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More Cheese from the Mouse: “The Gnome-Mobile” and “Blackbeard’s Ghost”

Using these recent DVD releases from Buena Vista Home Entertainment as a jumping-off point, Jim Hill looks back at the career of veteran Disney director Robert Stevenson.

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In an age where some many people seem to know the names of the directors that work on their favorite films (I.E. Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, James Cameron et al), it seems surprising (to me, anyway) that so few people remember Robert Stevenson nowadays.

Which is kind of bizarre. Given that — back in the mid-1970s — Stevenson was Hollywood’s highest earning helmer. According to Variety, the combined worldwide box office office for the 20 films that he directed for Walt Disney Productions totaled more than a billion dollars. Which is why all the other studios in town tried for decades to lure Robert away from the Mouse House.

But Stevenson never strayed. Why for? To be honest, Robert was loyal. More to the point, Stevenson liked working for Walt Disney Productions. He liked the safe, secure feel that the studio had back in the 1960s & 1970s. Which is why he never felt the need to move beyond Burbank.

You see, you have to understand that Stevenson got kind of a rude awakening when he first arrived in Hollywood back in 1939. At the time, Robert was one of England’s top action director. He had helmed such U.K. hits as “Tudor Rose” and “King Solomon’s Mine.” So — when Stevenson was signed by David O. Selznick — it was assumed that Robert would follow in Alfred Hitchcock’s footsteps and become the next big thing in Tinsel Town.

Well, that didn’t happened. Over the next 17 years, Robert was only to direct 6 motion pictures. Though one or two of these films were fairly high profile projects (I.E. “Jane Eyre” with Orson Welles & Joan Fontaine), none of these movies were huge successes by Hollywood standards. Which is why — over time — Selznick seemed to lose confidence in Stevenson’s abilities and gave the U.K. helmer fewer chances to direct.

By the time the mid-1950s rolled around, Robert was virtually out of the business. Another Hollywood has-been. But then Walt Disney came on the horizon. Truth be told, Disney wasn’t really interested in using Stevenson as a really-for-real motion picture director at first. Walt was just looking for someone who could work quickly and turn out good-looking-but-low-cost episodes for his weekly ABC TV program, “Disneyland.”

And — after all those years of not being behind a camera — Stevenson nearly blew his big comeback chance when his first film for Disney, “Johnny Tremain,” went ‘way over-budget. To add insult to injury, Robert’s kind of ticked off Walt by staging that movie’s Boston Tea Party sequence — arguably one of the more pivotal event in American history — as if it were a slapstick scene out of some Hollywood musical.

To help recover the additional money that the studio had spent on completing “Johnny Tremain,” Disney put that Robert Stevenson film out in theaters prior to showing this originally-made-for-television feature on ABC’s “Disneyland” show. And — by normal Hollywood standards — that should have probably been the end of Stevenson’s tenure at Disney. Except that Walt must have seen something that he liked in the soft-spoken Englishman. Which is why Robert was given another shot at directing for the studio. The chance to direct Disney’s big Christmas 1957 release, “Old Yeller.”

That film — as any good Disney history buff will tell you — was a hit. And — from there — Robert Stevenson had this really extraordinary run at Walt Disney Productions. Directing another 18 films for the studio over the next 18 years. Some of these pictures being Disney’s biggest hits of the 1950s, 1960s & 1970s. These titles include:

  • The Shaggy Dog (1959)
  • Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959)
  • The Absent-Minded Professor (1961)
  • Son of Flubber (1963)
  • Mary Poppins (1964)
  • That Darn Cat! (1965)
  • The Love Bug (1969)
  • Bedknobs & Broomsticks (1971)
  • Herbie Rides Again (1974)
  • The Island at the Top of the World (1974)

“To what do you attribute Stevenson’s great success at Disney?,” you ask. Well, to be honest, Robert had this gift for grounding fantasy in reality. Making even the most unlikely scenario seem plausible. Whether it was a practically perfect nanny who traveled by umbrella or a Volkswagon with a mind (and heart) of its own, Stevenson knew how to sell these things on screen. To carefully lay out all the necessary story groundwork so that an audience could eventually say: “An English spinster lady who wants to help the war effort by using empty suits of armor to battle ***? … Okay. I guess I can buy that.”

Case in point: The two Disney DVDs that we’re going to talk about today — “The Gnome-Mobile” and “Blackbeard’s Ghost.” These two Robert Stevenson films occupy some pretty interesting spots in the Disney Company’s filmography. For “The Gnome-Mobile” marked the studio’s return to big-screen fantasy following Disney’s smash hit, “Mary Poppins.” And — as for “Blackbeard’s Ghost” — Well … This was actually the Stevenson film that was in production when Walt Disney died in December of 1966.

As for “The Gnome-Mobile” … This movie was actually hoping to catch a bit of a ride on “Mary Poppins” ‘s coat tails. For this July 1967 fantasy film stars Karen Dotrice & Matthew Garber, the two English children who played Jane & Michael Banks in the 1964 Academy Award winner. In fact, just to make sure that movie-goers got the connection, Walt actually had Karen & Matthew billed in “The Gnome-Mobile” ‘s credits as “those ‘Mary Poppins’ kids.”

The film itself is a fluffball. Walter Brennan plays a dual role: D. J. Mulrooney, a well-meaning lumber magnate as well as Knobby, a 943-year-old gnome who lives in the Redwood forest that Mulrooney’s company has been cutting down. D.J.’s grandchildren Elizabeth (Dotrice) and Rodney (Garber) try to persuade the old gent to spare the woods & save the gnome’s home. Which Mulrooney does … eventually.

