From the Archives – Everything changes and nothing changes

When I head to Walt Disney World on either a vacation or a research trip, and really everything is research for me these days, I come down with a notebook of all the things I want to capture. Details, newly opened areas, specific photos I’d love to grab, and a list of meals or menu items I definitely want to review all make it into my notebook. Every once in a while, however, a meal comes out of nowhere. It may be that I’ve been running around for too long, missed a meal, and realize I need some sustenance immediately, that I ran into a friend and gabbed an unplanned bite with them, or that I had no plan and just grabbed something that suddenly intrigued me.

My meal at Cookes of Dublin came out of one such spontaneous occasion. After a long day of running around Downtown Disney documenting what I could, I realized that I needed to eat something. I happened to be near the entrance to Pleasure Island and the smells wafting over from Cookes of Dublin. It may have also been Raglan Road, but I spotted Cookes of Dublin first. It was an easy choice to grab one of their pies, complete with a heaping helping of thick cut potatoes. It is still one of my favorite bits of culinary happenstance I’ve ever had tasted!

Everything changes and nothing changes – Originally Published 14 March 2012

St. Patrick’s Day 2012 will be upon us in just a few short days, which means that all eyes in Walt Disney World are upon Raglan Road. But what about the quick service location attached to the side of the restaurant, better known as Cookes of Dublin? Well, if we’re looking to celebrate without attending a big party, Cookes of Dublin certainly has the pies!

The meal of choice was the Chicken and Field Mushroom Pie which comes with a side of chips, aka French fries. All of the pies at Cookes of Dublin are made from scratch each day. The freshness with which everything is prepared here means that there is going to be a stretch of time between when you place your order and when your food is ready. In other words, it may not be as fast as a typical quick service counter, but you are also not going to wait as long as you would at a traditional sit down restaurant either.

How is the pie? The top crust is light and flakey, while the crust that wraps around the pie is soaked with the pie’s gravy, making it chewy and buttery. The filling is large chunks of white meat chicken mixed. Also at the pie party are large segments mushrooms, leeks, and potatoes. The creamy sauce makes sure that all the flavors are equally distributed across the tastebuds. The pie is earthy and hearty and right in my comfort zone.

If you are looking for something a bit different this St. Patrick’s Day, or maybe just something to sop up some of that Guinness in your belly, you would do well to heed my advice and pick up a Chicken and Field Mushroom Pie from Cookes of Dublin. Oh, and if you’re wondering about the title of this article, it comes from John A. Cooke himself.