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ACCESS DENIED or “Was it something I said?”

Jim Hill reveals what can happen when you tick off Mouse House management. In this case, it meant that JimHillMedia.com — at the last possible moment — was barred by Disney Corporate Communications from covering this year’s annual meeting.

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19 years ago

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Cost of gas and tolls to drive down to Philadelphia: $40.00

Cost of room (per room) at Sheraton Society Hill Hotel: $68.00

Being told — at the very last moment — that you were being denied press access to Disney’s annual shareholder meeting: Priceless.
(From a publicity point of view, anyway …)

Oh, I have seen the Promised Land, my children. It is a wondrous place, laden with fresh Disney press kits and a sweet scent of a continental breakfast.

But — sadly — I was unable to reach the Promised Land (AKA the Press Room at Disney’s Annual Shareholders Meeting) yesterday morning, because … well, you see … at the last possible moment, Disney Corporate Communications decided to pull JimHillMedia.com’s press credentials for yesterday’s event.

Which meant that not only was I prevented from sampling that yummy smelling breakfast … but I was also prevented from covering yesterday’s shareholders meeting as a member of the working press.

Now let me stress here that — prior to yesterday morning — things seemed to be perfectly fine between me and Disney’s Corporate Communication Office. In fact, this past Monday afternoon (BEFORE Nancy and I got in the car to begin the 6½ hour drive down to Philly), I made a call to Disney’s Burbank headquarters. I spoke with Heather in the Corporate Communications to arrange for the site’s press credentials. She said that there’d be no problem. She even fired me off a e-mail confirmation. So I thought that we were good to go.

But then that situation changed. Why For? Well, how many of you saw Tuesday’s front page article in the Wall Street Journal? You know, the one that prominently featured yours truly. (With a woodcut-like photo of myself in the center column that proved — once-and-for-all — that I have a face that is best suited for radio. But I digress. Anyway …) Well, the folks at Disney Corporate Communications supposedly read that story and immediately decided that I now must be in cahoots with Roy. Which means I couldn’t be possibly a really-for-real reporter.

So it was ACCESS DENIED for JimHillMedia.com. “No soup for you!” in Seinfeld-speak. Or — in this case — no continental breakfast.

To be fair, I should point out that the Disney PR reps that I spoke with Tuesday morning were both extremely polite and very professional. They discreetly pulled me out of the press check-in line and quietly explained that — as a direct result of Tuesday’s WSJ piece — I was now being viewed as a member of Roy’s camp. A hostile party, you might say. Which is why I would no longer be allowed to officially cover Disney’s annual stockholders meeting as a member of the working press.

Now where this gets funny is that — earlier on Tuesday — while I was attending the “Save Disney” press conference, Roy Disney actually took me to task for saying things (in my recent articles) that weren’t all that positive about what he and Stanley Gold were attempting to do. So certainly, in the eyes of the folks over at “Save Disney,” I haven’t been playing favorites. But yet — less than 24 hours later — in the eyes of Mouse House management, I’ve somehow become Roy’s right hand man.

Talk about your Catch 22s.

Anywho … again, I should point out that the head of Disney Corporate Communications seemed somewhat sympathetic. He said that “I’m sorry that we can’t allow you in as a reporter, Jim. But — if you use your proxy — you can still get into the meeting.”

That’s when I explained to him that I didn’t have a proxy. You see, I don’t own any stock in the Walt Disney Company. “Why not?” you ask. Because — me personally — I think that it would be kind of unethical of me to own shares in a corporation that I write about. That that investment — no matter how small it may be — might still somehow color my perception of the Mouse House. Which is why I’ve always made it a point to never invest in the Walt Disney Company. I prefer to fritter away my discretionary funds on frivolous things like food and shelter …

Anyhow …

Back at the entrance to Disney’s press room, Disney’s head PR guy was still somewhat sympathetic. But NOT so sympathetic that he’d actually allow me to attend the annual meeting as a member of the working press.

Mind you … just to play Devil’s Advocate for a few moments here … but did Disney Corporate Communications REALLY have to wait ’til this morning to let me know that I was being denied access to the annual shareholder’s meeting? I mean, clearly these guys knew how to get ahold of me. After all, they were able to reach out to yours truly at 3:05 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, sending me an e-mail to let me know that Bob Iger would be meeting with the media later that same day in the Grand Hall at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

So THAT message they were able to get to me in a timely fashion . But the message saying that my press credentials for Disney’s annual shareholders meeting had suddenly been revoked … THAT ONE, they couldn’t tell me in advance. THAT ONE had to wait ’til yesterday morning. Til the very last minute. When they could deliver it in person …

Now — if I were a suspicious sort — I’d have to say that this was a deliberate act on Disney Corporate Communication’s part. That this was NOT just a case of someone dropping the ball. But — rather — a cold and calculating effort that was deliberately done in order to deny me the chance to report on this monumental Mouse House event. This once-in-a-lifetime occurrence in Disney Corporate history.