In the meantime, the usual complications entail. When D.J. starts talking about gnomes, naturally his staff thinks that he’s gone nuts. Which is why his scheming vice president, Ralph Yarby (Richard Deacon. Best known for his work as the much put-upon Mel Cooley in the original “*** Van *** Show”), has Mulrooney committed. Which is why it’s up to D.J. grandchildren to now bust him out of the nuthouse.

This is (of course) followed by a slapstick chase through the forest in limousines. Which is then followed by a semi-pseudo-sort-of “Sadie Hawkins Days” chase through the forest, as Knobby’s grandson, Jasper (Tom Lowell) tries to escape a bevy of lady gnomes.

As you might expect with a Disney film from this period, “The Gnome-Mobile” ends happily. With D.J. deeded 50,000 acres of redwood forest to the gnomes — so that the little people will always have a protected home. Then everyone goes for a ride in Mulrooney’s limo as they sing a reprise of the title song that the Sherman Brothers wrote just for this picture.

Disneyana fans are sure to enjoy “The Gnome-Mobile” at the very least for its curio factor. For this film marks the last on-screen appearance of that Disney favorite, Ed Wynn (Who died soon after production wrapped on this picture in June of 1966). Meanwhile Disney theme park fans may be intrigued by this movie’s use of Audio Animatronic figures to play the owl, raccoon & bluejays who warn the gnomes to stay away from humans.

It was Walt who (it’s said) insisted that Stevenson use those AA figures in “The Gnome-Mobile.” For Disney saw this on-screen use of robotics as animation’s next logical step in its evolution. So — with that in mind — one has to wonder what sort of movies we would have seen coming out of Disney Studios if Walt had just hung on a few more years.

But — sadly — Disney didn’t have a few more years. The surviving members of the cast of “Blackbeard’s Ghost” recall all too vividly the day that Walt made an appearance on that film’s set. How sallow the studio exec looked. How the skin seemed to hang off of Disney’s already skinny frame. Suzanne Pleshette talks about how she tried to tease Walt during his visit to the soundstage where “Blackbeard” was being shot. Straining to get a laugh out of the obviously exhausted executive. But that night — when Pleshette went home — she just cried when she thought back about how sick Disney looked. How obvious it was that Walt wasn’t long for this world.

Given the grim feeling that must have pervaded the Burbank lot back then, it’s almost surprising to find that “Blackbeard’s Ghost” turned out to be such a sunny comedy. The picture is another one of those family-friendly fantasy films that Stevenson seemed to do so well. Disney perennial player Dean Jones plays Steve Walker, Godolphin College’s new track coach. Through circumstances that are really too convoluted to recount here (which actually involved an enchanted bed warmer), Walker summons Blackbeard’s Ghost (Peter Ustinov). Who’s doomed to linger in limbo until he performs a good dead.

In this case, the good deed involves Jones & Ustinov teaming up to defeat a group of gangster who are determined to toss a bunch of little ladies (led — FYI — by another Disney studio favorite, veteran character actress Elsa Lancaster) out of their seaside home so that the mob can make it over into a casino.

As you might expect (This being a Walt Disney Productions picture directed by Robert Stevenson), this film features a laugh-laden sporting event (In this case, a track meet where Blackbeard’s Ghost helps Godolphin’s woebegone team come from behind to win) as well as a slapstick finale. This time around, Dean & Peter work together to rid the rest home of its gangster infestation.

Me personally, what I find fascinating about watching the DVDs of “The Gnome-Mobile” and “Blackbeard’s Ghost” virtually on top of one another is how much creative continuity there is between these two films. For Stevenson used the very same set designer (Emil Kuri), the very same costume designer (Bill Thomas), the very same cinematographer (Edward Coleman), the very same art director (Carroll Clark) as well as the second unit director (Art Vitarelli) on the two pictures. Robert even used some of the same actors — with Richard Deacon, Gil Lamb and Norman Grabowski playing key roles in both “The Gnome-Mobile” and “Blackbeard’s Ghost.”

Though — to be honest — that was one of the real virtues that the films that Walt Disney Productions churned out in the 1960s had. That — like the big Hollywood studios used to have in their heydays in the 1940s & 1950s — Disney had this core ground of experienced creative people back then that the company could always draw on. Studio veterans like Stevenson, producer Bill Walsh and screenwriter Don DaGradi who could always be counted on to crank out a quality product.

But then as the 1960s gave way to the 1970s and folks like Stevenson, Walsh & DaGradi retired or passed away … Walt Disney Productions really seemed to have lose its knack at turning out these sort of films. These family-friendly fantasies that featured eye-popping special effects as well as just enough laughs to keep adults involved in what was ostensibly a kiddie picture.

And — given that two of Stevenson’s bigger hits (I.E. “The Shaggy Dog” & “The Love Bug”) are currently being remade by the Walt Disney Company, it’ll be interesting to see if these modern remakes can actually recapture the magic that the originals had. Or whether these pictures will just join the long line of pale copies that Disney has churned over the past thirty years. As the studio struggles to recapture what Robert Stevenson seemed to make look so easy. Which is make the implausible look possible.

I know that — at the very top of this article — I promised you more cheese from the Mouse. Well, truth be told, “The Gnome-Mobile” and “Blackbeard’s Ghost” aren’t really all that cheesy. By that I mean: If these two recent BVHE DVD releases were to be compared to cheese, I guess that they’d probably be a quality Camembert. NOT a stinky Limburger.

So — if you want to have a bit of nostalgic fun — you might want to pick up a copy of “The Gnome-Mobile” and/or “Blackbeard’s Ghost” DVD today.

Your thoughts?

 

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

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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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