Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen
If you’ve ever traveled to Downtown Disney, you might have smelled the aroma of freshly made beignets or caught the scent of cayenne peppers in pasta jambalaya and creole rice. Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen, famous for its authentic Louisiana cuisine, is bringing the taste of New Orleans to Cal Poly Pomona’s Southern California Tasting & Auction.
Executive chef Darrin Finkel explains that this year guests will be able to preview a few of Jazz Kitchen’s upcoming menu items before the dishes make their premiere in June. Guests can savor a blackened shrimp tostada and a strawberry and baby arugula salad, perfect light fare for summer.
While curating great-tasting food for Tasting & Auction is part of the fun, Finkel credits Cal Poly Pomona’s beautiful landscape and great hospitality as additional reasons he returns year after year. “Don’t tell anyone, but this is my favorite event,” he confesses.

Ralph Brennan’s Tasting & Auction booth in 2012
Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen immerses guests in New Orleans culture from cuisine to décor and mixes in live entertainment. Guests at the restaurant will find French Quarter-inspired architecture, Flambeaux’s jazz club and of course Mardi Gras details. On the weekends, dueling pianos liven up the night for diners.