Thanks to Julie Strachan Haiber for reporting on the recent Tables in Wonderland dinner at Raglan Road in Downtown Disney’s Pleasure Island! Julie is a WDW annual passholder, past Disney bride, and moderator on Disneymooner.com, a site dedicated to Disney Weddings and honeymoon planning. Thanks for taking the time to write up your review, Julie! Take it away!
My husband Rory and I recently had the opportunity to enjoy the “Tables in Wonderland” special event dinner at Raglan Road in Downtown Disney. We have dined at Raglan Road many times and were eager to meet Chef Kevin Dundon as well as sample the evening’s special cuisine.
Atmosphere
A back room in the restaurant was set up exclusively for the event, with flowers and candles on the tables, and about 60 people in attendance. We were seated at a table for six and dined with two local Orlando couples. We are annual passholders and travel to Orlando several times a year, and we very much enjoyed the company and conversation at our table. Each place setting had a menu tied with a flower and a signed copy of Chef Dundon’s cookbook, Great Family Food.
Eats
The serving staff took our orders and poured the wine freely throughout the meal. The wine choices included 14 Hands Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon, or Terrazas Torrontes.
The appetizer was a choice of Goat Cheese Salad with Orange & Carmelized Walnuts served on a bed of Organic greens, or Crispy Filet of Fresh Atlantic Salmon served in a Saffron Broth. I had the salmon and my husband had the goat cheese salad. It always makes for fun dining when you can sample your dining companion’s meal! We each were impressed with this course, both in presentation and taste. The salmon was flavorful and the goat cheese salad was fresh and sweet.
Next was the soup course, Delicate Lobster Bisque garnished with Crème Fraiche and Lobster Meat. Lobster Bisque is one of my favorite soups in general, and Chef Dundon’s did not disappoint! The bowls were presented with shredded lobster, a crouton and a dollop of crème fraiche, and the bisque was poured in by the server at the table. This made for a light and frothy bisque, not at all heavy. My husband is not generally a lobster fan, and even he gladly finished his whole portion.
The main dish was a choice between Roast Loin of Lamb with Dauphinoise Potatoes and miniature Lamb Pie or Oven-roasted Turbot with Crispy Potato Scales and Caper Vinaigrette Served on a Leak Fondue. I chose the turbot, which I have never sampled before. It was also very light and complemented the earlier dishes quite well. Rory enjoyed the lamb very much. He expected a mince pie, but instead the lamb was shredded adding to the flavor.
Dessert was served shortly after dinner. A Baked Chocolate Fondant came out piping hot, with a sweet aroma, baked into white coffee mugs. The servers created a hole in the cake tableside, which they filled with homemade stout flavored ice cream. It was very rich and very delectable! A truly scrumptious way to top off a savory meal.
After dessert, Chef Dundon walked around to greet each table and ask for their thoughts on the meal. We expressed how much we enjoyed the Lobster Bisque and its lightness, and Chef Dundon explained the bisque’s lightness was because it was made without flour. He also signed another of his cookbooks for our tablemates — personalizing it for their young daughter.
After dinner Irish coffee was served. I would have preferred if the coffee were served simultaneously with the dessert, as it was a tad cold on serving.
Overall
The meal was leisurely, allowing time to relish each course and many glasses of wine. The cost of the event was $115, including the unlimited wine and the signed cookbook. I think a formal wine pairing may have enhanced the overall dining experience a bit.
We will definitely try to do another “Tables in Wonderland” event in the future, and certainly return to the terrific Raglan Road!
Thanks, Julie! If you want to hear more from Julie, follow her on twitter @juliebird27 and @Disneymooner.
This looks really good, thanks for the review! It still amazes me no end that WDW, a theme park, has become such a foodie haven. That really rocks.
Excellent review Julie – the food photos are great and the descriptions make me want to head down right now!
I sat at the next table over from Julie! (which I didn’t know at the time) 😉 We discussed Vinylmations after dinner. It was such a wonderful event (I’ve been trying to get my review up for weeks-hopefully soon!).
Great write up!