Cheshire Figment
<font color=red><marquee behavior=alternate>Friend
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2001
- Messages
- 38,638
It was the worst of times, it was the best of times...
I was one of the very last Guests to leave Alfredo's when it was closed down on Friday night. I was with several friends, including two who had flown in from Chicago to say goodbye.
Alfredo's has been my "local mom and pop Italian restaurant" for several years. It definitely was not a chain restaurant, and did not act like one. I had first met Richard (the General Manager) there several years ago, and he, as well as some of the other managers, got to know me as a regular customer. I could always get seated within ten minutes, as long as I was not with more than four people. This was even if I did not have a reservation and they were booked solid. It helps to be known as a good customer and a good tipper.
Richard had been thinking, when he was told of the closing, to actually close after lunch on the 31st and having a "farewell party" for the staff. However, when he got to work the morning after the public announcement was made he found that there were reservations for about 1,200 seats for dinner on the 31st, with most of them having been made in the prior 24 hours.
Our reservation was for 9:30, just after IllumiNations would have ended. Luckily for us we had stopped by at about 3:00 and Richard told us that he had been told by Disney that they were actually going to start tearing things out at 10:00, so phone calls were made and we were able to be there at 8:30.
When we got there you would have thought that Italy had just won the World Cup and were celebrating. It seemed that almost the entire staff, including the cooks, were in the Dining Room and they were very spiritedly singing the Italian National Anthem and waving Italian Flags. Lots of pictures were being taken, both by guests and staff.
Service was a bit spotty, but with all the partying going on that was to be expected. They had run out of some of the appetizers, some of the entrees (but not fettucini) and even some desserts. Also no frozen drinks were available. However, the food which was available was excellent, as usual.
Around 9:30 the trumpeter started playing Taps. The managers were all around, and visiting with the Guests. We found that our friends from Chicago were not the only people who had flown in for this night, there was a couple at the next table who had flown down from New York for one last meal there and we met others who had come into Orlando just for the last day.
A little before 10:00 we went out into the Lobby to get a last photo taken. At that time many of the portraits from the wall were gone. Richard removed the portrait of Alfredo with Orson Welles and gave it to me as a souvenier, it will maintain a place of honor in my house. I noticed that the giant Canoli was gone, hopefully it has found a good home and will not end up on eBay. Also there were stacks of menus and wine lists for people to take home with them.
Before leaving and while we were having desserts, our waitress told me that she could not put any ice in my iced tea as the ice machine had been turned off and was, even as she spoke, being disconnected.
We finally left a little after 10:00. At that time there were a lot of Disney workmen already in the restaurant starting to remove the lobby furniture and fixtures, so they were not kidding when they had said they would start disassembly at 10:00.
Obviously I am unhappy that this branch of one of the top Italian Restaurants in the world is being replaced by a chain restaurant from California. But in a way I was glad that I was able to be there to celebrate their last meal.
I was one of the very last Guests to leave Alfredo's when it was closed down on Friday night. I was with several friends, including two who had flown in from Chicago to say goodbye.
Alfredo's has been my "local mom and pop Italian restaurant" for several years. It definitely was not a chain restaurant, and did not act like one. I had first met Richard (the General Manager) there several years ago, and he, as well as some of the other managers, got to know me as a regular customer. I could always get seated within ten minutes, as long as I was not with more than four people. This was even if I did not have a reservation and they were booked solid. It helps to be known as a good customer and a good tipper.
Richard had been thinking, when he was told of the closing, to actually close after lunch on the 31st and having a "farewell party" for the staff. However, when he got to work the morning after the public announcement was made he found that there were reservations for about 1,200 seats for dinner on the 31st, with most of them having been made in the prior 24 hours.
Our reservation was for 9:30, just after IllumiNations would have ended. Luckily for us we had stopped by at about 3:00 and Richard told us that he had been told by Disney that they were actually going to start tearing things out at 10:00, so phone calls were made and we were able to be there at 8:30.
When we got there you would have thought that Italy had just won the World Cup and were celebrating. It seemed that almost the entire staff, including the cooks, were in the Dining Room and they were very spiritedly singing the Italian National Anthem and waving Italian Flags. Lots of pictures were being taken, both by guests and staff.
Service was a bit spotty, but with all the partying going on that was to be expected. They had run out of some of the appetizers, some of the entrees (but not fettucini) and even some desserts. Also no frozen drinks were available. However, the food which was available was excellent, as usual.
Around 9:30 the trumpeter started playing Taps. The managers were all around, and visiting with the Guests. We found that our friends from Chicago were not the only people who had flown in for this night, there was a couple at the next table who had flown down from New York for one last meal there and we met others who had come into Orlando just for the last day.
A little before 10:00 we went out into the Lobby to get a last photo taken. At that time many of the portraits from the wall were gone. Richard removed the portrait of Alfredo with Orson Welles and gave it to me as a souvenier, it will maintain a place of honor in my house. I noticed that the giant Canoli was gone, hopefully it has found a good home and will not end up on eBay. Also there were stacks of menus and wine lists for people to take home with them.
Before leaving and while we were having desserts, our waitress told me that she could not put any ice in my iced tea as the ice machine had been turned off and was, even as she spoke, being disconnected.
We finally left a little after 10:00. At that time there were a lot of Disney workmen already in the restaurant starting to remove the lobby furniture and fixtures, so they were not kidding when they had said they would start disassembly at 10:00.
Obviously I am unhappy that this branch of one of the top Italian Restaurants in the world is being replaced by a chain restaurant from California. But in a way I was glad that I was able to be there to celebrate their last meal.
.
I was so sad when I heard Alfredo's was closing. DF and I ate there on the Aug. 29, so we were able to say goodbye. The food was always wonderful and the service was great. 
