NOT drowning ourselves in LeFou's Brew for our 2ndAnni: Update 11/11/12 COMPLETED!

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

So sorry that your anniversary dinner was not that wonderful. Thank goodness for the almond crusted cheesecake.

Loved your review of Sci-Fi. We had so-so food the last time we ate there, but I've seen several positive reviews lately that I'm thinking we will give it another try. The milkshakes alone look worthy of a visit to Sci-Fi.

 

[Roma]

Oh dear how disappointing that your anniversary dinner was ick!! I have such high expectations for my anniversary/birthday celebrations that I always get super upset when they go off the rails.

Woah nelly to that picnic burger... I think I feel ill just looking at it! Sauerkraut AND a hamburger AND a hotdog (2 hotdogs???).... blehhhh!! My DH would probably scarf it up too though because he loves meat, especially combined like that.

 

[BlovesC]

Oh dear how disappointing that your anniversary dinner was ick!! I have such high expectations for my anniversary/birthday celebrations that I always get super upset when they go off the rails.

I can understand that. That's why I have such a hard time booking a signature ADR though. This was only the fourth signature we've eaten in...but yet of the four we've only had ONE meal which I felt was worthy of the price and the 'signature' hoopla (at Flying Fish). I have a hard time throwing money away on food that is mediocre. I'd prefer eating something simpler and well-prepared over a failed attempt at gourmet cuisine!

Woah nelly to that picnic burger... I think I feel ill just looking at it! Sauerkraut AND a hamburger AND a hotdog (2 hotdogs???).... blehhhh!! My DH would probably scarf it up too though because he loves meat, especially combined like that.

I'm thinking they might as well rename this burger "The manly man's burger of meatiness!", especially after seeing my DH's reaction to it and then reading Todd's review in Nicki's thread!

So sorry that your anniversary dinner was not that wonderful. Thank goodness for the almond crusted cheesecake.

That cheesecake was quite delicious! If I could have ordered just that I think I would have overlooked the crappy atmosphere and service.

Loved your review of Sci-Fi. We had so-so food the last time we ate there, but I've seen several positive reviews lately that I'm thinking we will give it another try. The milkshakes alone look worthy of a visit to Sci-Fi.

I think so-so is actually a fair description for the food there. I LOVE the place, but I think a safe bet is to go in expecting counter service food but with table-side service and an awesome atmosphere. I love the milkshakes! I've never had an entree that I'd call "delicious" though! Just pretty good.

You crack me up, Becky! I told everyone that your Narcoossee's review would be interesting and you definitely delivered.

It's just too bad that this was your designated anniversary celebration dinner. But at least I know that your dining experiences will be much better from here on out.

I think it the Narcoossee's thing just proves the frustrating inconsistency of Disney restaurants, particularly signature, and how many factors besides the food can affect a meal. I can imagine that if we A)had an earlier reservation B)had a different server and C)ordered different appetizer and entree that our entire experience could have been vastly different. The smokers and the weird nightclub atmosphere and cramped waiting area already turned me off before my meal began, and it was just downhill from there. I can totally see how a few changes could have led to a MUCH greater experience. And that's why you can have a review from one person who LOVES a restaurant and a few posts down from someone who hates it. The experience really can change that quickly!

Sorry to hear your dinner at Narcoossee's wasnt all that great

Aww thank you. But our next night's dinner was, don't worry!

That said, perhaps your review will cause them to quickly remove any trace of ravioli from the menu.

I think perhaps the dish is so relatively unpopular that I threw the chefs off and they made simple errors, like overcooking the ravioli! When we were waiting for our table I watched many of the meals go out, and didn't see a single other plate of ravioli!

 

[BlovesC]

Well, originally we had dinner scheduled for The Wave tonight, which was a new place for us! But after our meal at Narcoossee's the night before for our 'special' dinner, I got it in my head that we should make up for it by trying again and eating at Jiko, where we'd originally had an ADR.

However, I didn't really want us to splurge on a signature meal two nights in a row, especially when, although I'm sure we probably would love Jiko, I didn't know for sure. Same with The Wave...I felt like we needed a meal I could guarantee would be great.

So, we wound up at....Sanaa! Surprise!

Just walking into the restaurant itself was already a 200% improvement over Narcoossee's. The hostess was much friendlier, there were no clouds of smoke, the waiting area was comfortable, heck even our dining companions were all better dressed! And we got to eat dinner with one of the locals!

