Mama Melrose or Tutto Italia!

[jsmla]

Just realized that 3 out of my 4 ADRs are Italian-Tony's, Mama Melrose and Tutto Italia. I'd really like to keep my Tony's reservation for the reserved parade viewing (I ate here in September and was fine with it.) so it's down to the other two. I'm on the Dining Plan so need to choose 1TSC places. Which one would you change? My last ADR is for Brunch at the Top and I'll be keeping that one. I'm not a vegetarian but also not a huge meat person, prefer veggie or seafood.


Mama Melrose (late lunch)
Pros
-not a fan of SciFi or 50s, Brown Derby is 2TSC
-no QS alternative in DHS appeals
-reserved Fantasmic seating

Cons
-ate here in September and it was okay, not fabulous.
-menu is very heavy, not a fan in hot weather
-alternative would be Brown Derby Lounge OOP
-I'd need to find somewhere else to book on another day



Tutto Italia (4:30 ADR)
Pros
-would be a new restaurant for me, this was Alfredo's the last time I ate here
-good value on the Dining Plan
-menu looks more appealing than MM
-dessert!!!!!!!

Cons
-Flower and Garden kiosks will call me
-Tokyo Dining and Spice Road are favorites (but want to try different places)
-again, menu looks heavy here



I prefer not to leave the park for meals. I'll be solo and convenience is very important to me. Don't care how amazing Jiko may be. If it takes 1 1/2 hours to get there it ain't happening.

I would like to use my snack credits at Flower and Garden which makes the World Showcase restaurants a bit of a challenge. I'm a pretty light eater.

I already have ADRs for my MK days-Be Our Guest lunch, Tony's lunch and California Grill brunch.

I am determined to try Satu'li this trip and Flame Tree is a favorite.


Right now I'm leaning toward cancelling Tutto but it would be something new and looks like a great value on the DP.

So confused!

 

[nkereina]

We have very different tastes if you like Tony's and dislike Sci Fi/50s, however, I will say that Tutto to me has heavier entree type style meals. More meat-based true Italian pasta dishes. Mama Melrose is more of an Americanized Italian and you can keep it light at lunch with the flatbreads and salads.

My personal vote would be for Tutto because always prefer to try new places when we can (we'll try anything once), and we didn't think Mama Melrose was anything to write home about.

 

[jsmla]

We have very different tastes if you like Tony's and dislike Sci Fi/50s, however, I will say that Tutto to me has heavier entree type style meals. More meat-based true Italian pasta dishes. Mama Melrose is more of an Americanized Italian and you can keep it light at lunch with the flatbreads and salads.

My personal vote would be for Tutto because always prefer to try new places when we can (we'll try anything once), and we didn't think Mama Melrose was anything to write home about.

It's not so much the food as the venues that I don't care for at 50s and SciFi. As a fairly self-conscious solo I have zero desire to share a "car" or play along with the servers. The seafood dishes are salmon (50s) and pasta (SciFi). (I eat so much salmon at Disney that I wonder I don't start swimming upstream.) Neither dish is worth booking a restaurant where I won't feel comfortable. I usually eat at Brown Derby Lounge when not on the dining plan.

I booked Tony's last September against advice here and enjoyed it. The restaurant was pretty, the AC cold and the service very good. I had the Caesar salad, scampi and tiramisu. My salad was much better than the one at Mama Melrose and the tiramisu was one of my favorite desserts of the trip. The scampi was fine but nothing special, a typical Disney theme park entree. The reserved parade viewing was fabulous!

For the most part I'm not someone who drools over most Disney dining. I just want a quietish meal in the AC. I've been nosing around reservations and am strongly considering dropping both Mama's and Tutto and booking Brown Derby on my DHS day. Not the must prudent use of the DP, but I know I'll enjoy Brown Derby and there's Flower and Garden and lots of QS I can eat at Epcot. In hindsight I probably should have skipped the Dining Plan.

