Via Napoli : A VERY un-Disney moment

[Priorityonecb]

I agree on both counts. Just removing the melon shouldn't have been a big deal, and during soft opening one should understand there will be some limitations to special orders.

That said, we have a reservation for late September and we do plan to ask for a substitution/create your own if you will. If I continue to read reviews after soft opening and find that they are not allowing any substitutions we will cancel our reservation. No harm done, no animosity. We just want what we want and if they can't offer it we'll go to a different place to eat. No biggie. Btw...we like just plain mushroom so our request is not crazy.

 

[NonScents]

I think the real issue here, is who the heck came up with the bright idea of putting melon on a pizza in the first place?
Did they run out of good ideas for toppings?
Seriously!

 

[TaylorsDad]

Sorry, but I am probably in the minority in that I can understand their unwillingness to accomodate special requests during the soft opening. They were probably still in the process of training the staff in proper preparation of the menu items and if they did start making alterations it could perhaps be confusing to those just learning the routine. I know the ops request wasnt that big but if they started making various alterations during this time it could throw off those just learning how to cook the various dishes.
This seems likely to just be the policy while the restraunt is in soft opening mode or new.Now, hopefully this practice will change once the restraunt has been open a little while longer and the cooks are more familiar with the procedures.

 

[Luv2Roam]

To not leave one topping off is ridiculous.
Guess I would have lied (for counter-stubbornness) and said I was allergic to melon.

 

[CarnotaurDad]

I could understand the soft-opening bit IF it was something demanding. Substituting pepperoni with prosciutto OR just taking the melon off seems to me to not be demanding at all. Plus, the restaurant wasn't even crowded.

That said, it takes more than that to get me down at Disney. We left and had a great QS in Germany we wouldn't have otherwise had during our trip. And, I have no problem trying Via Napoli later after the soft opening and give them another shot.

Just thought others would like to know what happened. Cheers!

 

[mousermerf]

I agree that this is entirely asinine and if the management of this restaurant thinks they're going to pull this in Epcot of all places they're in for a world of hurt.

 

[pooch]

I'm ABSOLUTELY NOT justifying this, as I think it's asinine; however, I have an idea where the chef/restaurant was coming from.

My brother owns his own restaurant (Italian, but that's probably not imperative to the story). I was discussing the restaurant with his daughter, my (grown) niece and we were talking about individual requests. She was telling me that her dad flies into a rage in the kitchen every time someone requests to change an entree because - according to him - two things: First, it throws him off for any other orders going out at that time. When he has to make changes for one dish, it puts him "at risk" of forgetting something important in another order. When this happens, it takes him longer to get orders out because he has to double check the other orders to be sure he didn't mess something up with theirs.

The second reason has to do with that artistry of the chef's creation. When he makes changes and switches to the entree, it changes the whole entree and he can't guarantee the quality of what he's putting out.

Now, with that in mind, I'm still going to ask them to hold the butter on my veggies and omit the mushrooms. But I just thought I'd pass along some insight from a diva chef.

Throws him off? Artistry? So when I ask to hold the Bleu Cheese I'm taking the risk of ruining all the dinners sent out of the kitchen? Wow, that's some tunnelvision! Sorry but I don't know any chef ( and, yes, I know many) who would agree with this!!

Hold the melon, get over it.

 

[cymbaldiva]

Throws him off? Artistry? So when I ask to hold the Bleu Cheese I'm taking the risk of ruining all the dinners sent out of the kitchen? Wow, that's some tunnelvision! Sorry but I don't know any chef ( and, yes, I know many) who would agree with this!!

Hold the melon, get over it.

Ummmm, perhaps if you reread the middle section of what you've just quoted you'll see you've been a bit harsh - reads to me like she was just giving another perspective, not disagreeing with the original poster.

Just my .02...

 

[Euphoria027]

... No kidding. Yeesh.

 

[bluejasmine]

I know melon and prosuito (sp?) is a common appetizer in Italy but the two together on a pizza with tomato sauce sounds horrible! LOL

I would understand if OP had asked to add something but how hard would it really to be to leave OFF something.. I understand its a soft opening but one of the most important things about being in the restaurant business is you keep your customers happy, without them you WONT be in business!

Now that being said.. Ill just be ordering the pepporoni pizza! LOL

 

[Luv2Roam]

Or maybe a sign out front --

You will have your food our way only. No exceptions. No substitutions. Have a magical day.

 

[ems_mom]

I'm no pizza expert, but what about just ordering the melon and prosciutto pizza, and removing the melon yourself? You know, like when DD has to scrape off the mushrooms and I have to remove the onions so DH gets his "perfect" pizza. Would this be possible or just ruin the pizza for you?

