express -- they can whip up specialty coffees, beignets and other New Orleans favorites like Po-Boys, Jambalaya, Gumbo Ya-Ya and Bread Pudding. The themed dining areas are charming; the Queen’s Room, is a beautiful room filled with unique character depicting the exuberance of Mardi Gras season in New Orleans. The Parlor Room upstairs is captivating, to say nothing of the Jazz Balcony overlooking Downtown Dis- ney. Finally, the Wine Room is an intimate setting which holds 18 to 25. These rooms can be booked for private events including, but not limited to, convention groups, themed events and parties, all-day meetings, awards or speaking engagements, reunions, rehearsal dinners and wedding receptions. The Jazz Kitchen, Downtown Disney® District, 1590 South Dis- neyland Drive, Anaheim (With up to five hours free parking with validation). Reservations: 714.776.5200 ~Jazz schedule, online menus and other information at
www.rbjazzkitchen.com
MARCH 2011 | RAGE monthly 71
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