Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen: Downtown Disney District

Jambalaya. Gumbo. Shrimp and Grits. Warm and soft Beignets.

All of these amazing Cajun dishes and more can be found right in the heart of the Downtown Disney District in Anaheim, California. Featuring a trumpet-player statue and chef out front, the atmosphere of the exterior really brought the New Orleans theme come to life. The atmosphere on the inside was no exception. I truly felt as if I was eating right in the center of Bourbon street, Louisiana.

The first thing my family and I did before eating here was to ask if they could make a vegetarian version of the Pastalaya (the pasta version of traditional Jambalaya) for my sister Madison. We were informed that they could and in a matter of a couple of minutes, took us to our table. Just like the exterior, the inside matched the Louisiana style ambiance with perfect precision.

We were greeted by our waitress who gave us plastic bags for our face masks and hand sanitizer wipes. I ordered the non-alcoholic mint-julep which tasted like a slightly minty Sprite (the one inside Disneyland is a lot more minty).

As for their food, I ordered their most popular dish, the Pasta Jambalaya which states, “A New Orleans favorite and Jazz Kitchen signature dish! Gulf shrimp, andouille sausage, roasted chicken, Creole seasoning with spinach fettuccine.” I split my dish with my mom (Julia) and she split hers with me (that way we could try more than one dish). She ordered the NOLA BBQ Shrimp and Grits which is a dish I had never tried before at any Cajun-style restaurant.

Let me just say, WOW. Both of these dishes were absolutely amazing! I could not get enough of either dish and finished my half of each dish with perfect ease. Each dish had the perfect amount of flavor and was cooked to the right temperature. I was in shock at how much I loved the Shrimp and Grits. These are made of, “Gulf shrimp simmered in a “New Orleans” barbecue sauce with roasted garlic, lemon served over andouille sausage-parmesan grits.” I am a big shrimp fan however I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the “grits” portion. The grits exploded with flavor and to me tasted like perfectly cooked crab meat (even though it was not made out of crab). I would recommend either dish to anyone who is interested in eating at Ralph Brennan’s.

The rest of my family equally enjoyed their dishes which included my brother’s, Gumbo Ya-ya made of, “Andouille sausage, roasted chicken, holy trinity, simmered with Creole seasonings in a rich dark roux thickened broth, served over green onion rice,” and my dad’s Fried Chicken B.L.T. Po-Boy which is a, “Cajun spiced fried chicken, applewood smoked bacon, Romaine lettuce, Roma tomatoes, Creole mustard aioli, served with fries.” Just like my mom’s and my dishes, they devoured them down to each and every bite.

Last but certainly not least were my other three siblings dishes (including my sister’s vegetarian dish). All three of them ordered the pasta Jambalaya and subbed the pasta for Cajun-style rice. Madison ordered the vegetarian version of the rice Jambalaya. Just like the rest of us, they could not get enough of their dishes and were highly satisfied with the flavors of the Jambalaya.

Although we were all stuffed, we couldn’t leave without ordering their famous Beignets. We were each able to order our own sweet sauce to dip our beignets in which included white chocolate, blueberry, and caramel (I ordered the white chocolate). The beignets were soft, warm, and mouthwatering. They were a perfect end to a perfect meal. If you’re not looking at eating an entire meal while visiting the Downtown Disney District, you can visit Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen Express where you can pick up a to-go order of these delicious beignets.

My overall score for Ralph Brennan’s would be a solid 10/10. It was a splendid meal filled with an amazing atmosphere and delicious food. If you’re interested in trying Ralph Brennan’s I put the link to their website down below.

https://www.rbjazzkitchen.com/

Benihana- Fun Teppanyaki!

What’s better than a delicious dinner? A dinner and a show! Benihana is a popular Japanese teppanyaki restaurant found all around the United States. What is teppanyaki? Teppanyaki is a way of cooking using an iron griddle to cook, and usually in front of the hungry guests.

Last week for my brother, Kellan’s, 14th birthday, my family and I headed to the Benihana location in Anaheim, CA, just a few blocks away from the Disneyland Resort. In total there were 8 of us, my family, me, and our grandfather which was perfect since each table holds up to 8 people. We made reservations online which made the check-in process easy and a very short 5-minute wait. We were led to our table which was situated separate from the rest of the dining room which made things feel really peaceful and intimate.