Frasier Crane! He sure gets around!

We had the wonderful Ivelisse as our server, and we'd had her our first time here as well! We started our meal with drinks...

I ordered a dry martini.

No, no, I'm kidding. I ordered my 'usual'!

Malawi Mango Margarita-frozen blend of Tequila, Van der Hum Tangerine Liqueur, Mango Puree and freshly squeezed Lime Juice

What can I say?! When I love something, I never get sick of it! That's worked out for DH so far just fine! This is Ivelisse's favorite drink too. It's just pure sweet golden goodness, a little big of mango-flavored heaven in a glass!

DH chose...

Kande Coconut Cooler - refreshing combination of Starr African Rum, coconut, vanilla ice cream and orange juice

He loved this! He's not a huge rum fan, but it wasn't too strong and had a great fruity creamy consistency and flavor.

For appetizers, we were torn. There's really nothing I wouldn't order here! We were going to get the bread service, but it changed with the new menu...you now get FIVE breads and FIVE sauces. Yes, I know it makes no sense, but having more choices actually make it harder for us so we decided to skip it.

Instead we chose these beauties:

Mustard-seed crusted scallops with a coconut cream sauce.

Oh my gosh (or gawrsh, as Goofy would say) these were fantastic. I so, so, so wish we'd each gotten our own! I love scallops but they're so often poorly cooked. These were perfect. The mustard-seed gave it a nice tangy crispness on the outside and they were hot, soft, scallopy goodness on the inside with the creamy sauce that wasn't too sweet, just a great compliment.

For our entrees...well, even though this was our third meal at Sanaa in three months I hadn't yet ordered their signature slow-cooked meals, so I decided to remedy that immediately!

Simple, slow-cooked, and well-seasoned in gravy: Shrimp with Green Curry Sauce, Basmati Rice, and Butter Chicken


and, when all emptied out...

This was obviously decidedly less healthy than my previous meals at Sanaa! Butter chicken is so incredibly sinful, and at Sanaa it's simply fantastic. Rich, tender, packed with flavor, I oohed and ahhhed my way through this. I also loved the shrimp with green curry sauce! Last time Charlie got this and I had a taste and really enjoyed it, so I was happy to get it for myself. Creamy and mild, it might have gone a little too well with the chicken, but it's a great combination. I loved, loved, loved this meal!

DH on the other hand, pretty much ONLY ordered the slow-cooked meal and he cycled through to some new choices for him:

Spicy Durban Chicken, Basmati Rice, and Lamb Vindaloo

and all mixed!

He LOVED the durban chicken, and thought it actually had a much bigger punch of heat than the durban shrimp had. The lamb vindaloo was very tender and he would have sworn it was actually pork. Despite the vindaloo name, it was very mild and didn't have much heat at all. He liked it, but would have enjoyed it much more if it were spicier. The durban chicken was the clear winner here!

As we sat watching the animals outside, and contemplating dessert, something struck me...

Me: "Crap, we have that dessert party tonight."
DH: "Well that means no dessert then."
Me: "Yup."
Ivelisse: "Can I get you two any dessert?"
DH: "RICE PUDDING!"
Me: "THREE CHAI CREAMS!"

That's pretty much how it went down! We made a pact not to have dessert and then seconds later blurted out our orders to her without even looking at a dessert menu. Ah well, special occasion and all! Who cares if we were just two hours away from a pre-paid dessert buffet, we don't turn down dessert at Sanaa!

And so, the feast continues...

Dessert Sampler with no kulfi and no worthless chocolate cake, just three delicious cups of chai cream!

What can I say? I love this. I love the flavors and texture and everything about it. But by the third mini cup that butter chicken was catching up to me and I was loving the chai cream just slightly less and less.

Warm rice pudding -served with mango, pistachio tuile, and cinnamon cream.

Forgot to take a picture after he removed the tuile and poured the sauce on, but I can assure you it looked lovely. This was right up his alley, he's nuts for pistachios (thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week) and he loves rice pudding, but it's not something he has often. I have to say, I'm very, very much NOT a rice pudding or tapioca fan but he gave me a little bite of this with the cinnamon cream on it and it was actually pretty tasty. He cleaned his bowl!

