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Credit: courtesy of Gordon Ramsay at The Carnaby<\/p>\nCredit: courtesy of Gordon Ramsay at The Carnaby<\/p>\n
The sticky toffee pudding is his mom\u2019s recipe, so even though I was stuffed from the three courses preceding dessert, I simply couldn\u2019t pass up this British classic that perfectionist chef Gordon Ramsay grew up enjoying. It was a delightfully sweet ending to an evening filled with great food at Ramsay\u2019s newest concept, The Carnaby, in Downtown Disney.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve been to London, you may have spent an afternoon on Carnaby Street. Today, it\u2019s a pedestrian-friendly shopping destination, but its popularity first exploded during the rebellious 1960s, when it became the epicenter for a cultural revolution and all things creative in the city\u2019s West End\u2014rock music, mod fashion, and an array of cool pubs and restaurants. Ramsay thought it would be fun to channel the zeitgeist of that era into a dining experience\u2014and give a nod to his mom, Helen Cosgrove, at the same time. So at The Carnaby, psychedelic artwork and posters that scream 1960s London fill the walls\u2014think images of Twiggy, The Beatles, The Who, Pink Floyd, and all types of street scenes\u2014while a soundtrack of hits from the same period fills the air. \u201cI love the nostalgia, the throwback to the 1960s,\u201d Ramsay told me. \u201cMom and I are very close, and she is a \u201960s chick. \u2026 I think she was only 19 when she had me. And we still talk about The Beatles and what music and fashion meant to her growing up.\u201d<\/p>\n
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And with the Disneyland Resort drawing everyone from locals to national and international travelers to its parks, Ramsay figured Downtown Disney was a perfect spot for his next project. He\u2019s also good friends with restaurateur Robert Earl, a cofounder of Planet Hollywood and Earl of Sandwich, which opened a new spot downstairs from The Carnaby. \u201cRobert wanted to do something fun and cool, and so we started talking and I said, \u2018Let\u2019s not go over the top, but let\u2019s raise the bar.\u2019 So we\u2019ve got the cottage pie, the bangers and mash, the fish and chips.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the British comfort food. A few American and globally inspired dishes appear on the menu as well\u2014more about that in a bit. And then there are the fine-dining offerings, like Ramsay\u2019s signature beef Wellington. Instead of arriving as slices, Ramsay\u2019s iteration is presented as an individual serving\u2014a seared beef tenderloin steak and mushroom duxelles, with a secret crepe beneath the pastry crust that keeps the outer layer crispy. But the showstopper is the prime rib, which is wheeled through the restaurant in a gleaming sterling silver trolley and cut tableside into a perfect 12-ounce serving. It comes with au jus and horseradish, along with Yorkshire pudding, roasted carrots, and creamed spinach.<\/p>\n
We started with a distinctly non-British appetizer: Parker House rolls\u2014eight warm buns served in a skillet, sprinkled with coarse salt and herbs, and paired with whipped butter. Having never been to Parker\u2019s Restaurant in Boston, I can\u2019t say whether The Carnaby\u2019s come close to the original recipe. But this iteration is darn good. My husband and I gobbled down three rolls each and tried very hard not to polish off the last two. Fortunately, two more dishes arrived in short order\u2014salt-and-pepper squid and an heirloom tomato salad. A sizeable portion of the fried calamari bits came with a yummy lime-and-coriander aioli for dipping. It was good, but the heirloom tomato salad made me swoon\u2014wedges of luscious ruby red, yellow, and orange fruit come atop a generous scoop of whipped burrata with thin slices of peaches, arugula, and piccalilli (a wonderfully tangy relish of pickled cauliflower), hitting the mouth with all five flavor profiles\u2014sweet, salty, sour, and savory, with just a hint of bitterness from the arugula. It\u2019s a must-try.<\/p>\n
We were tempted to beckon that prime rib trolley to our table but instead agreed on the beef Wellington and the Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips for entrees. Friends have raved about Ramsay\u2019s Wellington\u2014one said it was the best meal of his life. It held up to the hype. It\u2019s large enough to share, and doing so is easy since it arrives on the plate cut in half. The meat is cooked medium rare. And the mushroom mixture delivers a delicious herby-umami flavor. It\u2019s relatively thick, too, so it doesn\u2019t soak the crepe or outer pastry shell. In my opinion, this dish alone is worth trip. And the fish and chips? The best I\u2019ve ever had. Two sizeable haddock fillets are enrobed in a light batter and fried to a delicate crisp. The coating isn\u2019t bready, so it doesn\u2019t soak up the oil like a sponge, and the white fish is mild, moist, and flaky. That comes with a little side of tartar sauce that delivers a welcome punch and a small portion of mashed peas that serve as a mildly sweet contrast. The potatoes are thrice fried and seasoned with salt and a little garlic. I love fries, and these rank high on my list of favorites\u2014no malt vinegar, ketchup, or ranch dressing required.<\/p>\n
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Credit: courtesy of Gordon Ramsay at The Carnaby<\/p>\n
I wish I could have tried everything on the menu, but it\u2019s too vast, with five appetizers (including wings), three salad offerings (a Caesar and a Waldorf among them), and 14 entrees. Branzino, a Wagyu burger, chickpea tikka masala (for the vegetarians), roasted salmon, and chicken Milanese stand alongside traditional British faves like bangers and mash, and cottage pie.<\/p>\n
During lunch service (from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.), guests can also order The Idiot Sandwich, which puts a thrice-fried chicken breast with G.F.C. (Gordon Fried Chicken) sauce between a brioche bun with a choice of fries or a salad, and a dill pickle to break it all down. There\u2019s also a Prawn Cocktail Roll\u2014like a lobster roll but with poached prawns, Marie Rose sauce (similar to Thousand Island), avocado puree, American caviar, and malt vinegar potato \u201ccrisp.\u201d Kids have a special menu featuring bites such as a grilled cheese sandwich, chicken tenders, and macaroni and cheese.<\/p>\n
And because no dining experience is truly complete without dessert, The Carnaby offers guests an Oreo cheesecake, a decadent chocolate tart (with salted caramel, chocolate sauce, and whipped white chocolate), and an ice cream sundae with the traditional accompaniments plus cotton candy. But, as I said, I couldn\u2019t leave without sampling Ramsay\u2019s mom\u2019s sticky toffee pudding. It\u2019s very different than it sounds\u2014it\u2019s not as sticky as you might think, and it\u2019s not really a bread pudding. Rather, the treat is built upon a serving of spice cake made with dates, toffee sauce, and a scoop of ice cream. It\u2019s not too sweet but gifted with plenty of wonderful textures. Scrummy!<\/p>\n
Restaurant Information<\/p>\n