Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2024/05/05/top-chef-at-disneylands-exclusive-club-33-named-california-woman-of-the-year.html
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Back in the day the magazine Pastry Arts and Design would have a yearly 10 best list. It was usually the 9 guys and a gal club. One year they had 2 women! There are way more women than men doing pastry because baking is seen as less demanding than working the hot line, so they get “encouraged” to do desserts. Seeing a chef honored like this is great.
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“[A]ll of the Disneyland resort’s best restaurants” feels like damning with faint praise…
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They really have upped their food game over the last couple of decades, at least for those willing to pay for a proper sit-down meal. It’s not all mouse-shaped pretzels and hot dog carts anymore. Sounds like Chef Tae was a big part of that.
(Pictured: an entree at Carthay Circle)
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Although it’s sad in a way that there’s no longer the Casa de Fritos restaurant in Frontierland. It may have not been fine dining but it was a place where culinary history was made: Doritos were invented there!
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Erm, that article basically claims tortilla chips in general were invented at Disney…color me skeptical. I’m sure people were repurposing stale tortillas into chips long before Fritoland.
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There are several competing claims over who first invented the tortilla chip, but “Doritos originated at Disneyland” is pretty well documented.
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Hmmm, i can see it in terms of “commercially viable version” but I just have a hard time imagining no one had fried old tortillas before this, which is what the first linked article claims.
One of the several times I’ve missed les_payne’s presence on the bbs. He would’ve known.
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Where does the article make that claim? I agree that would be a pretty silly thing to claim but that’s not what I read.
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Yeah, but it’s still Disneyland, with all its limitations and expectations. I can’t help but feel like their skills are, to some degree, probably wasted there.
I think Chef Tae sees her job, at least in part, as redefining expectations for what food at a theme part restaurant can be. For example, the Napa Rose has consistently been rated one of the best restaurants in all of Orange County.
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Creating menus for places like Disney that meet the expectations of the patrons, are financially sound, and that are within the skill range of the average staff is a real challenge. Fine dining isn’t the only way to be a great chef. Any place can succeed if they can entice enough people with drive to work for them for free-like many of the “best” restaurants in the world. Making the kitchens at a Disney property run, and serve good food to a crowd with every possible food allergy or sensitivity is no small accomplishment.
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Interesting that there are still awards being presented that make reference to the recipient’s gender.
Bit of an awkward mine-field, no ?
Even Chef Tae doesn’t seem so keen about it.
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Upon a more careful re-read I see I was mistaken. I think I’d skipped over the line about adding spices to them.
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The Doritos story is big Disney Lore—part of the Magic. Did you know there were leaches kept on Main Street in the pharmacists store? MAGIC.
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I did not.
Pretty much all I know of Disney and Disney lore is gleaned from fans back here on the bbs.
There was a lingerie shop!
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High heals got stuck in the not-set asphalt on opening day!
MAGIC.
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If you have time this is a very well-done video discussing the history of Disneyland’s tobacco shop.
What’s pretty amazing is that it was one of the only business in the park that didn’t have a major commercial sponsor when the park opened. At the time smoking advertisements were everywhere so that must have been an intentional choice.
Also, it wasn’t just pipes and cigarettes. They also sold hookahs! Who knew?
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It really has been kinda neat to see how its gone from not interesting burgers and pizza, which are still there for the people who want them, to. having some really great food. I am not going to lie to anyone and say I’d choose the Tiana’s Palace muffaletta over Central Grocery – but its really cool to see they have it on the menu in New Orleans Square, and it was not awful. There is far better food in the park now, however, and that kinda is the point! The revamp of DTD and its restaurants seems like its going to provide a lot to Anaheim in addition to just the resort. I have a lot of Chicagoan friends who are clamouring for another Portillos within driving distance.
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