“Payback is a ***,” as they say.

But — then again — I also got this odd sort of vibe off the Disney Corporate Communications people. That these folks actually weren’t the ones who actually made this call. That the decision to boot JimHillMedia.com wasn’t made at this level. But came from somewhere further up the food chain.

Which is why I guess that’s a good thing that I’m not really a suspicious sort. More importantly, that I found Disney Company’s rather heavy handed attempt to get back at me to be more amusing than aggravating.

After all, I came all the way down to Philadelphia to get a story. And believe you me, folks: Singling me out as the one reporter to be denied official access to Disney’s annual shareholders meeting — all because I’m supposedly in bed with Roy — that’s a pretty big story.

Wait. That’s not entirely true. It wasn’t just me who was denied access to this year’s annual shareholder meeting. Chuck Oberleitner also was denied credentials. Not because he’d actually done anything wrong. But rather, because he works for JimHillMedia.com.

Now I really wish that the Mouse hadn’t done that. After all, Chuck had paid his own way out here. Flying all the way from LA to Philadelphia. Just so he could cover this year’s shareholders meeting as a member of the working press.

But Oberleitner too was denied press credentials for yesterday’s event. Even though he’s never ever had any direct communication with Roy Disney. In fact, the only time that Chuck has ever talked with anyone from Shamrock was this past Tuesday morning, when he stood up at the “Save Disney” press conference and asked a question of Roy, Stanley and Mike McConnell. I guess that — given that he works at my website — Disney Corporate Communications must be working from the “Guilt by Association” principle.

Mind you, I guess I should mention that there’s actually a happy ending to this part of the story. At least in Chuck Oberleitner’s case … you see, Chuck … he’s a wily sort. He hadn’t traveled 3000 miles just to come up short 300 feet away from the entrance to the Pennsylvania Convention Center. So Oberleitner hung out near the entrance to the hall. And — within a half hour or so — he finally found a sympathetic JHM fan who took pity on the poor guy and took Chuck into the meeting as his guest.

So — in spite of the Walt Disney Company’ best efforts — JimHillMedia.com WILL have coverage of yesterday’s annual shareholder’s meeting. Only — this time around — Oberleitner will be the lead reporter on this story. He’s the guy who will eventually be bringing you the blow-by-blow of what Uncle Mikey said and did yesterday while he stood in the Pennsylvania Convention Center in front of Disney shareholders.

But as for me … I wasn’t going to stay where I obviously wasn’t welcome. So I opted to retreat to the car. Where — after I fired up my laptop — I quickly began calling all of those nice JHM readers who had originally volunteered to take me in to this year’s annual shareholder meeting as their guest. Unfortunately, given that most of these people were already seated inside the convention center, they then weren’t really in a position to help me now.

Which is why I found myself — on a warm March day — with lots and lots of free time on my hands in Philadelphia. Which really is a gorgeous city, by the way. And given that Jeff, Chuck and Nancy were now stuck on the inside of Disney’s shareholders meeting (which didn’t actually get over ’til nearly four — making this the longest shareholders meeting in Disney Company history), I opted to stroll around the town. Have myself a cheese steak. Go visit the Liberty Bell.

Oh. I also did one other thing to kill time while I was waiting for that meeting to get out.

I talked with reporters.

Lots and lots and lots of reporters.

CNN … MSNBC … etc.

Who all seemed keenly interested in hearing about how the management of the Walt Disney Company had — because of Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal article — decided (at the last possible moment) to deny me access to yesterday’s shareholder meeting.

Jim talking with Deborah Norville on MSNBC

(Click the image to visit the MSNBC site where you can watch the video of
Jim — and Fabulous Disney Babe Michelle Smith — speaking with MSNBC.)

Maybe, in the end, it would have been wiser for those guys to just let me in. For Disney Corporate Communications to just allow me to cover this story. Rather than unintentionally TURNING me into a story.

But then — hey — that’s just me. A relatively easy-going guy who suddenly found himself with a lot of time on his hands yesterday.

