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Are you a Pixie Planner?

JHM contributor Angela Ragno certainly is. As in: She’s one of those Central Florida residents who always goes out of her way to make sure that friends & family have a really great time on their Disney World vacations. Read all about what Angela just did in order to make her Gram’s recent WDW trip that much more memorable.

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My family calls me the “Pixie Planner.”

Why? Because I’m the daughter who lives in Central Florida. The one who know Walt Disney World like the back of her hand. Which is why friends & family members are always asking me to serve as their personal tour guide during their WDW vacations.

(Do I sound like I’m complaining? I don’t mean to. After all, I actually enjoying having an excuse to take yet another trip to the Disney theme parks. More to the point, I’m a real pro when it comes to planning.

Seriously, folks … I don’t mean to sound like I’m bragging … But the company that I work for actually plans for & stages these massive corporate events all over the country. And I’m so good at my job that I’ve actually won awards for functions that I’ve staged. Where hundreds of people had a perfectly wonderful time at events where everything went off without a hitch.

So — with that sort of experience — do you seriously think that I’m one of those people who gets a little intimidated by the idea of having to lead a few family members around the Magic Kingdom on a crowded Saturday afternoon? … Please! Give me a break!)

Anyway … Getting back to my whole “Pixie Planner” persona. Let me give you an example of what I typically do when friends & family are in town. The lengths to which I’ll go to make sure that they have a truly memorable Disney World vacation experience.

The most recent guests to stay at the “Hotel Disneyangela” (AKA my apartment) were mother & my Gram. Now, my mother … She comes down to Orlando most every year to visit me as well as tour Walt Disney World. Whereas my Gram … She hasn’t been back to WDW since February of 1972. Which was her first and only trip to the Magic Kingdom.

Now let me give you a little background on my grandmother. She was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. Which was why I was really rather anxious to make sure my Gram’s WDW vacation experience was truly something memorable.

So what did we do? Well — for starters — my Gram has always wanted to go to Hawaii. Which is why on the very first night that she & my Mom are in Orlando, I took them over to Disney’s Polynesian Resort Hotel for dinner.

Gram had no absolutely no idea where we were going. But as soon as she saw how much that hotel looked like Hawaii, she was in heaven.

Given Gram’s limited dietary needs, we decided to go with Kona Kafe for dinner that evening. The food was wonderful and dessert was unbelievable. (HINT: The very best dessert at WDW is served at the Polynesian’s Kona Kafe. I don’t spoil the surprise and reveal what this tempting treat is actually called. All I can tell you is that it involves ice cream, Mickey Confetti candy and cotton candy.)

After dinner, I took Gram on a tour of the hotel. We arrived at the Poly’s waterfront area just as the shells for “Wishes” began exploding over the Magic Kingdom. Which, to be honest, wasn’t something that I had planned on us seeing. But – what the hey – my grandmother seemed to enjoy this nightly fireworks spectacular. So I was just happy that the timing of events had worked out the way that it did.

Next on Gram’s wish list was a trip to the Magic Kingdom. Where – out of all the attractions in that theme park – the one that my grandmother most wanted to see was (of course) “It’s a Small World.”

Well, as regular readers of JHM already know, WDW’s version of “Small World” has been down for rehab for the better part of a year now. This Fantasyland favorite isn’t even scheduled to re-open ’til sometime later this Spring. So – try as I might – I couldn’t make that particular piece of Gram’s wish list come true.

Still, I did my very best to try & make the rest of my Mom and Gram’s visit to the Magic Kingdom more enjoyable. We hit all the attractions that I knew would give my grandmother the best experience. More importantly, the ones that she’s actually be able to ride (I.E. No “Splash,” no “Big Thunder,” no “Space Mountain,” etc.).

Over the course of that day, the three of us visited “Mickey’s PhilharMagic,” “Snow White’s Scary Adventure,” “Peter Pan’s Flight,” “The Haunted Mansion,” “The Hall of Presidents,” “The Enchanted Tiki Room,” “The Jungle Cruise” and “The Country Bear Jamboree” (My grandmother loves Big Al!), “The Carousel of Progress,” as well as taking a trip on the WDW railroad & attending a performance of the “Share a Dream Come True” parade.

Of course, when you’re the infamous “Pixie Planner,” you want to make sure that the meals you have while you & your family are in the Magic Kingdom are also magical. Which is why we wound up having lunch at the Plaza as well as dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table.