Our bill for the meal, this over-the-top, HUGE meal, was $92 WITH tip (and TIW discount). For the service, atmosphere, and quality of the food, in our mind it just can't be beat, at least in Disney World. This made up for our previous night's meal, without question!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

You probably know how I feel about Sanaa (it's similar to how you feel about Narcoossee's right now ). That said, I'd really like to try it for dinner sometime, primarily for those mustard-seed crusted scallops (they've been on my 'list' for over 3 years!) and the lamb vindaloo (I'd probably ask them to "spice it up", since I agree with your DH that vindaloo should be spicy). Also, Sanaa's desserts are quite fabulous - you gotta love those fantastic spices that they use in the chai cream (cardamom, clove, mmmm ).

So in conclusion, I'd be willing to return, since I love Indian food too much to give up on Sanaa.

 

[BlovesC]

You probably know how I feel about Sanaa (it's similar to how you feel about Narcoossee's right now ). That said, I'd really like to try it for dinner sometime, primarily for those mustard-seed crusted scallops (they've been on my 'list' for over 3 years!) and the lamb vindaloo (I'd probably ask them to "spice it up", since I agree with your DH that vindaloo should be spicy). Also, Sanaa's desserts are quite fabulous - you gotta love those fantastic spices that they use in the chai cream (cardamom, clove, mmmm ).

So in conclusion, I'd be willing to return, since I love Indian food too much to give up on Sanaa.

OH! I totally thought those scallops were new because I didn't remember seeing them...I guess they were just on the dinner menu only and the last time we ate there was at lunch! We're so easily surprised!

And hey no one would blame you if you gave up on Sanaa! You are not required to love every restaurant in Disney, I keep telling you that! And really, things you eat all the time at home are so much less fun to have at Disney. Half the reason we love Disney dining so much (ok, 100% of the reason, in my DH's case) is because we eat so much that we can't have at home! And there are some things that I can get at home that are much cheaper and better than they are at Disney (like seafood and sushi) so I tend to avoid them.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

OH! I totally thought those scallops were new because I didn't remember seeing them...I guess they were just on the dinner menu only and the last time we ate there was at lunch! We're so easily surprised!

And hey no one would blame you if you gave up on Sanaa! You are not required to love every restaurant in Disney, I keep telling you that! And really, things you eat all the time at home are so much less fun to have at Disney. Half the reason we love Disney dining so much (ok, 100% of the reason, in my DH's case) is because we eat so much that we can't have at home! And there are some things that I can get at home that are much cheaper and better than they are at Disney (like seafood and sushi) so I tend to avoid them.

Honestly, Sanaa seems like a Disney restaurant that I should love. It's not too expensive (for a Disney restaurant), the decor is beautiful, the menu has dishes that sound great to me (and reports frequently indicate that they're willing to spice things up), and the dessert/rooibos selections are fantastic. Even though I haven't loved Sanaa for lunch, there are a bunch of things that I still need to try before ruling it out (such as the bread service, those scallops, and the lamb at dinner).

Speaking of food at home, we recently had a disappointing dinner at our local Indian restaurant (the food overall was heavier and greasier than it's been in the past, and the service was off). So if our favorite Indian restaurant at home could disappoint us for dinner (even though we still enjoy their lunch offerings), maybe Sanaa is the reverse? With so many great options only on the dinner menu, it's only fair to give it a try!

No joke - I spoke to my mom on the phone a few minutes ago (to discus the hurricane which is about to batter both of us), and I randomly mentioned that I'm craving food from Sanaa. She was surprised, but I'm trying to sell her on it for 'next time'. After all, the bread service is meant for two.

 

[BlovesC]

I have no idea why I booked a Wishes Dessert Party on this trip. I guess because it seemed like a good 'celebration' thing to do, and maybe I was hoping they'd have wonderful seasonal offerings for my favorite holiday (they didn't!). We'd done the DP in January and it was fine, but not really something that warranted repeating.

We had just finished our wonderful dinner at Sanaa only a couple hours before our party reservation. So that didn't bode well for us! MK had EMH tonight and I knew Nicki and Todd were going to attend that. Since I had missed them at dinner I was determined to run into them at the park, and SO CONVINCED it would happen (hey, I've run into coworkers AND my brother, down from NJ, in the parks!).

The check-in process was a little messier than it had been in January. Instead of the staggered times like before, everyone got let in at the same time, a bit after 8.

Also, they've really expanded the number of reservations for the party. The back, side section that USED to hold the buffet all spread out now is half filled with tables, making getting around the buffet near impossible.