So — all in all — it was a pretty good day. And how was YOUR Wednesday?

Related Topics:

Jim Hill is an entertainment writer who has specialized in covering The Walt Disney Company for nearly 40 years now. Over that time, he has interviewed hundreds of animators, actors, and Imagineers -- many of whom have shared behind-the-scenes stories with Mr. Hill about how the Mouse House really works. In addition to the 4000+ articles Jim has written for the Web, he also co-hosts a trio of popular podcasts: “Disney Dish with Len Testa,” “Fine Tooning with Drew Taylor” and “Marvel US Disney with Aaron Adams.” Mr. Hill makes his home in Southern New Hampshire with his lovely wife Nancy and two obnoxious cats, Ginger & Betty.

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Jens Dahlmann of LongHorn Steakhouse has lots of great tips when it comes to grilling

Published

6 years ago

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July 4, 2017

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Sure, for some folks, the Fourth of July is all about fireworks. But for the 75% of all Americans who own a grill or a smoker, the Fourth is our Nation’s No. 1 holiday when it comes to grilling. Which is why 3 out of 4 of those folks will spend some time outside today working over a fire.

But here’s the thing: Though 14 million Americans can cook a steak with confidence because they actually grill something every week, the rest of us – because we use our grill or smoker so infrequently … Well, let’s just say that we have no chops when it comes to dealing with chops (pork, veal or otherwise).

So what’s a backyard chef supposed to in a situation like this when there’s so much at steak … er … stake? Turn to someone who really knows their way around a grill for advice. People like Jens Dahlmann, the Vice President and Corporate Executive Chef for Darden Restaurant’s LongHorn Steakhouse brand.

Given that Jens’ father & grandfather were chefs, this is a guy who literally grew up in a kitchen. In his teens & twenties, Dahlmann worked in hotels & restaurants all over Switzerland & Germany. Once he was classically trained in the culinary arts, Jens then  jumped ship. Well, started working on cruise ships, I mean.

Anyway … While working on Cunard’s Sea Goddess, Dahlmann met Sirio Maccioni, the founder of Le Cirque 2000. Sirio was so impressed with Jens’ skills in the kitchen that he offered him the opportunity to become sous-chef at this New York landmark. After four years of working in Manhattan, Dahlmann then headed south to become executive chef at Palm Beach’s prestigious Café L’Europe.

Jens Dahlmann back during his Disney World days

And once Jens began wowing foodies in Florida, it wasn’t all that long ’til the Mouse came a-calling. Mickey wanted Dahlmann to shake things up in the kitchen over at WDW’s Flying Fish Café. And he did such a good job with that Disney’s Boardwalk eatery the next thing Jens knew, he was then being asked to work his magic with the menu at the Contemporary Resort’s California Grill.

From there, Dahlmann had a relatively meteoric rise at the Mouse House. Once he became Epcot’s Food & Beverage general manager, it was only a matter of time before he wound up as the executive chef in charge of this theme park’s annual International Food & Wine Festival. Which – under Jens’ guidance – experienced some truly explosive growth.

“When I took on Food & Wine, that festival was only 35 days long and had gross revenues of just $5.5 million. When I left Disney in 2016, Food & Wine was now over 50 days long and that festival had gross revenues of $22 million,” Dahlmann admitted during a recent sit-down. “I honestly loved those 13 years I spent at Disney. When I was working there, I learned so much because I was really cooking for America.”

And it was exactly that sort of experience & expertise that Darden wanted to tap into when they lured Jens away from Mickey last year to become LongHorn Steakhouse’s new Vice President and Corporate Executive Chef. But today … Well, Dahlmann is offering tips to those of us who are thinking about cooking steak tips for the Fourth.

Photo by Jim Hill

“When you’re planning on grilling this holiday, if you’re looking for a successful result, the obvious place to start is with the quality of the meat you plan on cooking for your friends & family. If you want the best results here, don’t be cheap when you go shopping. Spend the money necessary for a fresh filet or a New York strip. Better yet a Ribeye, a nice thick one with good marbling. Because when you look at the marbling on a steak, that’s where all the flavor happens,” Jens explained. “That said, you always have to remember that — the higher you go with the quality of your meat — the less time you’re going to want that piece of meat to spend on the grill.”

And speaking of cooking … Before you even get started here, Jens suggests that you first take the time to check over all of your grilling equipment. Making sure that the grill itself is first scraped clean & then properly oiled before you then turn up the heat.

