Just Say No!...to the $12.00 Cannoli.

[Maggi May]

I choose option 4. I don't mind paying $30 for an entree---I do it not infrequentlly. But, at that price point, I expect something unusual: a standard dish with top-flight ingredients and perfect execution, or perhaps a bit of ingenuity in the meal.

Totally agree. I am very happy to spend $30 or more for an entree at Jiko which is a truly unique and wonderful dining experience. The entrees at Tutto Italia strike me as nice, but nothing that I couldn't get for much less at a local upscale Italian restaurant.

 

[dqpowell]

But, at that price point, I expect something unusual: a standard dish with top-flight ingredients and perfect execution, or perhaps a bit of ingenuity in the meal. This looks like standard Italian fare I can get in any decent mid-sized city for half the price (or less).

One of the things I've found to be true over the years is the old cliche: You can't judge a book by its cover. I'll give the restaurant one shot -- luckily, it's option 2 for me, so it's just a single table service credit. I'll pick something that looks appealing for each of the courses, and I'm sure I'll be able to sample a few other things as I'll be there with a medium-large group of people. And then if it doesn't live up to the price, that's the last meal I'll eat there. I'm certainly not going to pay those kinds of prices OOP for pedestrian food.

Don't mind me though. I feel similarly about Le Cellier. I can't for the life of me understand why a good (but not great) steakhouse is the most popular restaurant in the world showcase.

Because nobody is surprised there. You order a bowl of soup and a steak, and what you get is a very good bowl of soup (particularly the beef barley) and a good steak. Most people like predictability and familiarity.

For the record, I like LeCellier -- though it's certainly not my favorite restaurant at WDW.

David

 

[eliza61]

My cousin used to make the best cannoli I ever ate... a very old family recipe. He charged $1.50 each for them in the late 1980s/early 1990s, and they were small - certainly smaller than those in the photo in Kevin Klose's review. But people ate them up.

We'll be eating at Tutto Italia in December, and we'll try the cannoli. I'll report back then, but there's about zero chance they'll compare to my cousin's.

As for the rest of it... I'm sorry, but I don't understand what all the fuss is about. The prices are expensive... so you have three choices:

1. Eat there and pay OOP. That's the price to find out whether it's worth it or not.
2. Eat there on the 2007 DDP. What do you care what the prices are?
3. Eat there on the 2008 DDP, avoid the appetizers, and tip 10% instead of 20%.
4. Don't eat there

Those are the options...

David

I'm with you David,
Either you want to eat there or you don't. I doubt that they will compare to your cousins also but then you can pretty much say that about any restaurant at Disney.
We're trying it in November and we're not on the DDP. I like to try new restaurants and if its not that great it will not be the first time I've paid a lot of money for a bad meal and I doubt it will be the last.
After 10 days at Disney, I doubt if $150 bucks is really going to break my budget.

 

[Ciao Mickey]

Kevin Klose reviewed Tutti Italia on this week's podcast and posted photos of the meal, including the infamous cannoli.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-podcast/photos/tutto/

The review was very mixed -- some dishes great, some dishes bland, and prices quite high.

If you've not listened the podcast, Kevin's dining review are great (and usually hilarious, too).

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-podcast/

Thanks for posting the pictures.

The cannoli's are two REGULAR sized cannolis that you can buy at any Italian pastry/bakery store. My bakeries also sell the mini-pastries too.

Maybe some people are used to seeing mini-cannolis that are often served in restaurants and at buffets and think they are what is considered normal/regular sized.

 

[melomouse]

Okay - I just added Tutto Italia to my ADR's for January - $12 cannoli and all. When I told DS about this thread, he guesses the giant cannoli at Alfredo's that fascinated him in August will be served to him directly on DDP....

Another issue to work on pre-trip.. adjusting DS's expectations!!!

 

[Ciao Mickey]

it's an Italian pastry, with a sweet cheese cream in the middle of a cookie it most of the time has mini chocolate chips in the cream, or dried fruit or both............Did I explain that right? I think I did.

It's really not a cookie, more of a really crispy shell.

If you ask, many bakeries will fill your cannoli while you wait.

 

[DisOrBust]

3. Eat there on the 2008 DDP, avoid the appetizers, and tip 10% instead of 20%.




So thats the point I tried to make about the "new" DDP. People will make up the difference on the waitstaff and tip less. I wonder what wil happen to service?

 

[Ciao Mickey]

I choose option 4. I don't mind paying $30 for an entree---I do it not infrequentlly. But, at that price point, I expect something unusual: a standard dish with top-flight ingredients and perfect execution, or perhaps a bit of ingenuity in the meal. This looks like standard Italian fare I can get in any decent mid-sized city for half the price (or less).

Don't mind me though. I feel similarly about Le Cellier. I can't for the life of me understand why a good (but not great) steakhouse is the most popular restaurant in the world showcase.