I was soooooooo full from dinner. We hit the buffet around 8:30 and saw it was the same exact offerings as before. Our plates:

DH loved the creme brulee and the cannolis. The chocolate-covered strawberries had been my favorite thing last time, so I loaded up on those. They were good, nice and plump. I don't remember anything about the tart thing, and the mango shooter was way too sweet. Which I think I said last time. I actually like the flavor of the mini cheesecake mousse thing but by the time I had a few spoonfuls I was feeling slightly ill.

With the DP, one minute everyone's sitting down, sipping their coffee and eating their desserts, when suddenly someone stands at the railing...and then it's like a stampede. There's not nearly enough railing space for all the guests (especially now!) to stand at, so essentially some of the people are paying $25 a pop to stand three-people deep and look up at Wishes. Not ideal, since the view is what it's all about (it's definitely not the food!)

I was at the railing with DH behind me and it was a lovely view. One of my shots:

It's a fun one-time experience, but it definitely is just that, a ONE-time experience. It wasn't quite as nice the second time around with the mass check-in and increased number of tables. But we still had a great view and a good time.

Unfortunately, the DP ruined me for the rest of my night. Don't try and hold me accountable for making myself sick by eating at a dessert buffet after having dessert at Sanaa! It was all the DP's fault!

I told DH I wasn't feeling so hot, and we wandered off into Tomorrowland. We boarded the Peoplemover and I literally slumped over and wanted to die. DH took a pic of us and I look like a zombie. I almost posted it here just to prove my misery but I'll spare you all the image! I wanted to just stay on the ride for an hour or so until I got my bearings, but alas, I was forced to exit.

We wound up leaving the park shortly after. I was so sad...we'd been so psyched up to stay until 1, and thanks to me wound up leaving by 9:30!

DP: 1, Me: -1

DH (who was feeling fine!) stopped on the way out and picked up a popcorn bucket. This made me happy because it was the first Halloween bucket I'd gotten this year (I kind of have a 'thing' for popcorn buckets. I have, like, 23 stored away in my kitchen and I never do anything with them, yet I always want new ones) and it made DH happy because he loves their popcorn.

It was probably a good thing I was back at the resort and into bed so early, because I needed all the time possible to recover before the next day's breakfast....

 

[nanienamou]

Just getting caught up and I must say that we were at MK on October 22nd too! And we had dinner at Sanaa later in our trip. I must say it was one of our favorites! We will go back for sure!

 

[jabead]

We had the wonderful Ivelisse as our server, and we'd had her our first time here as well! We started our meal with drinks...

I ordered a dry martini.

No, no, I'm kidding. I ordered my 'usual'!

Malawi Mango Margarita-frozen blend of Tequila, Van der Hum Tangerine Liqueur, Mango Puree and freshly squeezed Lime Juice

What can I say?! When I love something, I never get sick of it! That's worked out for DH so far just fine!

Again your humor has me chuckling as I get caught up on your reviews this morning. Love it! As for Sanaa, can't say I love it. The one time we went for lunch it was just...hohum??? With the exception of our cocktails (the mango margarita and Kande Cooler) and DD loved the Chai Cream dessert, our meal was rather disappointing. Maybe someday we will get back there again, as I feel that most every Disney restaurant is worth giving a second chance.

 

[BlovesC]

Just getting caught up and I must say that we were at MK on October 22nd too! And we had dinner at Sanaa later in our trip. I must say it was one of our favorites! We will go back for sure!

YAY that's awesome to hear!

Again your humor has me chuckling as I get caught up on your reviews this morning. Love it! As for Sanaa, can't say I love it. The one time we went for lunch it was just...hohum??? With the exception of our cocktails (the mango margarita and Kande Cooler) and DD loved the Chai Cream dessert, our meal was rather disappointing. Maybe someday we will get back there again, as I feel that most every Disney restaurant is worth giving a second chance.

Awww, I hope it's much better the next time you go. Although at least you had a great cocktail and dessert...those are the most important parts of the meal anyway, aren't they?!

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Again your humor has me chuckling as I get caught up on your reviews this morning. Love it! As for Sanaa, can't say I love it. The one time we went for lunch it was just...hohum??? With the exception of our cocktails (the mango margarita and Kande Cooler) and DD loved the Chai Cream dessert, our meal was rather disappointing. Maybe someday we will get back there again, as I feel that most every Disney restaurant is worth giving a second chance.

Yes. We deemed Sanaa our worst meal two trips ago and loved it this past August. In fact Becky's review is making me try to figure out how to get there either in November or March!