“If you’re working with a dirty grill, when you go to turn your meat, it may wind up sticking to the grill. Or maybe those spices that you’ve just so carefully coated your steak with will wind up sticking to the grill, rather than your meat,” Dahlmann continued. “Which is why it’s always worth it to spend a few minutes prior to firing up your grill properly cleaning & oiling it.”

Photo by Jim Hill

And speaking of heat … Again, before you officially get started grilling here, Jens says that it’s crucial to check your temperature gauges. Make sure that your char grill is set at 550 (so that it can then properly handle the thicker cuts of meat) and your flattop is set at 425 (so it can properly sear thinner pieces of meat).

Okay. Once you’ve bought the right cuts of quality meat, properly cleaned & oiled your grill, and then made sure that everything’s set at the right temperature (“If you can only stand to hold your hand directly over the grill for two or three seconds, that’s the right amount of heat,” Dahlmann said), it’s now time to season your steaks.

“Don’t be afraid to be bold here. You can’t be shy when it comes to seasoning your meat. You want to give it a nice coating. Largely because — if you’re using a char grill — a lot of that seasoning is just going to fall off anyway,” Jens stated. “It’s up to you to decide what sort of seasoning you want to use here. Even just some salt & pepper will enhance a steak’s flavor.”

Then – according to Dahlmann – comes the really tough part. Which is placing your meat on the grill and then fighting the urge to flip it too early or too often.

“The biggest mistake that a lot of amateur cooks make is that they flip the steak too many times. The real key to a well-cooked piece of meat is just let it be, “Jens insisted. “Of course, if you’re serving different cuts of meat at your Fourth of July feast, you always want to put your biggest thickest steak on the grill first. If you’re also cooking a New York Strip, you want to put that one on a few minutes later. But after that, just let the grill do its job and flip your meat a total of three or four times, once every three minutes or so.”

Of course, the last thing you want to do is overcook a quality piece of meat. Which is why Dahlmann suggests that – when it comes to grilling steaks – if you’re going to err, err on the side of undercooking.

“You can always put a piece of meat back on the grill if it’s slightly undercooked. When you over-cook something, all you can do then is start over with a brand-new piece of meat,” Jens said. “Just be sure that you’re using the correct cut of meat for the cooking result you’re aiming for. If someone wants a rare or medium rare steak, you should go with a thicker cut of steak. If one of your guests wants their steak cooked medium or well, it’s best to start with a thinner cut of meat.”

Photo by Jim Hill

As you can see, the folks at Longhorn take grilling steaks seriously. How seriously? Just last week at Darden Corporate Headquarters in Orlando, seven of these brand’s top grill masters (who – after weeks of regional competitions – had been culled from the 491 restaurants that make up this chain) competed for a $10,000 prize in the Company’s second annual Steak Master Series. And Dahlmann was one of the people who stood in Darden’s test kitchens, watching like a hawk as each of the contestants struggled to prepare six different dishes in just 20 minutes according to Longhorn Steakhouse’s exacting standards.

“I love that Darden does this. Recognizing the best of the best who work this restaurant,” Jens concluded. “We have a lot of people here who are incredibly knowledgeable & passionate when it comes to grilling.”

Speaking of which … If today’s story doesn’t include the exact piece of info that you need to properly grill that T-bone, just whip out your iPhone & text GRILL to 55702. Or – better yet – visit  ExpertGriller.com prior to firing up your grill or smoker later today. 

This article was originally published by the Huffington Post on Tuesday, July 4, 2017

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Brattleboro’s Strolling of the Heifers is a sincere if somewhat surreal way to spend a summer’s day in Vermont

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6 years ago

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June 4, 2017

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Some people travel halfway ‘around the planet so that they can then experience the excitement of the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. If you’re more of a Slow Living enthusiast (as I am), then perhaps you should amble to Brattleboro, VT. Where – over the first weekend in June – you can then join a herd of cow enthusiasts at the annual Strolling of the Heifers.

Now in its 16th year, this three-day long event typically gets underway on Friday night in June with a combination block party / gallery walk. But then – come Saturday morning – Main Street in Brattleboro is lined with thousands of bovine fans.

Photo by Jim Hill

They’ve staked out primo viewing spots and set up camp chairs hours ahead of time. Just so these folks can then have a front row seat as this year’s crop of calves (which all come from local farms & 4-H clubs) are paraded through the streets.