 

[CynBeth]

Tutto!

 

[jsmla]

Maybe I will cancel Tony's!

https://www.disboards.com/threads/dragon-float-caught-on-fire.3682094/

 

[gharter]

No offense, but I would drop Tonys in a heart beat and keep Mama Melrose and Tutto Italia without even thinking about it. Between the 3, Tonys isn't even close. Yes Tonys is in MK, but food quality is not even close to the other 2 options.

 

[Micca]

Tutto Italia (4:30 ADR)
Pros
-would be a new restaurant for me, this was Alfredo's the last time I ate here

Our family still mourns the loss of Alfredo's, but Tutto is pretty good. The lasagna was delicious but it is, of course, a heavy meal. I'd say TI is much better than MM.

 

[rosiebean]

Our meal at Tutto’s was not great and service was worse. We haven’t been back since. Same trip, our dinner at Tony’s was better (still Olive Garden quality but better).

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

Believe it or not.

I like Via Napoli more than any of those..

Tutto second

 

[cgattis]

If you do drop Tony's, have you tried Skipper Canteen? The curry veggie stew was very good, nice cool location, and I'm sure the servers would keep you entertained.

 

[jsmla]

I do enjoy Skipper Canteen, I like appetizers and beer there when I'm OOP. I dropped an ADR there for another MK day when I nabbed a Brunch at the Top reservation. Tony's was for the FoF reserved seating. I'm the only one in my family who enjoys parades and solo trips give me the chance to see them. I am rethinking things now that it looks like the weather could be really bad and dragon has been pulled.

 

[nkereina]

It's not so much the food as the venues that I don't care for at 50s and SciFi. As a fairly self-conscious solo I have zero desire to share a "car" or play along with the servers. The seafood dishes are salmon (50s) and pasta (SciFi). (I eat so much salmon at Disney that I wonder I don't start swimming upstream.) Neither dish is worth booking a restaurant where I won't feel comfortable. I usually eat at Brown Derby Lounge when not on the dining plan.

I booked Tony's last September against advice here and enjoyed it. The restaurant was pretty, the AC cold and the service very good. I had the Caesar salad, scampi and tiramisu. My salad was much better than the one at Mama Melrose and the tiramisu was one of my favorite desserts of the trip. The scampi was fine but nothing special, a typical Disney theme park entree. The reserved parade viewing was fabulous!

For the most part I'm not someone who drools over most Disney dining. I just want a quietish meal in the AC. I've been nosing around reservations and am strongly considering dropping both Mama's and Tutto and booking Brown Derby on my DHS day. Not the must prudent use of the DP, but I know I'll enjoy Brown Derby and there's Flower and Garden and lots of QS I can eat at Epcot. In hindsight I probably should have skipped the Dining Plan.

No need to explain your reasons for liking/not liking something. Everything on the dining board is subjective and merely each person's opinion. I go against others' opinions all the time. I was simply qualifying my post saying that my opinion may differ from yours because we have opposite views on 50s/Sci Fi and Tony's.

That said, the additional information about looking for a quiet meal as a solo traveler helps. If you're comfortable at Brown Derby, go for it. If you need to use up dining plan credits, I think Mama Melrose would be a better fit in your scenario than Tutto.

 

[Huff]

No offense, but I would drop Tonys in a heart beat and keep Mama Melrose and Tutto Italia without even thinking about it. Between the 3, Tonys isn't even close. Yes Tonys is in MK, but food quality is not even close to the other 2 options.

Everyone has their own tastes. We ate at Tutto last trip. The horrible service could have been excused if the food were decent. It wasn't. Under cooked sticky pasta was just the beginning. Best Italian we had at Disney was at Portabello's which is changing to a new restaurant. We've always had decent food and excellent service at Tony's. Not great, but good and fun.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

I would keep MM for the F! seating and because Epcot has tons of other great options.