 

[Rustysmom]

Kevin Klose reviewed Tutti Italia on this week's podcast and posted photos of the meal, including the infamous cannoli.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-podcast/photos/tutto/

The review was very mixed -- some dishes great, some dishes bland, and prices quite high.

If you've not listened the podcast, Kevin's dining review are great (and usually hilarious, too).

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-podcast/

So that's the cannoli, huh? I think I'll skip this place unless I'm on the DDP in the future. It's too expensive for food that food that I can get around here much cheaper or make myself. My lasagna looks better than their lasagna.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

it's an Italian pastry, with a sweet cheese cream in the middle of a cookie it most of the time has mini chocolate chips in the cream, or dried fruit or both............Did I explain that right? I think I did.

kinda - its not actually cream cheese - but its ricotta cheese with sugar added to it. chocolate chips may or may not be added (never had dried fruit though) There is usually pistashios nuts on the ends.

 

[Belle5]

Thanks for the link to the podcast. (http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-podcast/) This was a great review!

I've gone ahead and made some notes to share from the audio review.

1. He liked the atmosphere and thought it was "luxurious".

2. Overall, he thought the restaurant was outrageously expensive, especially dessert.

3. Overall, it was a very authentic experience. But the entrees were much more Americanized which meant they were spice-less and bland. He had just spent time in Italy so he knows a bit about this.

4. Appetizers were "home runs". The Antipasto Misto was a lot of food which was fresh and delicious. The fresh mozarella was also a good size serving. He said that this was a good deal for Disney, in his opinion.

5. CMs seemed very interested in everybody having a wonderful experience. They were very accomodating. They willingingly gave everyone at the table samples of the soup. They also brought as much bread as they would like. They substituted a salad for spaghetti with marinara sauce for one of the entrees. They also brought them an extra dish of marinara. The only problems with service seemed to be a language barrier and not liking some of the little Italian customs like no ice in the water.

6. He found the children's menu very limited but then listed off a ton of options including four desserts.

7. Beverages were pricey but soft drinks are refillable.

8. He would definitely go back but says not to order the lasagna (while it's layered nicely with meat sauce it is flavourless, textureless and tiny), and the bucatini (which had a thicker noodle than expected, was very wet/saucy, with not a lot of flavour. For dessert, don't order the Cinnamon Ricotta Cheesecake. He said it was awful according to three of them but one in the party loved it.

7. The Chicken Cutlet Milanese was HUGE! It was a hit being tender and juicy and seared with a nice crust. He suggests ordering it as it is normally served, since the salad is integral to the dish.

8. Other hits included the salami bread in the bread basket. As well the $8 side dish was a huge hit and a huge bargain. They had carrots in butter with ground walnuts with garlic. This changes every day, though.

9. And about the infamous cannolli. If you look at the photo he took (http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-podcast/photos/tutto), he placed an average teaspoon on the plate to give you an idea about the size. He says that it was crisp and flavourful. "It was good. It was nowhere near $12." So, there you go.

10. For an idea of price, it cost his party $180 without DDE for lunch for four people. With the DDE (which they do take), it costs $146. He thought this was outrageous. I think that's pricey but acceptable.

Thank you! Thank you for summarizing this for me as I couldn't hear the podcast!!!

My mom and sister dined at Tutto Italia about a week and a half ago and enjoyed it immensely on the DDP (and "free" at that)! My mom and sis live in a "Little Italy" part of the US and knows good Italian food. This isn't a permanent restaurant, correct? I'm guessing Disney planned it as a DDP only kind of restaurant until the permanent Italian restaurant opens up. I will go and enjoy it on the 2007 DDP and not over analyze the cost because I don't have to worry about it. There is no way I would dine here without it unless I was DDP and it was just my DH and I. Then I MIGHT consider sharing some items there.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

Thanks for the link to the podcast. (http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-podcast/) This was a great review!


8. He would definitely go back but says not to order the lasagna (while it's layered nicely with meat sauce it is flavourless, textureless and tiny), and the bucatini (which had a thicker noodle than expected, was very wet/saucy, with not a lot of flavour. For dessert, don't order the Cinnamon Ricotta Cheesecake. He said it was awful according to three of them but one in the party loved it.

my emphasis added: Bucatini is a thick spaghetti type noodle, its so round/thick that there is a hole in to, making it somewhat tube-like. So I don't know what he was expecting when he ordered Bucatini? If he didn't know this - It almost makes me question his entire review. That's Pasta 101, Bucatini is THICK.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith;21226195 - I am by no means critiquing you, I am critiquing him. I appreciate you taking notes from the podcast.

 

[Beachangel]

I reluctantly tried Tutto last weekend, since I did not like Alfredo's and I will say that we all enjoyed our food tremendously. The food was served piping hot and the pasta was al dente. I would defintely go again.