 

[pooch]

Ummmm, perhaps if you reread the middle section of what you've just quoted you'll see you've been a bit harsh - reads to me like she was just giving another perspective, not disagreeing with the original poster.

Just my .02...

and I still don't know any decent Chef that would be thrown off his game by a request that some ingredient be left off a dish!

 

[ickeynickey]

Or maybe a sign out front --

You will have your food our way only. No exceptions. No substitutions. Have a magical day.

Maybe the owners of Via Napoli are going for a full authentic Italian atmosphere. Italian being Italy. This is the Italian pavillion, is it not. In most restaurants in Italy, what is on the menu is what is on the menu. No substitutes. It is what the chef creates and anything different is not what he envisioned to serve. It is an art. People go to a certain restaurant for what their favorite chef will create, not to change the menu. You will not find a pizzeria with a menu with a list of toppings for you to choose. That is not the way here. A meal is not fast food, it is be savored and enjoyed. Enjoy trying what their chefs will create, even if it is out of your confort realm. You may just like it.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Maybe the owners of Via Napoli are going for a full authentic Italian atmosphere. Italian being Italy. This is the Italian pavillion, is it not. In most restaurants in Italy, what is on the menu is what is on the menu. No substitutes. It is what the chef creates and anything different is not what he envisioned to serve. It is an art. People go to a certain restaurant for what their favorite chef will create, not to change the menu. You will not find a pizzeria with a menu with a list of toppings for you to choose. That is not the way here. A meal is not fast food, it is be savored and enjoyed. Enjoy trying what their chefs will create, even if it is out of your confort realm. You may just like it.

Sorry but there's no way that's true. I'm sitting in Via Napoli's sister restaurant right now (Naples 45 in Manhattan). The chef from here went down to Florida to open Via, and obviously the owners are the same.

Here, the waiter actually suggested that we can leave unwanted toppings off of the pizza, which I happily did. So Via's policy is either a soft opening thing, or a very bizarre policy in a tourist destination with such picky eaters.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

And for the record, I love Italian culture and food. I studied the language throughout middle and high school just because of how beautiful it sounds an its applications to music, art, history, and food.

But if I want my pizza without anchovies or mushrooms, I'm used to getting what I want.

 

[PlutoLuvr]

Maybe the owners of Via Napoli are going for a full authentic Italian atmosphere. Italian being Italy. This is the Italian pavillion, is it not. In most restaurants in Italy, what is on the menu is what is on the menu. No substitutes. It is what the chef creates and anything different is not what he envisioned to serve. It is an art. People go to a certain restaurant for what their favorite chef will create, not to change the menu. You will not find a pizzeria with a menu with a list of toppings for you to choose. That is not the way here. A meal is not fast food, it is be savored and enjoyed. Enjoy trying what their chefs will create, even if it is out of your confort realm. You may just like it.

That's all fine and well in a cafe in Tuscany or Venice, or even a local mom-and-pop Italian restaurant (I love Italian restaurants that don't even really have a menu -- dinner is what the chef decides to serve for a variety of courses). This is a pizza joint in a theme park that caters to children and picky eaters.

 

[lvstitch]

We had the same thing happen to us at Yek an Yeti. My DH ordered the burger (btw the most amazing burger we have ever had), when they asked which we wanted: shiitake mushroom & scallion compote or Asian slaw, he said neither just plain. They told him there were no substitutes. He said he didn't want a substitute just wanted it plain. They told him unless he was allergic to something on the burger, he had to have one of the toppings. I thought this was the craziest thing I have ever heard. Of course if it was me I would just get one and take it off but he is super picky and HATES onions. So he told them he was allergic to onions. The chef actually came out of the kitchen to talk to him about his allergy. He said I just want a plain burger and he finally got one.

 

[bluejasmine]

I'm no pizza expert, but what about just ordering the melon and prosciutto pizza, and removing the melon yourself? You know, like when DD has to scrape off the mushrooms and I have to remove the onions so DH gets his "perfect" pizza. Would this be possible or just ruin the pizza for you?

Eww you know how some foods that are cooked IN or ON other foods leave their taste behind (carrots do that for me, YUCK) I bet melon leaves some taste on the pizza..

I just dont get NOT being able to leave off anything of a burger or pizza, I understand adding or omitting something that may be cooked IN..Sounds like Y&Yand VN just dont want to take the time to with "personal" orders

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

If Burger King can pull off "Have it Your Way"... then so should a restaurant in one of the top tourist destinations in the country!

And as a former training manager, you use a soft opening to train your staff on things came up like "hold the melon."