House of Blues
Downtown Disney
Anaheim, CA
Does the world really need more writing on the House of Blues? I dunno, but I guess I'll add in my two bits.
The House of Blues was founded by Isaac Tigrett, (who had previously founded the Hard Rock Cafe), with Blues Brother Dan Akroyd and Blues Brother's Brother, Jim Belushi, among others in 1992 outside of Harvard University. It came to West Hollywood in 1994. I think I went to the West Hollywood branch for the first time in '94 or '95 to see Bare Naked Ladies. I know I saw an incredible Johnny Cash show there in '96, X in '97 and a gospel brunch at about the same time.
The West Hollywood branch was my favorite place to see a show. The sound is great, the sight lines are good, and I love looking at the folk art that adorns the place.
I remember the food at the gospel brunch being good-that was the only time I ate at a House of Blues, and when my family decided we were going to California Adventure, I decided that we were going to eat at the Downtown Disney House of Blues-which (opening in 2001) wasn't there when I still lived in the LA area.
The food-well, it was pretty good. Chef Aaron Sanchez is namechecked all over the menu, which features Cajun and American cuisine. I had the Applewood Bacon-wrapped Meatloaf and Garlic Mashed Potatoes ($18). The Meatloaf was good, but the potatoes lacked a bit in flavor. My kids had the Smoked Bacon Burger ($14), and that was pretty good, too, a huge burger with caramelized onion and bacon on a brioche bun. My youngest had kids' menu chicken tenders ($7), and they looked okay but I didn't try one. The real disappointment was the Mahi Mahi Street Tacos that my wife ordered. The Mahi Mahi was okay, but it seemed like they didn't warm the tortillas, so they didn't fold around the meat properly. At $11 for three tacos-twice the cost of most good street tacos, I was bummed that they didn't prepare the tortillas properly.
Overpriced, but typical for a touristy chain restaurant, and much better than a meal at Bubba Gump. The food, though, is only part of the reason one comes to the House of Blues. Concerts are generally the main draw, by I was there to check out the ambiance.
To that end, I walked the entire restaurant and checked out all the folk art that was on the walls. The thing I like about folk art is that is seems accessible. I feel like I might be able to do something that would match the art work on the walls.
When I do try, I'm not even close, of course. The kids and I have been painting rocks, which we then place throughout my yard, and I've tried to do things that resemble the folk art I see, and I don't have that ability. The best folk art, and that's pretty much all you see in the House of Blues, can convey rich feelings and emotions once you get past the bright colors and child-like drawings.
One of the things I did notice was that many of the work of art had dates from when HoB opened. I'm curious to know if they change the art around or sell it. How often do I want to look at Martin Luther King Jr. being free with his dove? Wouldn't it be nice to have a change?
And then there's another aspect that I can't decide about. For instance, the people pictured in the door-that's an interesting piece of art. But I wonder-certainly those people didn't have their pictures taken to show up on a door in some restaurant 50 or 60 years later. They took those pictures for loved ones, and probably spent what to them was a significant amount of money to have it done. Or Dr. King, he didn't die to be my dinner ambiance.
I'm not sure if the House of Blues is actually exploitive. I'd like to think the artists whose work appears in the restaurant were compensated well, and they are credited so that others might be able to buy their art. But again, as I'm chowing down on overpriced meatloaf, it seems like much of the art work is trying to raise my social consciousness, and I'm not sure that dropping the amount of money I spent on dinner does that. Sitting in the House of Blues is sitting in the Disney version of an old southern roadhouse-appropriate when you are walking distance to all things mouse.
The House of Blues, according to their website, does try to be socially responsible, with various fundraisers and support to aging and heavily exploited Blues Musicians. If some of the corporate profits are in fact being used to support the community, then all is good.
I know, I know. Shut up and enjoy the restaurant. Sometimes I over think things way too much.
The West Hollywood branch was my favorite place to see a show. The sound is great, the sight lines are good, and I love looking at the folk art that adorns the place.I remember the food at the gospel brunch being good-that was the only time I ate at a House of Blues, and when my family decided we were going to California Adventure, I decided that we were going to eat at the Downtown Disney House of Blues-which (opening in 2001) wasn't there when I still lived in the LA area.
The food-well, it was pretty good. Chef Aaron Sanchez is namechecked all over the menu, which features Cajun and American cuisine. I had the Applewood Bacon-wrapped Meatloaf and Garlic Mashed Potatoes ($18). The Meatloaf was good, but the potatoes lacked a bit in flavor. My kids had the Smoked Bacon Burger ($14), and that was pretty good, too, a huge burger with caramelized onion and bacon on a brioche bun. My youngest had kids' menu chicken tenders ($7), and they looked okay but I didn't try one. The real disappointment was the Mahi Mahi Street Tacos that my wife ordered. The Mahi Mahi was okay, but it seemed like they didn't warm the tortillas, so they didn't fold around the meat properly. At $11 for three tacos-twice the cost of most good street tacos, I was bummed that they didn't prepare the tortillas properly.
Overpriced, but typical for a touristy chain restaurant, and much better than a meal at Bubba Gump. The food, though, is only part of the reason one comes to the House of Blues. Concerts are generally the main draw, by I was there to check out the ambiance.
To that end, I walked the entire restaurant and checked out all the folk art that was on the walls. The thing I like about folk art is that is seems accessible. I feel like I might be able to do something that would match the art work on the walls.When I do try, I'm not even close, of course. The kids and I have been painting rocks, which we then place throughout my yard, and I've tried to do things that resemble the folk art I see, and I don't have that ability. The best folk art, and that's pretty much all you see in the House of Blues, can convey rich feelings and emotions once you get past the bright colors and child-like drawings.
One of the things I did notice was that many of the work of art had dates from when HoB opened. I'm curious to know if they change the art around or sell it. How often do I want to look at Martin Luther King Jr. being free with his dove? Wouldn't it be nice to have a change?And then there's another aspect that I can't decide about. For instance, the people pictured in the door-that's an interesting piece of art. But I wonder-certainly those people didn't have their pictures taken to show up on a door in some restaurant 50 or 60 years later. They took those pictures for loved ones, and probably spent what to them was a significant amount of money to have it done. Or Dr. King, he didn't die to be my dinner ambiance.
I'm not sure if the House of Blues is actually exploitive. I'd like to think the artists whose work appears in the restaurant were compensated well, and they are credited so that others might be able to buy their art. But again, as I'm chowing down on overpriced meatloaf, it seems like much of the art work is trying to raise my social consciousness, and I'm not sure that dropping the amount of money I spent on dinner does that. Sitting in the House of Blues is sitting in the Disney version of an old southern roadhouse-appropriate when you are walking distance to all things mouse.The House of Blues, according to their website, does try to be socially responsible, with various fundraisers and support to aging and heavily exploited Blues Musicians. If some of the corporate profits are in fact being used to support the community, then all is good.
I know, I know. Shut up and enjoy the restaurant. Sometimes I over think things way too much.
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