Photo by Jim Hill

Viewed from curbside, Strolling of the Heifers is kind of this weird melding of a sincere small town celebration and Pasadena’s Doo Dah Parade. Meaning that – for every entry that actually acknowledged this year’s theme (i.e. “Dance to the Moosic”) — …

Photo by Jim Hill

… there was something completely random, like this parade’s synchronized shopping cart unit.

Photo by Jim Hill

And for every piece of authentic Americana (EX: That collection of antique John Deere tractors that came chugging through the city) …

Photo by Jim Hill

… there was something silly. Like – say – a woman dressed as a Holstein pushing a baby stroller through the streets. And riding in that stroller was a pig dressed in a tutu.

Photo by Jim Hill

And given that this event was being staged in the Green Mountain State & all … Well, does it really surprise you to learn that — among the groups that marched in this year’s Strolling of the Heifers – was a group of eco-friendly folks who, with their  chants of “We’re Number One !,” tried to persuade people along the parade route not to flush the toilet after they pee. Because – as it turns out – urine can be turned into fertilizer.

Photo by Jim Hill

And speaking of fertilizer … At the tail end of the parade, there was a group of dedicated volunteers who were dealing with what came out of the tail end of all those cows.

Photo by Jim Hill

This year’s Strolling of the Heifers concluded at the Brattleboro town common. Where event attendees could then get a closer look at some of the featured units in this year’s parade…

Photo by Jim Hill

… or perhaps even pet a few of the participants.

Photo by Jim Hill

But as for the 90+ calves who took part in the 2017 edition of Strolling of the Heifers, once they reached the town common, it was now time for a nosh or a nap.

Photo by Jim Hill

Elsewhere on the common, keeping with this year’s “Dance to the Moosic” theme, various musical groups performed in & around the gazebo throughout the afternoon.

Photo by Jim Hill

While just across the way – keeping with Brattleboro’s tradition of showcasing the various artisans who live & work in the local community – some pretty funky pieces were on display at the Slow Living Exposition.

Photo by Jim Hill

All in all, attending Strolling of the Heifers is a somewhat surreal but still very pleasant way to spend a summer’s day in Vermont. And that’s no bull.

Photo by Jim Hill

Well, that could be a bull. To be honest, what with the wig & all, it’s kind of hard to tell. 

This article was originally published by the Huffington Post on Sunday, June 4, 2017

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Looking to make an authentic Irish meal for Saint Patrick’s Day? If so, then chef Kevin Dundon says not to cook corned beef & cabbage

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6 years ago

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March 17, 2017

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Let’s at least start on a positive note: Celebrated chef, author & TV personality Kevin Dundon – the man that Tourism Ireland has repeatedly chosen as the Face of Irish Food – loves a lot of what happens in the United States on March 17th.

“I mean, look at what they do in Chicago on Saint Patrick’s Day. They toss all of this vegetable-based dye into the Chicago River and then paint it green for a day. That’s terrific,” Kevin said.

But then when it comes to what many Americans eat & drink on St. Paddy’s Day (i.e., a big plate of corned beef and cabbage. Which is then washed down with a mug of green beer) … Well, that’s where Dundon has to draw the line.

Irish celebrity chef Kevin Dundon displays a traditional Irish loin of bacon with Colcannon potatoes and a Dunbrody Kiss chocolate dessert. Photo by Tom Burton. Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

“Green beer? No real Irishman would be caught dead drinking that stuff,” Kevin insists. “And as for eating corned beef & cabbage … That’s not actually authentic Irish fare either. Bacon and cabbage? Sure. But corned beef & cabbage was something that the Irish only began eating after they’d come to the States to escape the Famine. And even then these Irish-Americans only began serving corned beef & cabbage to their friends & family because they had to make do with the ingredients that were available to them at that time.”

And thus begins the strange tale of how corned beef & cabbage came to be associated with the North American celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day celebration. Because – according to Dundon – beef just wasn’t all that big a part of the Irish diet back in the 19th century.

To explain: Back in the Old Country, cattle – while they were obviously highly prized for the milk & cheese that they produced – were also beasts of burden. Meaning that they were often used for ploughing the fields or for hauling heavy loads. Which is why – back then — these animals were rarely slaughtered when they were still young & healthy. If anything, land owners liked to put a herd of cattle on display out in one of their pastures because that was then a sign to their neighbors that this farm was prosperous.

“Whereas pork … Well, everybody raised pigs back then. Which is why pork was a staple of the Irish diet rather than beef,” Dundon continued.