 

[Crankyshank]

I've been contemplating changing one of my ADR to here for our trip next month, but I don't think I'm going to do it. I just can't justify spending that kind of money on Italian food that isn't knock me off my feet fantabulous. Even if it were that good, I'd still have difficulty doing it simply because I can have fantastic Italian food any time I want.

There's no way in hell I would spend $12 on a cannoli.

 

[dqpowell]

3. Eat there on the 2008 DDP, avoid the appetizers, and tip 10% instead of 20%.

So thats the point I tried to make about the "new" DDP. People will make up the difference on the waitstaff and tip less. I wonder what wil happen to service?

That's not what I meant. I don't mean to say everybody on the 2008 DDP should tip only 10% no matter where they eat. I'm suggesting that if somebody finds the prices at Tutto Italia truly outrageous, they could eat there on the 2008 DDP and tip an amount they consider appropriate in terms of raw dollars. If you normally tip 20% on a reasonably-priced meal, then a meal that involves exactly the same amount of service (same number of trips to the table, etc) but costs twice as much could be tipped at 10%, which would mean exactly the same tip amount.

Insalata Mista at hypothetical nice Italian restaurant: $6
Bucattini entree at hypothetical nice Italian restaurant: $13
2 cannoli for dessert at hypothetical nice Italian restaurant: $6
Beverage at hypothetical nice Italian restaurant: $2.25

Insalata Mista at Tutto Italia: $12
Bucattini entree at Tutto Italia: $26
2 cannoli for dessert at Tutto Italia: $12
Beverage at Tutto Italia: $4.50

Multiply everything by 4 for four diners, and we have:
Subtotal at hypothetical nice Italian restaurant: $109
Subtotal at Tutto Italia: $218

20% tip at hypothetical nice Italian restaurant: $21.80
10% tip at Tutto Italia: $21.80

David

 

[mrincredible2008]

Has anyone tried the $12 Cannoli?



NO! You 12.00 Cannoli, I am not going to try you!

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

One of the things I've found to be true over the years is the old cliche: You can't judge a book by its cover. I'll give the restaurant one shot -- luckily, it's option 2 for me, so it's just a single table service credit. I'll pick something that looks appealing for each of the courses, and I'm sure I'll be able to sample a few other things as I'll be there with a medium-large group of people. And then if it doesn't live up to the price, that's the last meal I'll eat there.

This is also how I feel! I think that, for whatever reason, people are judging this restaurant basically by price alone and haven't given it much of a chance.

Thank you! Thank you for summarizing this for me as I couldn't hear the podcast!!!

My pleasure!

my emphasis added: Bucatini is a thick spaghetti type noodle, its so round/thick that there is a hole in to, making it somewhat tube-like. So I don't know what he was expecting when he ordered Bucatini? If he didn't know this - It almost makes me question his entire review. That's Pasta 101, Bucatini is THICK.

This is also what I thought. I always thought bucatini was quite thick and heavy. I'd be interested to hear from anyone else who orders the bucatini just to see if it is in fact too thick or is typical for this type of pasta. There were a few other little red flags in this review for me too but I did appreciate it nonetheless.

 

[DisOrBust]

Dave I really didn't mean it personally. I just think it will be very hard to pay the 40 odd dollars for the DDP everyday and then expect people to tip 20% of the bill it would cost OOP. I don't think the "average" person is going to think of it that way and will tip what the DDP cost them. I doubt many non dissers will incluse tip with their budget and will hve serious sticker shock.

 

[dqpowell]

Dave I really didn't mean it personally. I just think it will be very hard to pay the 40 odd dollars for the DDP everyday and then expect people to tip 20% of the bill it would cost OOP. I don't think the "average" person is going to think of it that way and will tip what the DDP cost them. I doubt many non dissers will incluse tip with their budget and will hve serious sticker shock.

No worries -- I didn't take it personally. I just thought you misunderstood what I was getting at.

In my opinion, the 2008 DDP just isn't worth the expense. I would use it if it were offered as a free dining option, but unless they start offering free dining in a month other than September, that probably won't happen. I've gone once before in September and I'll never do that again. If they ever offer it in the Nov - May timeframe, I may do it. But that doesn't seem likely.

David

 

[DisneyKevin]

my emphasis added: Bucatini is a thick spaghetti type noodle, its so round/thick that there is a hole in to, making it somewhat tube-like. So I don't know what he was expecting when he ordered Bucatini? If he didn't know this - It almost makes me question his entire review. That's Pasta 101, Bucatini is THICK.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith;21226195 - I am by no means critiquing you, I am critiquing him. I appreciate you taking notes from the podcast.

Actually Mr and Mrs Smith misquoted me. I said that I am used to bucatini being thick and round with a hole in the middle (almost like a drinking straw). This noodle was thick and square with no hole and similar to a fettucine.

I certainly hope this renews your trust in me

Kevin