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true slice of Ireland comes to Walt Disney World Resort with
the opening of Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant at Downtown
Disney Pleasure Island. Owned and operated by an Irish company,
Raglan Road features the very best of authentic Irish food, drink,
heritage and live entertainment.
The Irish culture is known for its warmth, character and hospitality,
and Raglan Road delivers an experience immersed in genuine Irish
ambiance. With capacity for 600 guests, Raglan Road is warm and
welcoming with custom furnishings, lighting and wall coverings
-- all designed and built in Ireland by Irish craftspeople. Irish
antiques, ornamentation and bric-a-brac complete the authentic
décor.
Four distinct antique bars, each more than 130 years old and imported
from Ireland, serve as focal gathering areas. These grand fixtures
were crafted from rich woods, such as mahogany and walnut, and
feature marble adornments, leaded glass and ornate detailing. To
complete the authenticity, and in keeping with tradition, a wide
selection of cold, creamy and fresh Irish beers and fine Irish
whiskies will be served.
Traditional and contemporary Irish music, storytelling and dance
help create a spirited social ambience, and the friendly pub staff
brings Emerald Isle charm to Downtown Disney. Irish musicians entertain
nightly and guests are encouraged to sing, clap and dance to the
lively performances.
The restaurant's gastronomic delights are the creation of Master
Chef Kevin Dundon, one of Ireland's best-known and most celebrated
chefs. With training in Ireland, Switzerland and Canada, Dundon
has cooked for celebrities and heads of state, including Queen
Elizabeth. His credits also include opening an award-winning Irish
hotel and restaurant, appearing in his own television series on
UK Food Channel, making numerous national television appearances
in the U.S., U.K. and Canada, authoring the cookbook "Full On Irish" and
being invited to cook at the prestigious James Beard Foundation
in New York.
The Raglan Road menu offers bistro-style Irish fare and fresh
ingredients, all with a modern flair and Celtic creativity. Natural
tastes, flavor and quality prevail in dishes such as Raglan Rack
(rack of lamb on a delicate Irish stew consommé), Kevin's
Kudos (oven-roasted loin of bacon with an Irish mist glaze, served
with braised cabbage and creamed potato) and Salmon of Knowledge
(fresh grilled salmon with a hickory-scented maple sauce).
For guests wanting food to go, Cooke's of Dublin is a counter
service location adjacent to Raglan Road where fish and chips and
other quick and casual fare are available. There is also a retail
location that offers Raglan Road and Irish-designed clothing and
merchandise.
"We are thrilled to introduce an authentic Irish pub to Downtown
Disney," said Djuan Rivers, vice president of Downtown Disney. "The
superior level of quality, authenticity and energy that this new
venue brings is a perfect complement to Downtown Disney's lineup
of world-class retail, dining and entertainment."
"Having built more than 400 Irish pubs, literally in the four
corners of the world, we believe that this is our best expression
yet," said Paul Nolan, Raglan Road co-owner. "We are incredibly
proud and excited to have the opportunity to bring a real slice
of Ireland to Downtown Disney."
The "real" Raglan Road is located on the south side of Dublin.
It was made famous by renowned Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh in a
love poem entitled, "The Dawning of the Day." In the 1960s, Irish
folk singer Luke Kelly first put the poem to music. "Raglan Road" has
become a seminal Irish song and has since been covered by such
artists as U2, Sinead O'Connor and Van Morrison. As a tribute to
Patrick Kavanagh, a specially commissioned bronze sculpture of
the poet sits outside Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant at Downtown
Disney.
Raglan Road is owned and operated by Great Irish Pubs Florida,
Inc., the Irish-owned company that previously created Nine Fine
Irishmen at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
Pleasure Island club admission is not required for entrance to
Raglan Road.
Raglan Road at Downtown Disney: Irish Roots, Modern Contemporary
Cuisine
The shepherd's pie is Angus beef and the Colorado lamb comes with
a rich port wine sauce that takes three days to create. The fish
is flown in fresh daily from Boston, creatively sauced or crisped
in a delicate beer batter.
This isn't your uncle's Irish pub.
"We left corned beef and cabbage behind 50 years ago," said Paul
Nolan, co-owner of Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant at Downtown
Disney. "Ireland is one of the richest and most sophisticated countries
in the world, and our attitude toward food is much more expansive."
Everything is fresh on the menu at Raglan Road, the new Irish
pub and restaurant at Downtown Disney Pleasure Island. Celebrated
Irish chef Kevin Dundon is behind the superb cuisine, and calls
the concept "fine dining standards in a casual context -- with
Celtic creativity."
Chef Dundon has cooked for notables such as Queen Elizabeth, U2
and Brad Pitt. He is best known for his own television series on
the UK Food Channel and as proprietor of the prestigious Dunbrody
Country House Hotel & Restaurant in southeast Ireland.
"The menu is contemporary, but you'll still find Irish classics
at Raglan Road," said Dundon. The diverse dishes all start with
high-quality ingredients," he explained.
"We know the ship and skipper's name for each fish, and the Irish
bacon is from a local butcher," he continued. "Choice ingredients
are the heart of each dish, all fresh, nothing frozen."
There's plenty of upscale bar food for noshing, like smoked salmon
and cream cheese served with blinis, scallops with a lime dipping
sauce and battered cocktail sausages served with a mustard dip
-- bite-sized servings all cleverly presented on upright forks.
The decadent "Smokie City" is layers of smoked cod and Wexford
cheddar and double cream, served with crusty bread for dipping.
Little crocks of pate with chutney are perfect with a creamy dark
ale.
The roast rack of lamb arrives with a light, broth-based Irish
stew. An indulgent loin of bacon is glazed with Irish Mist and
served with creamy potatoes and braised cabbage. And, of course,
there are beer-battered fish and chips with a side of tartar sauce.
For sweet endings, the Dunbrody Kiss, a decadent chocolate mousse
with a crunchy caramel base drizzled with chocolate ganache sauce,
is irresistible. Other favorites include bread-and-butter pudding
with butterscotch and crème anglaise and a Baileys coffee
cream pot.
"We're taking Irish food to a new level," explained Dundon. Chef
Brian Kenney, who trained in Ireland with Dundon, is at the helm
of the Raglan Road kitchen. Dundon was pivotal in setting up the
kitchen, creating the menu and training the staff, and will travel
from Ireland several times a year. When he's away, Dundon communicates
with the staff via a Web camera installed in the 21st century kitchen.
To complete the authenticity and complement the tradition, a full
selection of Irish stouts, lagers, creamy ales and premium spirits
is served. Add nightly live music by a band direct from Ireland
and the true Irish ambiance is complete.
"Raglan Road is authentic in every way," said Nolan, who hails
from Dublin. "It's like lifting a pub from Ireland and dropping
it in Orlando. It oozes Irishness."
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