 

[Krissalee]

Thanks for your reviews - I'm looking forward to the rest.
I am having lunch at Sci Fi next week, and was considering the veggie burger, but now I am rethinking that. Hmmm. I loved your Sanaa review. I have never been, though I always have the best intentions. I did book Jiko for our last night dinner, and love it, so I would probably enjoy Sanaa too. I gotta keep it in mind for next year.

 

[BlovesC]

DH requested we eat here again and I had no problem with that! Crystal Palace is simply so much fun and has some of the best character interactions among any buffet. I love the Pooh characters, and they're always attentive and silly, even for our party of two adults. I didn't really have the intent on taking a lot of pictures here, since we have plenty from our past visits, but they're so funny they leave you with no choice!

We were seated and greeted by our server, who swore she recognized us from our 'many visits' before and had remembered waiting on us several times. We had only been twice before, but okay!

DH: "Hey! We're here on Friendship Day again! What are the odds?"

Our first plates!

This is DH's meatfest of a plate, with bacon, sausages, sausage gravy and biscuits, potatoes, potato casserole, corned beef, and...I think that's it? He liked everything except the corned beef, which he said was very dry. I think it only tasted dry because his tongue had shriveled up from all the sodium in these processed meats!

My first plate...

As I said to Barb....Pooh's Puffed French Toast=delicious gut bombs! They are so good and so incredibly bad at the same time! I love them. The eggs were cooked perfectly for my taste, nice and fluffy and dry (nothing sends me running away in terror faster than runny eggs). The pooh's potato casserole is NOT something I should have taken and I swear I remember making the same mistake last time. I think because it's close to platter with the puffed toast so my eyes are too glazed over to read correctly. I'm just not a breakfast potato fan. But otherwise, delicious plate!

DH's second plate...on the right is the breakfast lasagna. I was surprised he didn't get any on his first plate, since it's his entire reason to come here, but he swears that's a large serving in the pic, it just fell over! He loved the puffed toast, and he really liked the plain potatoes, so much that he had them twice! That and sausage.

I made this lovely bowl of yogurt and granola...

Only to take one bite and gag. It was 'honey yogurt' and usually honey yogurt is yogurt with a bit of honey. This was absolutely honey with a bit of yogurt. It was SO overwhelming and tasted just like eating a spoonful of honey. Gah! I hated to waste it but I couldn't eat it.

So I went back and tried the strawberry yogurt instead...

Much, much better!

DH unfortunately had made the same mistake as me...

He ate his fruit but couldn't stomach the yogurt and left it mostly untouched. This has to have been a bad batch...I can't imagine any yogurt being too sweet for US being considered palatable by other people.


I wasn't really in the mood to get up and pose for pictures, but like I said, the characters here WILL make you light up like a kid on Christmas no matter how serious and adult-like you try to be! Since I was seated on the outside, I got most of the abuse from them! Eeyore kissed the top of my head and then gave me a neck massage the next time he passed. Tigger was so silly I had to have DH take a picture...only DH took so long to get the camera ready that Tigger got impatient and in DH's face!

DH isn't much into characters and since he just got to sit there and watch as each character came by, when Piglet (the last in our 'rotation') stopped by I said "Oooh! Piglet! Can he take his picture with you?! You're his FAVORITE!") to which DH shot me death glares but nevertheless got up and posed for this:

Just a couple of bros.

All in all, a very fun, totally unhealthy way to start the day.

 

[MickeyNicki]

LOL at Charlie, he looks happy to hug Piglet! Todd would have shot me death glares too

CP looks awesome, have not been there in years! DH likes yogurt and ate it a few times on this trip...he said it was good with lots of fruit in it. This is a man that sucks on honey tea spoons so he likes everything very sweet

 

[BlovesC]

LOL at Charlie, he looks happy to hug Piglet! Todd would have shot me death glares too

CP looks awesome, have not been there in years! DH likes yogurt and ate it a few times on this trip...he said it was good with lots of fruit in it. This is a man that sucks on honey tea spoons so he likes everything very sweet

Whaaaat! How does a man who lives on pickles handle yogurt that's THAT sweet?! Usually you're gifted with either the salty taste buds or the sweet ones, not both! Todd really is talented.

And it's such a testament to how good the character interaction is at CP that Charlie had a big, authentic smile in that photo. Even for a character he could care less about...they're just so funny and silly!