Once seated, our server, Sophia, came and explained the process of ordering since the pandemic. We were told to scan the barcode on the table to pull up the menu on to our phones. Soon after, she took our drink and food orders. She was very enthusiastic and helpful with any questions we had. I ordered a drink called the ‘Benihana Punch’ which consisted of, “Myers’s Platinum Rum, Bols strawberry and peach liqueurs and tropical fruit juices.” The drink was delicious and I even got it in a souvenir cup shaped like a KOI fish.

Each dinner entrée comes in a 5 or 6 course plan. The first two courses include a bowl of green onion soup and a bowl of Benihana salad. Both of the soup and salad were delicious and they complimented each other perfectly. Kellan (the birthday boy), and my sister each ordered additional appetizer plates of sushi rolls which they both they would definitely order again.

Our personal Teppanyaki chef came to our table with a cart filled with all of the ingredients needed for our dishes and that was where the real fun began. He began by making our final appetizers: fried rice and hibachi shrimp. For my sister Madison who is a vegetarian, he made her fried rice without the egg and chicken. Our chef didn’t just cook for us but he entertained us with little food acts such as making an onion train and a rice heart.

The fried rice and shrimp were definitely some of the best I had ever tasted. My whole family couldn’t wait for the rest of our meal which he cooked next.

From my siblings Yakisoba noodle dish, to the rest of our dishes, we were all highly satisfied in taste and quality. There wasn’t one thing we didn’t like. It was that good!

Lastly, our server came to our table and sang happy birthday to Kellan with a tambourine accompanied with our dessert bowl or ice cream or sherbet. It was the cherry on top to a perfect meal.

If you’re looking for a nice, fun, family friendly, and mouthwatering meal, then Benihana is the place to eat! I attached the link below so that you can find a restaurant near you!

https://www.benihana.com/

The Taste of Calico!

Knott’s Berry Farm!

Located in Orange County, California, Knott’s Berry Farm holds the title of being “America’s FIRST theme park.” Due to state guidelines, Knott’s Berry Farm has been closed since March, however, Knott’s became creative and created a whole new experience. The ‘Taste of Calico’ is a tasting event created by Knott’s which allows a limited number of guests to walk through the parks and try a variety of foods. Tasting cards cost $25 for adults and $15 for children (annual passholders receive a 10% discount). Tasting cards allow each guest to try 5 tastings each ( 3 for children). Now you might think that 5 is not a lot, but after my family and my experience, 5 was the perfect amount. Most of the food options were Boysenberry themed. A berry created by Rudolph Boysen and gifted to Walter Knott for his theme park.

On top of the various tasting booths set up, guests can purchase additional food and drink items separately while visiting. Select shops were also open for shopping. Although only half of the park was open to walk around (the ghost town side), extra tables were set up along the premises to ensure social distancing guidelines.

My goal was to get only food items with my card and then purchase the drink items separately (you can choose to use your 5 credits for drinks if you would like instead). We all decided to head towards the back of the park where the gumbo, chili, corn, and boysenberry sausage rolls were. A couple of us began with the Boysenberry sausage on a Hoagie roll while the others opted to begin with the steak Chili with a Boysenberry Cornbread Muffin. My sister, who is a vegetarian, went for the Roasted Corn with Butter, Cotija Cheese, and Cayenne Pepper.

The boysenberry sausage was delicious especially with the Boysenberry ketchup. Not only that, it was a full sized entree Sausage dog unlike traditional tasting events (remember when I said that 5 tastings is the perfect amount?). As for the chili, my family and I all agree that the chili was good however it was definitely lacking in spice. The lack of spice made the chili taste a little bland. Had there been some Tabasco sauce, it would have been perfect. The cornbread on the other hand was absolutely wonderful. I would have loved to have another cornbread because it was sweet and the Boysenberry flavor really popped! My sister enjoyed the corn and said it was really fresh. What’s nice is that the employees ask you how much spice you want on your corn. If you want it spicy then they’ll add more, and vice versa.

Next on our list was the Gumbo with Chicken, Shrimp, and Boysenberry Sausage on Basmati Rice. Much like the chili, the taste was good but it was lacking in seasoning and spice. I do wish there was a Boysenberry cornbread with the Gumbo because it would have been a nice addition and the gumbo would make the perfect dip.

Another popular dish that my sister ordered was the Mac and Cheese Bites with French Fries and Sriracha Ketchup. She thought they were good and had no complaints. Just like the other dishes, the portion was really nice.

