A little over twenty years after first opening at Downtown Disney in Anaheim, Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen has become the Jazz Kitchen Coastal Grill & Patio. And while the Jazz Kitchen’s exterior no longer reflects the architecture of New Orleans’ French Quarter and the oversized saxophone on the marquee has been removed, inside the reimagined location, you’ll still encounter New Orleans hospitality and flavors.
During a recent progressive dining experience throughout the restaurant for invited media, we learned more about the new menu and how the restaurant’s design seeks to embrace and incorporate elements of coastal Southern California.
Our evening adventure began on the upstairs patio with live jazz and tap dancing accompanying a showcase of fruit-based rum or vodka beverages and familiar dishes like calamari rings and the fan favorite Spicy Grilled Chicken “Macaroni & Cheese” Bowl.
Spicy Grilled Chicken “Macaroni & Cheese
Crispy Calamari
Lobster & Crawfish Remoulade Roll
Stepping inside the restaurant, I was immediately struck by the location’s brightness and beauty. Throughout you’ll find elegant lighting elements by designer Julie Neill, a New Orleans based talent whose work has been featured in various publications including Architectural Digest. I fell in love with the butterfly chandelier and wall sconces in the Queen’s Room.
While in the Queen’s Room, more menu items appeared including an LA Cobb salad and simple Nojito, a non-alcoholic blend of strawberry and mint. They also offered their Instagram-worthy Shorebreak, which is a floral drink thanks to botanicals within its Empress Gin base to which they add fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and top with egg white foam.
Across from the Queen’s Room, the Sunset dining room fully embraces the California coast. During the recent reimagining, they closed up the west facing window and placed a sunset mural bringing the outside in. You’ll also find that bringing the outdoors-in aspect of California living reflected with the enhancement of the restaurant’s grilling options giving them the opportunity to present lighter meat dishes accentuated with the flavors of New Orleans that can fall on the heavier side.
For me, the highlight of the evening’s tastings was the Chili-Spiced Honey Glazed Grilled Salmon, which was sitting on the most amazing succotash. Black-eyed peas are not easy to get right and these were the best I’ve ever had. One of the things I appreciated about the plating of each dish was that the heavy sauces were presented in such a way that I could bring more into my forkfuls if I chose. Similarly, the grilled beef medallions were accentuated, not smothered, in the dish’s bacon fat béarnaise.
Chili-Spiced Honey Glazed Grilled Salmon: Pacific Salmon, Creole mustard glaze, season’s succotash of corn, black-eyed peas, and fresh herbs, lemon butter sauce
Grilled Medallions of Filet: Bacon fat béarnaise, crispy Brabant potatoes tossed with onions, season's vegetables
While focusing on the restaurant’s new look, Brennan’s Executive Vice President Charlee Williamson explained, “California and Louisiana not only share coastal designs but also share the beautiful sunsets along it” reflected in the room’s large mural and brightly colored mixed media canvases by New Orleans artist Nicole Charbonnet.
Our main course tastings were served in the Sunset Room along with high-energy live entertainment.
Unsure of the artist behind this display but I adore the repurposed aluminum beverage cans carrying the butterfly imagery from the Queen’s Room.
Our evening ended where we began: on the beautiful balcony overlooking Downtown Disney. Frozen Hot Chocolate and ice-blended Mint Juleps were offered alongside Bananas Foster beignets. The Jazz Kitchen quick service location has also undergone a change. It now focuses strictly on beignets, embracing the trend of bringing flavors to the deep fried treat through a variety of glazes and toppings. While the traditional powdered sugary delights will be available you’ll also find flavors like Cookies N Cream, fruity cereal and even seasonal options like peppermint.
Over the course of the evening, the hospitality of the Jazz Kitchen team shone through. We discovered their executive chef Darrin Finkel started at the restaurant back in 2002 as a sous chef and many other staffers have also been at the location for numerous years, explaining how a location in the heart of a tourist destination held on to the family-owned feel. Their dedication to sharing the unique flavors of New Orleans cuisine with Southern California diners and bringing happiness through great food, stellar hospitality and good music explains their longevity as a neighbor to the “Happiest Place on Earth”.
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