So if that’s what people actually ate back in the Old Country, how then did corned beef & cabbage come to be so strongly associated with Saint Patrick’s Day in the States.? That largely had to do with where the Irish wound up living after they arrived in the New World.

“When the Irish first arrived in America following the Great Famine, a lot of them wound up living in the inner city right alongside the Germans & the Jews, who were also recent immigrants to the States. And while that farm-fresh pork that the Irish loved wasn’t readily available, there was brisket. Which the Irish could then cure by first covering this piece of meat with corn kernel-sized pieces of rock salt – that’s how it came to be called corned beef. Because of the sizes of the pieces of rock salt that were used in the curing process – and then placing all that in a pot of water with other spices to soak for a few days.”

And as for the cabbage portion of corned beef & cabbage … Well, according to Kevin, in addition to buying their meat from the kosher delis in their neighborhood, the Irish would also frequent the stores that the German community shopped in. Where – thanks to their love of sauerkraut (i.e., pickled cabbage) – there was always a ready supply of cabbage to be had.

“So when you get right down to it, it was the American melting pot that led to corned beef & cabbage being found in the Irish-American cooking pot,” Dundon continued. “Since they couldn’t find or didn’t have easy access to the exact same ingredients that they had back in Ireland, Irish-Americans made do with what they could find in the immediate vicinity. And what they made was admittedly tasty. But it’s not actually authentic Irish fare.”

Mind you, what Kevin serves at Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant at Disney Springs (which – FYI – Orlando Magazine voted as the area’s best restaurant back in 2014) is nothing if not authentic. Dundon and his team at this acclaimed gastropub pride themselves on making traditional Irish fare and then contemporized it.

Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

“Take – for example – what we serve here instead of corned beef & cabbage. Again, because it was pork – rather than beef – that was the true staple of the Irish diet back then, what we offer instead is a loin of bacon that has been glazed with Irish Mist. That then comes with colcannon potatoes. Which is this traditional Irish dish that’s made up of mashed potato that have had some cabbage & bacon mixed through it,” Kevin enthused. “This heavenly ham – that’s what we actually call this traditional Irish dish at Raglan Road, Kevin’s Heavenly Ham – also includes some savory cabbage with a parsley cream sauce as well as a raisin cider jus. It’s simple food. But because of the basic ingredients – and that’s the real secret of Irish cuisine. That our ingredients are so strong – the flavors just pop off the plate.”

Which brings us to the real challenge that Dundon and the Raglan Road team face every day. Making sure that they actually have all of the ingredients necessary to make this traditional-yet-contemporized Irish fare to those folks who frequent this Walt Disney World favorite.

“Take – for example – the fish we serve here. We only used cold water fish. Salmon, mussels and haddock that have been hauled out of the Atlantic, the ocean that America and Ireland share,” Kevin stated. “Not that there’s anything wrong with warm water fish. It’s just that … Well, it doesn’t have the same structure. It’s a softer fish, which doesn’t really fit the parameters of Irish cuisine. And if you’re going to serve authentic food, you have to be this dedicated when it comes to sourcing your ingredients.

Copyright Mitchell Beazley. All rights reserved

And if you’re thinking of perhaps trying to serve an authentic Irish meal this year, rather than once again serving corned beef & cabbage at your Saint Patrick’s Day Feast … Well, back in September of last year, Mitchell Beazley published “The Raglan Road Cookbook: Inside America’s Favorite Irish Pub.” This 296-page hardcover not only includes the recipe for Kevin’s Heavenly Ham but also it tells the tale of how this now-world-renown restaurant wound up being built in Orlando.

On the other hand, if you happen to have to the luck of the Irish and are actually down at The Walt Disney World Resort right now, it’s worth noting that Raglan Road is right in the middle of its Mighty St. Patrick’s Day Festival. This four day-long event – which includes Irish bands and professional dancers – stretches through Sunday night. And in addition to all that authentic Irish fare that Dundon and his team are cooking up, you also sample the fine selection of beers & cocktails that this establishment’s four distinct antique bars (each of which are more than 130 years old and were imported directly from Ireland) will be serving. Just – As ucht Dé (That’s “For God’s Sake” in Gaelic) – don’t make the mistake of asking the bartender there for a mug of green beer.

“Why would anyone willingly drink something like that?,” Dundon laughed. “I mean, just imagine what their washroom will look like the morning after.”

This article was originally published by the Huffington Post on Friday, March 17, 2017

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