Underrated/Overrated: Restaurants Edition

[TheMaxRebo]

Overrated: Be Our Guest…we've been here for lunch once and dinner 3 times. The service is super rushed, and I have never had such SALTY food in my life. Makes me wonder what they are trying to cover up with all the salt! If we go again, I'll stick to dessert

Last trip we finally got a BOG dinner ADR and I thought it was quite good - not amazing but good. We did have a good server which I think helped (read reports of not so great servers). I do agree with you about the salt level. We generally like things salty and often add salt but I definitely did not have to with my meal there

 

[cschaaf]

Maybe it was just an off day. Maybe they took it out too soon. But pizza shouldn't be soggy. You shouldn't have to roll it up to eat it. And the toppings should stay attached when you pick it up, not drop right off.

Not to be pedantic...

If they are going for true Neapolitan style, that pizza does come out 'soggy' and 'soupy' in the middle. They don't reference VPN (Verace Pizza Napoletana) on their site, but I'm guessing that's because they aren't worried about the certification. But it does say "Authentic Neapolitan Style" and that the chef studied at Da Michele and Trianon. Trianon isn't known as a very soupy pizza, but Da Michele is (skip to 1:50 to see the pizza goodness).

Most Neapolitan style is not sliced and meant to be eaten with a fork and knife or torn into small pieces due to the soupy center. Serious Eats has a nice write-up: http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2011/08/what-to-expect-at-a-neapolitan-pizzeria.html

That all said, the (tiny) picture shown on the Via Naopli site doesn't look soggy at all . It looks more like what is commonly called "NY Neapolitan" or "Neapolitan American". That type of pizza would be what I, and most people walking into that restaurant, would expect. Not the soupy Neapolitan style - which happens to be my favorite style of pizza. I NEED to make it to Da Michele at some point!

ETA: It looks like the chef, Nick Valenti, is VPN certified: http://www.pizzanapoletana.org/showassoc_eng.php?id=292

 

[disneysteve]

Not to be pedantic...

If they are going for true Neapolitan style, that pizza does come out 'soggy' and 'soupy' in the middle. They don't reference VPN (Verace Pizza Napoletana) on their site, but I'm guessing that's because they aren't worried about the certification. But it does say "Authentic Neapolitan Style" and that the chef studied at Da Michele and Trianon. Trianon isn't known as a very soupy pizza, but Da Michele is.

That's really interesting and the first I've heard that so thank you. If that's what they're going for, then they're achieving it spot on. And remind me to never order pizza in Italy if that's the case. It was not to our liking at all.

 

[cschaaf]

That's really interesting and the first I've heard that so thank you. If that's what they're going for, then they're achieving it spot on. And remind me to never order pizza in Italy if that's the case. It was not to our liking at all.

Yeah, it's definitely different than what we are sued to here and 'feels' like it was under cooked and it a turn off to a lot of people. That's why you don't see many places serving that style - which just makes it harder for people to learn about.

Via Napoli is the only VPN certified place in Florida and there are only 87 nationwide.

It's not a requirement that the pizza be soggy in the middle, so you will find varying degrees of that at both VPN Certified and non-certified "Neapolitan Style" places in the states. I've never been, but I've read that the same is true in Italy. So don't cross that off of your list yet.

ETA: If Via Napoli's intention is to deliver the traditional soggy Neapolitan style, they should say that on the site and in the menu (maybe they do, I haven't been there). I've been to a handful of VPN places in the states and every one had a warning that the pizza would be 'wetter' than what is typical here in the states. Even when a few of them weren't very wet at all.

They would be better off preparing their customers up front, IMO.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Overrated....Sci Fi dine in theater by a MILE....sitting in a car staring at someones back watching cheesy movie advertisements on a loop seems more like a sentence for committing a crime then it does a great dining experience

Ok so I kinda thought I was a bit crazy for thinking the way they had the cars set up was not really great. I love love love the idea and think it would be cool but I wish the orientation was changed so that you felt like you could talk with those in your party and weren't potentially staring at the back of someone's head. Of course that may mean you don't have as much room inside the place to seat people if they made it so each car was only for one party. I had heard the food and experience was well-liked by most but had to nixed the place really based on not wanting to be limited to sitting the way they have you sitting. I think, but not sure, that there are tables in the back..maybe I'm thinking wrong but still that wouldn't give me quite the ambience as sitting in the cars.

Underrated: La Hacienda de San Angel. San Angel Inn probably gets more attention because of the great atmosphere, but La Hacienda has better food IMO, and catching Illuminations there is a sight to behold.

I really wanted to try San Angel due to the ambience. It looks so awesome but I did see that as far as food and value for money spent more points seem to go to La Hacienda and I did mark down that it is a place to watch Illuminations.

No flack here.

We had dinner there 2 years ago. I am very happy that we went. I enjoyed getting to see the inside of the place. But I would never do it again. You are paying a big premium for the location. The food was okay. The service was okay. It just wasn't worth the price.

Yeah I love the idea of being inside the castle but for my family I feel our money would be better spent elsewhere. It's also one less big ticket ADR place I have to worry about.

For me what makes 50's prime time worth it is the atmosphere, and it never feels like you are losing your shirt like you do at other in-park places

I kept this on my list because I felt my in-laws might appreciate the place. I enjoy retro myself but they were born closer to that time period (mid-50s is when they were born) and thought it might be a good trip down memory lane at least somewhat. I have seen that most seem to say the portion size is quite large so if we do end up going there I believe my husband and I could share a plate and the in-laws may choose to do that too (I do believe they allow sharing right? Wonder if there is a charge for that at 50s Prime Time Diner?)

___
ETA: I've not been able to experience much of Disney's places to eat. Focused on the past at the Quick Service places but want to try more places for our Sep 2017 trip so this thread is really great for me

 

[Meandnevaeh]

Not to be pedantic...

If they are going for true Neapolitan style, that pizza does come out 'soggy' and 'soupy' in the middle. They don't reference VPN (Verace Pizza Napoletana) on their site, but I'm guessing that's because they aren't worried about the certification. But it does say "Authentic Neapolitan Style" and that the chef studied at Da Michele and Trianon. Trianon isn't known as a very soupy pizza, but Da Michele is (skip to 1:50 to see the pizza goodness).

Most Neapolitan style is not sliced and meant to be eaten with a fork and knife or torn into small pieces due to the soupy center. Serious Eats has a nice write-up: http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2011/08/what-to-expect-at-a-neapolitan-pizzeria.html

That all said, the (tiny) picture shown on the Via Naopli site doesn't look soggy at all . It looks more like what is commonly called "NY Neapolitan" or "Neapolitan American". That type of pizza would be what I, and most people walking into that restaurant, would expect. Not the soupy Neapolitan style - which happens to be my favorite style of pizza. I NEED to make it to Da Michele at some point!

ETA: It looks like the chef, Nick Valenti, is VPN certified: http://www.pizzanapoletana.org/showassoc_eng.php?id=292

I was going to say that I like it when everything falls off my pizza and it has to be eaten with a fork, soggy and everything-my favorite.

 

[bitbonkers]

Underrated: Tokyo Dining, barely seems to get a mention.
Overrated: the Tusker House character breakfast , it seems to be consistently raved about but we've found it to be 'consistently' rushed and the worst character interaction out of all of them. (It is very pretty inside and convenient for a day at AK obviously, but I could not rave about this place).