Disneyland Steakhouse Invites Former Donald Trump Chef to Downtown Disney – Orange County Register

Donald Trump’s former Mar-a-Lago chef, who earned a Michelin star at the former president’s Las Vegas restaurant DJT, is opening a steakhouse and barbecue concept at Downtown Disney.

Celebrated New York chef Joe Isidori will open two new restaurants at the former Tortilla Jo’s site in an open-air shopping mall in Anaheim next to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.

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Disneyland has filed building permits with the city of Anaheim to demolish the 18,900-square-foot Tortilla Jo’s building, according to Theme Park IQ. The city permit calls for the facility to be closed and for the stairs and elevator shaft to remain on the basement level.

Disneyland has not yet announced when construction will begin, when the twin concepts will open, or the names of the restaurants.

Isidori’s full-service steakhouse will serve prime cuts of beef, chops, seafood, sandwiches and salads with craft bourbon cocktails. The adjacent quick-service barbecue restaurant will offer pulled pork, beef and smoked wings with house-made sauces, along with moonshine cocktails and craft beers.

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Isidori oversaw the dining concepts for several restaurants across the Trump empire, including the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, the DJT restaurant at the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas and Trump’s golf courses.

Isidori’s family has owned and operated restaurants for three generations since 1954, in Manhattan, Harlem, Brooklyn and the Bronx. His most recent restaurant ventures include Arthur & Sons in Manhattan and Jotoro Kitchen & Tequila Bar in Tampa, Florida.

Isidori is probably best known to Disney fans as the co-founder of Black Tap Craft Burgers in Downtown Disney and the co-founder of Everglazed Donuts in Disney Springs, Florida.

Black Tap’s unique, gravity-defying Crazy Shakes inspired Isidori to write a cookbook centered around the restaurant’s milkshakes and burgers.

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The celebrity chef has appeared on shows such as “Iron Chef America,” “Beat Bobby Flay” and various Food Network cooking competitions.

The New York native has been cooking since he was 5 — standing on a shipping crate as he prepared salads and sides in his family’s restaurants. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 2000.

Downtown Disney has taken its culinary experience to the next level, offering not only burgers, pizza, coffee and pretzels, but also a new level of gourmet dining, including handmade pierogi, gourmet Mexican cuisine and now steaks from Michelin-starred chefs.

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The new Isidori’s Steakhouse joins two other new restaurants in Downtown Disney that are both recognized with Michelin stars.

Chef Carlos Gaytan, whose restaurant Paseo opened in May, has opened two Michelin-starred restaurants — Mexique in Chicago and Ha’ in Mexico City.

Din Tai Fung, a Taiwanese dumpling restaurant that opened in July, has been awarded five Michelin stars at its Hong Kong location.