Michelin-starred chef opens 3 concepts at Downtown Disney

Chef Carlos Gaytán welcomed guests to the opening of his three Mexican dining concepts with the Patina Restaurant Group at Downtown Disney in Anaheim on Wednesday morning with Mickey and Minnie Mouse at his side.

“It is my sincere pleasure to officially announce the grand opening of Paseo, Centrico and Tiendita at Downtown Disney District,” said Gaytán, as cannons of streamers exploded, and traditional Mexican folkloric dancers spun to the live mariachi music.

Patina has had a longstanding relationship with Downtown Disney District since the restaurant group opened Napolini Pizzeria, which is still popular today. The three new restaurants will be the latest Patina addition to the shopping and dining destination.

“We are thrilled to share Chef Gaytán’s culinary vision with guests and introduce his world-renowned Mexican cuisine as we continue to grow our presence at Downtown Disney District,” said John Kolaski, president of Patina Restaurant Group. “Each of these unique venues, Paseo, Céntrico and Tiendita, offer a bespoke dining experience with their own look and feel, while maintaining their roots in authentic Mexican cuisine and culture.”

Paseo is a contemporary Mexican restaurant meant to spotlight lesser-known Mexican dishes by Gaytán, who is widely known as ambassador of Mexican gastronomy. He appeared on Bravo’s “Top Chef” in 2013 and is the chef-owner of Tzuco in Chicago, which was a semifinalist in the Best New Restaurant category by the James Beard Foundation Awards in 2020. He is also the first Mexican-born chef to earn a Michelin star, for his now shuttered Chicago restaurant Mexique. He is committed to educating himself about his country’s food and traditions and sharing that knowledge with diners through his cooking.

Paseo is a contemporary Mexican restaurant, now open at Downtown Disney in Anaheim.

(Christian Thompson/Disneyland Resort)

“For me, it’s very important to share my heritage, my true Mexican cuisine, my unknown México that people are not used to,” said Gaytán, “For me this is an opportunity to showcase what real México is.”

For Gaytán that means dishes like Mama’s chochinita pibil, a guerrero-style pork shank that truly is his mother’s recipe.

“Everyone has to try that one,” Gaytán said. “There is a lot of heart in that recipe.”

At Céntrico, the outdoor bar formerly occupied by Uva Bar, guests can enjoy an extensive cocktail menu in the space reimagined as a Mexican hacienda. Tiendita is the quick-service dining option of the trio, with counter service or self-service kiosks where parkgoers can order Mexican street-food staples.

The opening of the three restaurants in Anaheim comes just a week after Walt Disney World’s Victoria & Albert’s restaurant in Florida earned a Michelin Star, the only U.S. theme-park-owned restaurant to receive such a distinction.

The Mexican dining concepts from Gaytán and Patina are among several other new restaurants set to open at Downtown Disney, including Din Tai Fung and Porto’s Bakery. It will be interesting to see if the addition of such robust dining options draw as many crowds as the parks. If so, the Anaheim resort could be poised to become a culinary destination.

Paseo showcases lesser known Mexican dishes in Anaheim at Downtown Disney.

(Christian Thompson / Disneyland Resort)

The opening was something of a full circle moment for Gaytán who recalled coming to the United States for the first time 34 years ago and paying a visit to the Disneyland Resort where a cousin worked at the time.

“I never knew that 34 years later I would come back in a different way,” said Gaytán.

While Gaytán could not have predicted his own path, he said he has found being bold can lead to success.

“We as Hispanics, as Latinos we need to dream big. We have to stop being scared of doing things. That is one thing I have learned,” said Gaytán. “You can make a lot mistakes, but when you fix those mistakes, it can motivate you to continue to do better.”