 

[BlovesC]

We left MK in the early afternoon after one final attempt to get into FLE. It was open for CM previews only during our entire stay, which is why I had to change my report title! FLE had been so empty when we went through it the week before (we were the ONLY people anywhere on the LM ride, I don't expect THAT to happen ever again!) that they were practically begging people to come explore it, so I just sort of thought it was in a constant state of 'previews' for the month. So alas, not a single cup of LeFou's Brew was enjoyed on this trip. Eventually we'll get it again!

We spent an hour swimming in one of SSR's quiet pools (which was nice, but it's just so ODD to me to have walk across a traffic-filled road to get to a pool, I really, really dislike SSR's apartment complex feel) and then relaxed in the room. DH got a little too much sun and was sleepy from the pool, so I went and picked up lunch for us at Artist's Palette.

I had been forced to stay at SSR back in 2008 for ten days during a family trip, and I wound up having probably 6 or 7 turkey sandwiches from AP during that time. Lo and behold I was shocked to see it still on the menu this day!

Smoked Turkey & Brie Sandwich - Sliced smoked turkey, brie cheese, fresh arugula with a Chambord-cranberry mayo.

I didn't think it was possible for ANY CS food at Disney to remain the same for four years, but this definitely was! And I really love it. The bread is nice and crusty, the brie is gooey and generous, and the slightly sweet mayo goes great with the smokey turkey. This sandwich may be the one thing I like about SSR!

For DH, I'd picked out...

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

Sorry, even after all this time he's still not very good at 'staging' pics for dining reviews! I'm not sure what exactly was in this sandwich, but DH likes anything with buffalo chicken in the name so I figured it was a safe bet. He wasn't particularly wowed by it and in his sleepy state I couldn't get many comments from him but he really enjoyed the house-made chips. I'd also picked him up another pickle, because I'm nice like that. And he loved that!

 

[Tracerr00]

I love the picture of your DH and Piglet!! Sorry about the Narcoossee's dinner, it's such a bummer to expect something great and it's just meh. And I had to laugh at ****ake mushrooms being banned on the DIS in that post! But Sanaa looked fantastic to make up for that. I've seen a few great reviews lately and it's slowly inching its way up on my list!

Awesome reviews!

 

[BlovesC]

I love the picture of your DH and Piglet!! Sorry about the Narcoossee's dinner, it's such a bummer to expect something great and it's just meh. And I had to laugh at ****ake mushrooms being banned on the DIS in that post! But Sanaa looked fantastic to make up for that. I've seen a few great reviews lately and it's slowly inching its way up on my list!

Oh that cracked me up too! I never considered ****ake mushrooms to be naughty! I hope you do get to Sanaa someday and have a great meal! I know how it can be with lists...there's always so many new ones to try, yet at the same time you want to go back to your favorites over and over, it's such a delicious dilemma to have!

Yes. We deemed Sanaa our worst meal two trips ago and loved it this past August. In fact Becky's review is making me try to figure out how to get there either in November or March!

WOOHOO! That's great to hear that you had a better experience the second time around. I too believe in second chances! My first meal ever at Yak & Yeti wasn't great...but five rounds later it's now one of my faves!

Thanks for your reviews - I'm looking forward to the rest.
I am having lunch at Sci Fi next week, and was considering the veggie burger, but now I am rethinking that. Hmmm. I loved your Sanaa review. I have never been, though I always have the best intentions. I did book Jiko for our last night dinner, and love it, so I would probably enjoy Sanaa too. I gotta keep it in mind for next year.

The veggie burger wasn't bad at all! It just wasn't how I particularly enjoy mine (spicy spicy!) and it badly needed sauce. BUT you could always ask them to add a sauce from any of their other sandwiches. And you and Sanaa sounds like me and Jiko. I have GOT to bite the bullet on that one and soon!!

 

[BlovesC]

This was our first time at Via Napoli and one of the reservations I'd been most looking forward to, after seeing so many drool-worthy photos in reviews!

The restaurant is truly beautiful, as to be expected, another great aspect of the WS restaurants!

Obligatory oven shot!

We were seated at a two-top near the communal table. I'd read some reports where folks mentioned their fears about being seated there, but I wouldn't mind it at all. It's HUGE and they had plenty of separation between parties.

We were greeted by our waitress, Sara, who could not have BEEN more lovely all night. She was incredibly sweet and patient, and talked to us about dealing with the heat in Florida when she first arrived!