Now you have to understand that my grandmother’s very favorite motion picture is Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” So when we visited with the Princesses (Gram didn’t know that she was going to encounter characters during her visit to this theme park), Princess Aurora and Cinderella were in the room. But – just as we were about to leave — Snow White made her grand entrance.

To be honest, I don’t know who was more excited about seeing Snow White: Myself or my grandmother (Why was I excited? Because I knew how special this moment would be for my Gram). Now my grandmother doesn’t normally like getting her picture taken. But – seeing as “The Fairest in the Land” was there – Gram readily agreed to having her picture taken with Snow White by WDW’s official photographers. Which I happily bought for her later.

And — of course — no trip at the Magic Kingdom would be complete without a visit to Mickey’s Toontown Faire to see if the old Mousetro is receiving guests in his judging tent.

Obviously, we all had a great day at the Magic Kingdom. The only other Disney theme park that my Gram, my mother & I visited during their recent trip to Central Florida was Disney-MGM Studios.

(“Why not Animal Kingdom or Epcot?,” you ask. Well, pushing my grandmother’s wheelchair over all of those textured walkways in DAK wasn’t going to be much fun for her or me. And – as for Epcot – the day that we were scheduled to go visit Disney’s science & discovery park, it was much too cold for my Gram to be outside. Such is the fun of Central Florida in December. Anyway ..)

Our afternoon/evening outing at the Studios began with lunch at a restaurant that my grandmother had been dying to eat at for years now: The 50’s Prime Time Café. For more than a decade, she has been hearing from various family members about how much fun it is to dine there. How my Dad had once gotten in trouble for wearing his hat indoors and/or how my brother had once been scolded for putting his elbows on the table.

Well, I am sorry to report that “Mom” didn’t make it out of the kitchen to visit with us while my Gram, my mother  & I were there eating lunch. But – beyond that – the three of us had truly a swell time at the 50’s Prime Time Café. Dining on comfort food as well as playing with our “cousins.”

After lunch, we hit “The Great Movie Ride,” the “Voyage of the Little Mermaid” as well as catching the special Christmas edition of Disney-MGM’s “Stars and Motorcars” parade. After that, we attended a performance of “Fantasmic!” About which my Gram said: “If I saw nothing else this whole trip, it was worth it.” So obviously she liked that show!

As an extra added bonus, I wheeled her on over to the park’s New York Street. Where the three of us took in the new version of the Osbourne “Spectacle of Lights.” (Me personally? I preferred the old version of the spectacle, where Disney-MGM visitors could stroll along that theme park’s Residential Street as they “Ooohed” and “Aaahed” at the Osbourne Lights. But for my grandmother & my mother – who had never seen the earlier version of this seasonal show – thought that MGM’s lit-up cityscape looked just great.)

As for what the three of us were able to accomplish during my Gram & Mom’s recent trip to Central Florida … Our only limitations were time, mobility and weather.

Since my grandmother can’t do much walking these days, a wheelchair is a necessity. And – in all my other trips to the Disney theme parks – this is the first time that I’ve ever had to push a wheelchair around the place.

And let me tell you, folks, that I really got a work-out that week. Disney may do a wonderful job when it comes to handicap access for its rides, shows, attractions, parades, etc. But the theme parks themselves – what with all their textured pavements (like the Cobblestone streets in Liberty Square) – and/or the steep grades on all those ramps leading to the monorail don’t exactly make life easy for those folks who are stuck in wheelchairs. Or – more importantly – the poor relatives who wind up pushing their family members around in wheelchairs.

I didn’t need to go to the gym the entire time that my Gram & my Mom are in town. Heck, it still makes my calves hurt just to think about all the pushing that I did while those two were here visiting Walt Disney World.

But – in spite of all the stresses and the strains – I still think that it was all worth it. My Gram describes her recent trip to WDW as the most wonderful vacation of her life. She says that she can’t wait to come back and that she doesn’t know why she ever got on that plane to go back to Connecticut.

So obviously, this trip went well. Which makes the “Pixie Planner” in me proud.

In fact, even as you read this, the “Pixie Planner” is already putting together plans for Gram’s return trip to Orlando. Of course, we’re going to have to wait ’til things get a little warmer (So that my grandmother can then be sure to get in her trip to Epcot). We’re also going to wait ’til the newly refurbishing “It’s a Small World” finally re-opens its doors. So that my grandmother can once again experience her favorite Disney theme park ride.

So what about all you other Central Florida residents out there? Are you also a “Pixie Planner”? Someone who will always go the extra mile to make sure that your friends & family have a truly memorable Disney World vacation experience?

Well, if so, what do you do to help their WDW vacation that much more memorable?

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

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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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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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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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