The next stop on our food adventure was actually to one of the beer stands located next to the Calico Railroad entrance. Here they had Boysenberry beers and sangria. They scanned our state ID’s and placed a yellow ID band on our wrist confirming our age. My brother and I got the Boysenberry beer while my sister got the Boysenberry sangria. The beer was good and had a slight fruity taste. I tasted the sangria which was really sweet and juicy (also very delicious).

After walking around and letting some of our food digest, we decided it was time for a sweet treat. A couple of us got the Mini Stuffed Churro with Boysenberry Filling which was my favorite dessert, while a few of my siblings got the Boysenberry Jam Soft Serve Cookiewich which they said was not only big but their personal favorite dessert.

Although I had just drank my beer, I really wanted to try their Strawberry Swirl Popping Boba. The drink was a fruity Boysenberry drink with Strawberry popping boba. I am SO glad that I got one because the drink was unbelievably good (and pleasant to the eyes)!

After enjoying our treats, we ventured out for our next tasty bites. My brother and I went for the Pastrami Sandwich on a Pretzel Bun with Boysenberry Mustard and a Side of Chips, while my parents got both the Pulled Pork Sliders with Jalapeno Strips and a Mini Funnel Cake with Boysenberry Topping. Each of us enjoyed our dishes and we were all pretty full by the time we finished them.

A few of us had another tasting to use up so I ran off to try and grab one of the Boysenberry cookiewich’s for myself while the rest of my family went for the Boysenberry slushie. They all loved the boysenberry slushie and some claimed it to be their favorite tasting. Sadly for me, the cookiewich was sold out at one location and the ice cream machine broken at the second location. They ended up giving me the cookies by themselves instead. Although the cookies were good and had a true Boysenberry flavoring, I didn’t get the full experience of the dessert due to there being no ice cream inside.

All in all, The Taste of Calico was a wonderful experience and having the opportunity of being inside a theme park again was great. The Taste of Calico event has since ended, HOWEVER, Knott’s has created an all new tasting event beginning August 21st and running Fridays-Sundays through September 13th. The “Taste of Knott’s” will have a similar setup expanding through the ENTIRE theme park this time with even more food options. If you’re interested in attending The Taste of Knott’s I’ve attached the link to the website down below! Get your Boysenberry on!

https://www.knotts.com/play/events/taste-of-knotts

The Chocolate Bar Las Vegas!

Have you ever dreamed of indulging in liquor mixed with your favorite chocolate or sweets? Well, that is exactly what The Chocolate Bar does. Located inside the New York, New York hotel and casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, The Chocolate Bar is sure to deliver your sweet cravings. The bar is located on the casino floor right outside of the Hershey’s Chocolate World store.

I’ve been to this sweet bar a few years back for my sister’s 21st birthday, and now that my brother was turning 21, I had to take him as well! Before sitting down, one of the bartenders sanitized the seats and set a timer for drying before we were able to sit down. Once the sanitizer was dry my brother Kieran and I sat down to order. The bartender was very friendly as he handed out our menus and even handed us a free piece of chocolate as well.

The last time I came to The Chocolate Bar I had ordered their ‘Hershey’s Chocolate Caramel Martini’ and it was chocolate and caramel heaven. The drink contains Smirnoff Kissed Caramel Vodka, Marie Brizard Chocolate Liqueur, White Chocolate Liqueor, and Cream.

This time I decided to try their signature Martini also known as the ‘Hershey’s KISSES Chocolate Signature Martini’ which consists of 360 Chocolate Vodka, Absolut Vanilla Vokda, and White Creme de Cacao. My brother also ordered one as well. The drink ended up a little too strong and the chocolate flavor didn’t stand out as well as the previous drink. It was still enjoyable though and I ended up finishing mine. It was pretty powerful for my brother and so I ended up finishing his and ordering him a different drink on the menu.

The next drink my brother tried was the jolly-rancher Martini. He originally wanted the Apple Jolly-Tini however the bartender informed us that the apple flavored candy had run out. He recommended the blue raspberry one instead. The Blue Raspberry Jolly-tini was good and it tasted exactly like the blue Jolly-Rancher. If you’re not fond of the blue rolly-rancher then I wouldn’t recommend this drink because it is an enhanced flavor in this cocktail.

A close up of the Blue Raspberry Jolly-Tini

The overall vibe and atmosphere of The Chocolate Bar is fun and unique. I would love to come back and try their “Death by Chocolate” drink sometime along with their assortment of chocolate beers. If you would like to see more info on the directions to The Chocolate Bar and see hours of operation, I’ve attached the link down below.

https://newyorknewyork.mgmresorts.com/en/nightlife/the-chocolate-bar.html