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I volunteered at the Bracebridge dinner tonight. It's a Christmas pageant the Ahwahnee has put on every year for nearly a century. It's set in 18th century England. The dining room is lit only with tall candles and chandeliers. The guests are served a 6-course meal while being entertained by an elaborately costumed cast/chorale, which includes some incredible soloists. People pay something like $300 a ticket to attend this thing.
Unfortunately, I was only in the room for about five minutes of the four-hour pageant. I showed up at five, just as the dinner was beginning. After getting the runaround for a while, they finally cast me as a villager and handed me a costume. I was served Citrus Custard and IBC Root Beer. The guests were being served Ahwahnee wine, Mushrooms a la Grecque, Medley of Cured Olives, Marinated Baby Artichokes, Dill Brined Baby Carrots, Pickled Quail Eggs, and Caviar.
At six the villagers made their first appearance. We drooled over the guest's tables as we peered through the window, slipped in the back door, and passed through the hall. We were only in the room long enough to get from one end to the other. We went back up to the cast area to wait, and were served "Dandelion" salad, Teriyaki Chicken, Broccoli Alfredo, and some really boring rice. For dessert: Pear Pie with a Biscotti Crust, and Crème Brûlée. We waited for two hours (a very long two hours, if you don't mind my saying so). During this time, the guests were dining on Roasted Butternut Squash soup, Tart Apple, and Pumpkin Seed Cracker, followed by Chilled Herb Grilled Gulf Coast Jumbo White Prawns (I'm copying directly from the souvenir menu here), Cucumber-Seaweed salad, and Tomato-Horseradish Coulis, followed by Veal Sweet Breads, Pheasant Dumplings, Seared Squab Breast, Wild Mushroom Ragout, and Truffle Julienne Veloute', followed by (remember, it's a four hour dinner, folks) Pistachio Crusted Angus Beef Tenderloin, Sweet Potatoes Dauphinoise, Haricots Verts, Orange Glaze Baby Beets, and Bearnaise Demi-glace, followed by Baby Red Endive, Spinach, Frisee, Poached Crimson Pear, Sonora Mineshaft Aged Bleu Cheese Custard, and Dried Cranberry Vinaigrette, followed by Plum Pudding with Hard Sauce and Hot Mulled Cider.
By the end of it, I was snacking on chips and dip. I gratefully left my plate behind and ran downstairs to grab a wreath and march it into the hall. Then we all knelt while the chorale sang a beautiful Christmas song I had never heard before, marked with operatic solos. Splendid. Even though my feet were falling asleep.
When we marched our wreaths back out of there, it was time to turn in our costumes and skedaddle. It was then 8:30 and the dinner was still going strong. It was really a lot of fun to play in it. I'm sure it would be a lot more fun to attend as a guest, but it couldn't possibly be $300 fun. Could it?
Unfortunately, I was only in the room for about five minutes of the four-hour pageant. I showed up at five, just as the dinner was beginning. After getting the runaround for a while, they finally cast me as a villager and handed me a costume. I was served Citrus Custard and IBC Root Beer. The guests were being served Ahwahnee wine, Mushrooms a la Grecque, Medley of Cured Olives, Marinated Baby Artichokes, Dill Brined Baby Carrots, Pickled Quail Eggs, and Caviar.
At six the villagers made their first appearance. We drooled over the guest's tables as we peered through the window, slipped in the back door, and passed through the hall. We were only in the room long enough to get from one end to the other. We went back up to the cast area to wait, and were served "Dandelion" salad, Teriyaki Chicken, Broccoli Alfredo, and some really boring rice. For dessert: Pear Pie with a Biscotti Crust, and Crème Brûlée. We waited for two hours (a very long two hours, if you don't mind my saying so). During this time, the guests were dining on Roasted Butternut Squash soup, Tart Apple, and Pumpkin Seed Cracker, followed by Chilled Herb Grilled Gulf Coast Jumbo White Prawns (I'm copying directly from the souvenir menu here), Cucumber-Seaweed salad, and Tomato-Horseradish Coulis, followed by Veal Sweet Breads, Pheasant Dumplings, Seared Squab Breast, Wild Mushroom Ragout, and Truffle Julienne Veloute', followed by (remember, it's a four hour dinner, folks) Pistachio Crusted Angus Beef Tenderloin, Sweet Potatoes Dauphinoise, Haricots Verts, Orange Glaze Baby Beets, and Bearnaise Demi-glace, followed by Baby Red Endive, Spinach, Frisee, Poached Crimson Pear, Sonora Mineshaft Aged Bleu Cheese Custard, and Dried Cranberry Vinaigrette, followed by Plum Pudding with Hard Sauce and Hot Mulled Cider.
By the end of it, I was snacking on chips and dip. I gratefully left my plate behind and ran downstairs to grab a wreath and march it into the hall. Then we all knelt while the chorale sang a beautiful Christmas song I had never heard before, marked with operatic solos. Splendid. Even though my feet were falling asleep.
When we marched our wreaths back out of there, it was time to turn in our costumes and skedaddle. It was then 8:30 and the dinner was still going strong. It was really a lot of fun to play in it. I'm sure it would be a lot more fun to attend as a guest, but it couldn't possibly be $300 fun. Could it?
