Tutto Italia for "Italian food snobs"?

[bangzoom6877]

DH and I are very picky about Italian food. We are from Brooklyn, NY and only eat at specific places, even in Little Italy in NYC, plus I have been to Italy before. Also, I cook VERY good Italian food (that's what people tell me ).

How is the food at Tutto Italia for people who are so picky about Italian food? Think we would like it or be disappointed? Is the food overly salty? On a cruiseship once, we made the mistake of eating in the Italian restaurant (back in 2002), and the food just tasted like salt. We vowed never to eat Italian on vacation again except if we were to go to Italy. However, Italy in Epcot is not off limits if it is truly authentic!!

 

[DeblovesPoohbear]

I am Italian and am also very picky about my Italian food
That said, we LOVED Tutto when we went~ Loved it
I think you'll be pleasantly surprised

 

[bangzoom6877]

I am Italian and am also very picky about my Italian food
That said, we LOVED Tutto when we went~ Loved it
I think you'll be plesantly surprised

Great! What did you have there?

It really would be great to be able to go on vacation and enjoy some good authentic Italian food!

 

[DeblovesPoohbear]

Great! What did you have there?

It really would be great to be able to go on vacation and enjoy some good authentic Italian food!

I know what you mean, we live right outside of Philly and have some great
Italian places around.

When we went to Tutto, we had the dining plan, so we ate and ate
We had the antipasto to start, it was sooooo good, especially the olives
I had the Penne Caprese and DH had the Lasanga, both loved our meals
Our boys ea had the spaghetti
and we had cannolis for dessert. The atmosphere is really nice too, the have the guys and girls from Italy working there, my DS7 asked for some sprinkled parm cheese and the one girl said he could have it, for a kiss on the cheek
He was so embarassed, but it was cute

The whole meal came to like $180.00
but with the dining plan, I think we only owed about $15.00 for wine

Have Fun!

 

[MickeyNicki]

We ate there last April and loved it, so much that we are going back next week.

I am Italian, my family cooks the best Italian and I grew up in Little Italy on the North End of Boston so I knows me some good Italian and Tutto is nothing like what I am used to but it is amazing anyways. I really enjoyed our dinner there and I cannot wait to go back!

 

[Desnik]

I am Italian too, grew up in the Bronx and am very picky about my Italian food. I also only have 1 restaurant I like in Little Italy in NYC. Anyway, I loved Tutto Italia. The fresh mozzarella, home made pasta are so delicious. You can tell that it is all fresh and home made. All the waiters are from Italy and the place is really nice inside. We have been there 3 times and the food has been perfect and the service fantastic!

FYI, if you ever went to the North End in Boston you would think you died and went to heaven! I swear every restaurant there is fantastic Italian food!!!

 

[MickeyNicki]

Here is the link to my pics of Tutto

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=27446861&postcount=3

 

[Lynn5700]

We love it there...the food is very good... I have a review in my dining review in my siggy.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

Italian here myself and also very picky about my Italian food.. based on what I read here, I might make reservations for this....

 

[FormrCastMbr]

Italian by marriage here (and finally perfected my sauce/gravy ) and also grew up right outside of NYC...we are trying Tutto for the first time in a few weeks so I am glad to hear the great reviews here...

When I moved to Western Jersey, it was very hard to find a good place to eat...

We are very much looking forward to Tutto Italia!

 

[webray]

We have been to Tutto with Italians and we all loved it!

There is also Il Mulino over at the Swan. Excellent as well.

 

[Gixer]

This thread has just helped me make up my mind, I am definatley going to book us into Tutto on our next trip!

 

[Lesleyluvsdisney]

I'm not Italian but do love the food!! We were there last week and food was great!!

We had Entrees and desserts,I had 2 glasses of wine

I has sachetti, it was stuffed with pumpkin, didnt really like the taste, would have preferred cheese! DH had Petto di Pollo.

xxx

 

[mom2aredhead]

If you had asked me this when we went in December 2007, I would have said yes, absolutely loved it.
But when we went back in May, the menu had changed and we didn't love it. It was fine, better than a lot of other Italian restaurants, but not WOW.