DH ordered one of their beers, the Moretti:

He's not much of a beer drinker until we get to the WS. He thought this was really, really good. It tasted like battery acid to me, like all beers do, but I will say it looked, uh, pretty and dark?

I really wanted to try one of the Aqua Frescas:

Signature House-made Seasonal Fruit Coolers: Strawberry

This was really tasty and refreshing, with big chunks of fresh strawberries, but it was VERY sweet. Next time I'd love to try the blood orange one, which would probably be better before a meal!

I asked DH repeatedly if we could split one of the individual pies. I know from all the photos on this board that they are VERY large for one person, and I knew that I absolutely HAD to try dessert here so we had to leave room! But DH and I couldn't agree on a pie, so that destroyed that idea!

My order was a no-brainer for me:

Carciofi - white pizza, artichoke, fontina, mozzarella, truffle oil

Holy arteriosclerosis, was this delicious! The crust was cooked perfectly, the truffle oil was subtle but amazingly rich, it was so, so, so ridiculously hot and cheesy and just WOW, wow, wow. Since I moved to FL, I almost never eat pizza, there's simply no point to it down here. But growing up in NJ, we had fantastic pizza, and I was always partial to white pies. So maybe since it had just been so long, my taste buds were easily impressed. But I kept mumbling "best pizza ever!!" between bites to DH!

DH chose...

Piccante - Italian spicy sausage

I was jealous that they cut his into more slices, which made for easier eating. But other than that I thought his choice was so boring and I didn't bother asking for a bite to taste when I had heavenly truffley goodness on my end of the table! I was paying so much attention to my own food that I didn't quite catch his reaction to the pizza, but I'm sure it contained much less hyperbole than my own. He assures me he loved it though!

We each ate half of our pizzas and relaxed a bit before contemplating dessert. Sara looked us both up ad down and seemed a bit worried that we'd stopped eating but we told her we just wanted to save room for dessert. In the meantime we boxed up our leftovers. VN seems to have a pretty good system down for this, as they give you a large box AND a bag.

I didn't really need to look at a dessert menu, as I knew I had to try the infamous....

Zeppole di Ricotta - Ricotta cheese fritters, served with whipped cream and chocolate sauce

These little fluffy fried balls of sweetness were tasty, BUT to be honest I didn't really LOVE them. The chocolate sauce was very sweet and I expected a more bitter dark chocolate. The whipped cream was delicious, but there wasn't much of it, and it was so stiff and dry. I think swapping out the chocolate for a fresh fruit glaze would have broken up the dryness of the dessert and made them truly delicious. Although I think if I ordered them after, say, a chicken breast meal, they'd be fantastic! They were just too heavy after such heavy pizza.

DH ordered much more wisely:

Pistachio Gelato

Now THIS was a perfect compliment to our pizza! I'm not even huge on pistachio and I kept stealing bites. Cold, creamy, great strong flavor and perfect texture. Delicious!

After we finished our desserts, Sara disappeared for a moment, and I grew suspicious...and sure enough, a few minutes later...

We were being sung a Happy Anniversary song! If there's one thing I've learned from Tutto Italia and now Via Napoli, it's that special celebrations in the Italian pavilion are exceptionally loud. It definitely made us smile though! Sara is on the right...I wish my picture hadn't come out so blurry!

And a sweet little anniversary dessert:

It was a soft buttery cake/cookie, almost like a madeleine, or the Italian equivalent anyway, under a heavy dose of whipped cream and chocolate.

Service here was amazing. Sara was wonderful, but so was everyone else as well. A dirty plate never lingered on our table, and everyone who refilled our glasses (frequently!) or delivered a plate was incredibly friendly and courteous. I will say that the CMs who work here buzz around back and forth at ridiculous speeds...our little table being right next to a main pathway the CMs took turned into a comedy of errors for us...I extended my arm while speaking to DH and wound up sliding it right between two dirty pizza plates (try THAT twice!) that a busboy was running to the kitchen, then DH went to stand up and forced a server behind him to spin around and avoid clonking him in the head with a pan. Definitely a lively atmosphere!

We had a late night back at the resort, since it was our last one, and after packing back up we decided to dig into our pizza leftovers:

Congealed, cold cheese is NOT a pretty sight! At least one perk of the SSR villa was that we had a full-sized oven to reheat our pizza in, the ONLY proper way to do it! ...of course, we didn't really THINK of that until we'd already nuked the pizza!

We will definitely visit VN again!