DemoBri1
Surfin' at the Beach Club Villas
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2002
Hi Everyone...we just returned from our Thanksgiving trip and wanted to provide you with a review of our experience at the Tutto Italia Ristorante in Italy. I was a bit skeptical with this reservation as it seemed as though Via Nappoli was the preferred dining option within Italy and when we walked up to check-in for our ADR my fears were not quelled. The cast member taking names at the front desk seemed as though he wanted to be anywhere else but there. The cast member who sat us at our table appeared to have the same attitude and thankfully this is where our experience changed dramatically.
We had a wonderful Italian gentleman named Giovanni as our waiter. He had such a wonderful fatherly type personality and was very attentive to our needs during our entire meal. The remainder of the wait staff which included a waiter's assistant who was charged with refilling our drinks and a food runner who brought our food out were wonderful as well. At times it was a bit difficult to understand the young lady who was assisting Giovanni, but I think part of it was due to the noise level within the restaurant.
So now it was on to the meal itself. First off I want to tell you that this is not an average priced meal at WDW. It's pricing rivals that of a meal at places such as Le Cellier, Yachtsman Steakhouse and California Grill. This might scare some people off, but I have to tell you that the food was wonderful and you received a fairly good portion of food, so the price was a little easier to take.
We started off with two appetizers, the Tortino di Zucchine and the Calamari Fritti. I have to tell you that I have had calamari at many restaurants over my years and I have to say that this was the best calamari I have ever had. It was not rubbery as sometimes calamari can be, and the breading was just the right consistency. The marinara sauce that they served with the calamari was spot on as well. I do want to point out that the breading was a bit on the salty side, but that does not bother me. The zucchini dish was just as tasty. It was actually baked zucchini with a pomodoro red sauce mixed with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. It almost made the sauce a creamy tasting red sauce. The zucchini was cooked perfectly. I normally don't like to eat zucchini without breading, but this was good.
Now it was on to the main entrees. My wife ordered the Lasagna alla Bolognese, my son ordered the Ravioli di Ricotta and my daughter and I ordered the Spaghetti. We all enjoyed our entrees immensely. The lasagna was extremely tasty with the beef sauce and parmesan cheese included in the mixture. It was not dry at all as some lasagna can be if overcooked. My son's ravioli came in a Parmesan cream sauce and was stuffed with chicken and prosciutto. He really enjoyed this dish and he normally prefers a red sauce with his pasta. The Spaghetti plate was huge. In fact my daughter was unable to finish hers so I gladly helped her out. It came with a wonderful pomodoro sauce that was not overpowering and we received 4 beef and veal meatballs each.
If there was a disappointment in the meal it was dessert. Specifically my dessert as I ordered a piece of chocolate cake with vanilla gelato drizzled in chocolate sauce. It was a very tasty dessert as the chocolate cake actually contained chocolate shavings. What I was disappointed in was the size of the portion. Compared to the entrees this was the only thing that I felt was not worth the menu price. My wife's Tiramisu was twice the size of my cake and it cost less.
If you're looking for a truly Italian experience and money is no object give Tutto Italia a try. Once you get past the front desk you will have a wonderful experience. If you are on a budget this may not be the place for you.
We had a wonderful Italian gentleman named Giovanni as our waiter. He had such a wonderful fatherly type personality and was very attentive to our needs during our entire meal. The remainder of the wait staff which included a waiter's assistant who was charged with refilling our drinks and a food runner who brought our food out were wonderful as well. At times it was a bit difficult to understand the young lady who was assisting Giovanni, but I think part of it was due to the noise level within the restaurant.
So now it was on to the meal itself. First off I want to tell you that this is not an average priced meal at WDW. It's pricing rivals that of a meal at places such as Le Cellier, Yachtsman Steakhouse and California Grill. This might scare some people off, but I have to tell you that the food was wonderful and you received a fairly good portion of food, so the price was a little easier to take.
We started off with two appetizers, the Tortino di Zucchine and the Calamari Fritti. I have to tell you that I have had calamari at many restaurants over my years and I have to say that this was the best calamari I have ever had. It was not rubbery as sometimes calamari can be, and the breading was just the right consistency. The marinara sauce that they served with the calamari was spot on as well. I do want to point out that the breading was a bit on the salty side, but that does not bother me. The zucchini dish was just as tasty. It was actually baked zucchini with a pomodoro red sauce mixed with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. It almost made the sauce a creamy tasting red sauce. The zucchini was cooked perfectly. I normally don't like to eat zucchini without breading, but this was good.
Now it was on to the main entrees. My wife ordered the Lasagna alla Bolognese, my son ordered the Ravioli di Ricotta and my daughter and I ordered the Spaghetti. We all enjoyed our entrees immensely. The lasagna was extremely tasty with the beef sauce and parmesan cheese included in the mixture. It was not dry at all as some lasagna can be if overcooked. My son's ravioli came in a Parmesan cream sauce and was stuffed with chicken and prosciutto. He really enjoyed this dish and he normally prefers a red sauce with his pasta. The Spaghetti plate was huge. In fact my daughter was unable to finish hers so I gladly helped her out. It came with a wonderful pomodoro sauce that was not overpowering and we received 4 beef and veal meatballs each.
If there was a disappointment in the meal it was dessert. Specifically my dessert as I ordered a piece of chocolate cake with vanilla gelato drizzled in chocolate sauce. It was a very tasty dessert as the chocolate cake actually contained chocolate shavings. What I was disappointed in was the size of the portion. Compared to the entrees this was the only thing that I felt was not worth the menu price. My wife's Tiramisu was twice the size of my cake and it cost less.
If you're looking for a truly Italian experience and money is no object give Tutto Italia a try. Once you get past the front desk you will have a wonderful experience. If you are on a budget this may not be the place for you.