Here is my review from May

TUTTO ITALIA
Once again, I was hit with a menu change I wasn’t expecting. We had been to Tutto Italia in December and had a fabulous meal. Gone were the appetizers we both loved (mussels and spicy meatballs), replaced by, of all things, fried calamari and tomato and mozzarella salad. Gone was the pork shank that was so tender it fell off the bone. So all of the raving I’ve been doing since eating there in December, telling people that it’s not “American Italian” food, and it’s stuff you can’t get at Mama Melrose…well that went out the window. We ordered our appetizers – I had Eggplant Caponata - kind of a chilled marinated eggplant salad with olives, pine nuts and raisins. My husband, (much to my dismay) ordered the calamari. For dinner, he had a pork chop, served with broccoli rabe and polenta, and I had “Sacchetti” – which were similar to Tortellini in a red pepper tomato sauce. For dessert I had a chocolate hazelnut torte and my husband had “profiteroles” (yes I looked that up on my receipt). These are kind of like cream puffs, drizzled with warm chocolate sauce. Really good. My son had…plain pasta, tomato sauce on the side, and vanilla ice cream. (You’re shocked, I know)
Now don’t get me wrong, it was still good, but I was definitely disappointed in the menu changes. I think we’ll be trying a new World Showcase restaurant next time.

And here's a link to the current menu...
http://allears.net/menu/menu_itd.htm

The appetizers alone are a big YAWN for me. Cesar salad, fried calamari and minestrone are not exactly what I would call "inventive".
Our server "officially" told us that the menu changes seasonally. "Unofficially" they said they had to add some things that were more universally appealing. I guess too many people were coming in looking for fried calamari and chickem parm and didn't appreciate spicy mussels and Osso Buco.

 

[goofygal531]

We're also Italian from NYC, my husband grew up in Italy and his family has own restaurants in Italy and Florida. That said, you are not going to get "authentic" Italian food in a theme park. Years ago, Palio's in the Swan was my DH's favorite restaurant, really good Italian food. It's since changed to Il Mulino and has been getting mixed reviews, we haven't been there yet.

He hated Mama Melrose back in 2000 (we might try it again) and we're going to try Tutto Italia this Nov trip (he's referred to Mama Melrose as "Olive Garden" cuisine, yet we've never dined at the Olive Garden! I have heard that Mama Melrose has good soup, flatbreads and sangria. So a light lunch might be enjoyable there.

I once received very good advice from a fellow Italian NY DISer: when dining in WDW Italian restaurants keep it simple to appetizers, soups, salads, flatbreads etc... Don't go an order a chicken marsala and expect the same dish we have in NYC. If you expect less, you might be surprised and have a good meal.

PS: I LOVE the pizza at Spumoni Gardens!

 

[condorthb]

Ate there on 10/10. It was great, and a heck of a deal if you are on the DDP.

 

[MarieA]

We're Italian and also from NYC and are very picky when it comes to Italian restaurants. MY DS (21) and DD (24) ate at Tutto Italia along with their friends. They said it was just okay and wouldn't go back. So far the only Italian restaurant we've ever enjoyed at WDW was Flaglers and it closed many years ago. We try to stay away from Italian restaurants at WDW.

 

[goofygal531]

We're Italian and also from NYC and are very picky when it comes to Italian restaurants. We try to stay away from Italian restaurants at WDW.

We have avoided all their Italian restaurants for many years now. We're only trying Tutto Italia because we're on the DxDDP this time.

Funny thing, I can't even get an ADR for Mama Melrose this trip!! I'm guessing that's a good thing!

 

[MarieA]

We have avoided all their Italian restaurants for many years now. We're only trying Tutto Italia because we're on the DxDDP this time.

Funny thing, I can't even get an ADR for Mama Melrose this trip!! I'm guessing that's a good thing!

I think that it's very fortunate you can't get an ADR at Mama Melrose!

My family tried Mama Melrose once based on a friend's recommendation and we thought it wasn't good. We haven't been back since.

 

[ROEDISNEY]

DH and I are very picky about Italian food. We are from Brooklyn, NY and only eat at specific places, even in Little Italy in NYC, plus I have been to Italy before. Also, I cook VERY good Italian food (that's what people tell me ).

How is the food at Tutto Italia for people who are so picky about Italian food? Think we would like it or be disappointed? Is the food overly salty? On a cruiseship once, we made the mistake of eating in the Italian restaurant (back in 2002), and the food just tasted like salt. We vowed never to eat Italian on vacation again except if we were to go to Italy. However, Italy in Epcot is not off limits if it is truly authentic!!

Being from a similar background Italian from So. Philly and cook Italian 24/7 we to love Tutto there gravy was not commerical .
I hate that! We really enjoyed are meal.