Raglan Road’s ‘Summer Solstice Signature Dining Experience’ Welcomes Longest Day
With June 20 Gourmet Celebration at Raglan Road in Downtown Disney
Five-Course Dinner and Pairing to Be Hosted by Celebrity Chef Kevin Dundon
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – When summer prepares to dawn over Central Florida, Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant will welcome the season of traditional European celebration with a gourmet feast and live entertainment.
Central Florida’s preeminent Irish restaurant presents The Summer Solstice Signature Dining Experience at 6:30 p.m. June 20 with celebrity chef Kevin Dundon, who will preside over an evening of delectable tastes, lively music and traditional Irish dance performances.
In Ireland, many towns and cities hold summer solstice carnivals, also called midsummer festivals, celebrating culture, music and food. Raglan Road will celebrate the joyous occasion long tied to the custom of blessing the upcoming harvest with Dundon’s tantalizing menu of fresh seasonal flavors with whimsical touches.
“We’re here to have fun and celebrate the summer harvest,” says Dundon, known for his five-star Dunbrody House hotel and cookery school in Ireland. “In Ireland, we make the most of celebrations tied to ancient traditions, including the solstice. At Raglan Road, we have all the ingredients to make it a memorable evening.”
The author of multiple cookbooks and master chef at Raglan Road, Dundon will meet guests and share stories about each gourmet course with ale and wine pairings in the restaurant’s Raglan Room ($95 plus tax and gratuity).
Dundon’s inventive menu includes:
First Course – Chicken Filet Terrine and Duck Liver Pate with Summer Chutney, Assorted Crostini and Pickled Vegetables. Pairing: Rosenblum Rockpile Vineyard Zinfandel 2009
Second Course – Duet of Potato Soup with a Champagne-splashed Oyster. Pairing: Stellina di Notte and Guinness Black Velvet
Third Course – Crispy Dungarvan Pale Ale-Battered Atlantic Monkfish with Sea-Salted Golden Chips and Raglan Tartar Sauce. Pairing: Dungarvan Pale Ale
Fourth Course – Sage Butter Roasted Poussin with Lemon-Scented Potato Puree, Braised Cabbage and Natural Jus. Pairing: Chorey-les-Beaune, Domaine Tollot-Beaut 2010
Fifth Course – “Strawberry Fields Forever” – White Chocolate Mousse Covered with Layer of Dark Chocolate Crumbles Topped with Fresh Strawberries and Wheat Grass Garnish. Pairing: Chandon Rose.
Festivities surrounding the summer solstice were European traditions that brought families and friends together to celebrate nature’s bounty. The summer solstice was celebrated in Ireland with the lighting of bonfires and an evening of music, storytelling, feasting and merrymaking. The ashes from the fires would be tossed onto the fields as an offering to protect the crops. The timing of the solstice depends on when the sun reaches its farthest point north of the equator. This year, summer begins in the Northern Hemisphere at 1:04 a.m. on June 21, just several hours after Raglan Road’s feast begins.
Guests can call 407/938-0300 for reservations up to 48 hours in advance. Space is limited; early booking is advised. Visit raglanroad.com for more information.
Owned and operated by Irish partners Paul Nolan, John Cooke and Kevin Dundon, Raglan Road features traditional Irish dishes and new creations with a Celtic twist. The restaurant’s warm interior of aged walnut and mahogany woods from old Irish bars and churches was built in Ireland and shipped to Orlando. Live entertainment nightly includes Irish house band Creel (Monday through Saturday and Sunday Brunch) and Irish musicians Johnny Norton & Justin Murphy (Sundays) plus Irish dance performances. On the pub patio, Irish musicians Sean Farrell & Shane Farrell play Tuesday through Sunday evenings. Lunch is served 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Dinner 3-11 p.m.; Bar menu 11 p.m.-late. The Rollicking Raglan Sunday Brunch runs 11 a.m.-4 p.m. each Sunday with live entertainment beginning at noon. Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant is located on Pleasure Island at Downtown Disney in the Walt Disney World Resort, 1640 E. Buena Vista Dr., Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Visit www.raglanroad.com or call 407/938-0300.
UPDATE:
THE DINNER IS SOLD OUT! CHEF Kevin is coming back in the fall for Epcot Food & Wine Festival events.
