When you’re in Disneyland (or this case Downtown Disney) you might expect to find “kiddy” restaurants with food shaped as Mickey Mouse.  And while I do love that, it is nice to find a reprieve from all things Disney (I know, I can’t believe I’m saying that either!).

Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen, Downtown Disney

Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney does just that.  Their menu offers southern comfort food with bold creole spices and vibrant, fresh flavours. Being southern-style, the food is clearly not the picture of healthy living, but the flavours are well-worth the calories and extra hour you’ll need to allocate for the treadmill.  If you are Disney-bound with a friend, I recommend splitting a few things so you can try more menu items: fried goat cheese and beet salad, crawfish beignets, and the seafood jambalaya are definitely all must-tries.  I didn’t want the salad to end; the crunch from the crust on the goat cheese is so satisfying and the mushrooms gave a meatiness to the dish that would be great for vegetarians.  If you’re looking for a little meat, though, the seafood jambalaya has andouille sausage as well as mussels, shrimp, and a white fish.  They don’t skimp on the ingredients either, so pack an appetite!

I will be headed back to Walt Disney’s masterpiece theme park in just a couple of weeks, so if there is something you’d like to see or recommend, please do let your local Cuisine Queen know! xx