What did WE celebrate? .. 30 days of Disney fun and food! Update 04/02

[dizneeat]

I wonder if I can talk hubby into driving over to OKW for breakfast one day...that eggs benny looks incredible!

Where are you staying? Poly again? ....... it's about a 10 minute drive from there and so worth it. OKW is just too beautiful!

........ and breakfast is delish, whoops, make that disneylicious!

 

[AWish]

That cuban breakfast sandwich looks amazing.

Love your reviews btw, wish I had a month with disney!

 

[mamaboogie]

We were there for breakfast the day after you!

We were like ships that pass in the night!

Loving the reviews and the pics! Can't wait for more!

 

[Krissalee]

The shrimp and conch benedict looks amazing! I love all things benedict, but don't find them too often.

I am a big fan of your reviews! Thanks for taking the time to share them!

 

[dixonsontour]

ooh that breakfast looks great - we were considering paying oop for olivia's breakfast and those 2 dishes are just what DH and I would order.

Are the potatoes with both dishes cheesy?

 

[KatMark]

Just kidding my friend! Give Tom a hug for me and our friends Kathy and Mark are on their way back home...I am so sad

We are very sad too, Nicki.

Hi Nicki! SOOOOOOOOO happy to have the DIS food queen here!

And yes, I will finish AN update by November 12 - definitely won't be finished with the whole thing by then

I can't believe Kathy and Mark are already on their way home! Time has just flown by ...... it seems like they just left a few days ago!

Unfortunately mid September is the latest we can go to WDW. My school schedule doesn't allow for anything later, but we have been discussing driving over to the Gulf coast for a day or two maybe next summer - if only I knew someone in the Naples area .............

Karin, can't believe we are home already either. Gee, there this is little Italian gal who lives in Naples who might be able to see you and give you the tour of the place.

August 15

Breakfast at Olivia's Cafe at Disney's Old Key West


We knew we would be up early the first day as our inner clocks were still "set" on European time. So I had made a reservation at Olivia's Cafe for breakfast.

Once we were ready we drove over to Olivia's from our villa and checked in a little ahead of time. There were only 4 or 5 other tables taken and we were immediately seated in the little side room.

Tom ordered some coffee and I ordered some hot tea and something I had set my heart on since I knew we would stay at OKW for 21 nights.

Yip, I wanted to kick off this vacation in style and ordered the strawberries and cream.

To be honest, I was a little worried as I have not had many tasty fruit while in Florida (had one of the worst oranges there! ), but these strawberries were ripe and juicy and tasty. Could be that the brown sugar helped to enhance the flavour but they were so good! Tom and I shared the bowl of strawberries and heavenly whipped cream and soon after our main courses were served.

Tom had ordered the Breakfast Cuban - Scrambled Eggs, Sliced Pork Loin, Ham, Swiss, and Tomato on a Grilled Cuban Roll served with Breakfast Potatoes. We shared both our entrees and all I can say is that it was sooooo good. The pork loin was tender and juicy and the scrambled eggs were just seasoned right and both inside a grilled Cuban Roll .........

I ordered the Shrimp and Conch Eggs Benedict - Poached Eggs with Shrimp and Conch Cakes on a crispy English Muffin topped with Key West Hollandaise.
They were such a good choice! We had tasted Conch while in Key West last summer and knew what to expect and the shrimp and conch cakes had a lot of shrimp and conch and not too much filling. They were seasoned well and the eggs were cooked perfectly. The eggyolk was oozing over the cakes and blended so well with the Hollandaise, which had a very light citrus taste. Now imagine that on a crispy toasted English Muffin!

Needless to say we both cleaned our plates and were two happy bunnies when we left Olivia's, and all set for new adventures.

Paid - oop:
30,70 - using our TiW card

Next up - lunch at Via Napoli

Ooh....Mark would like that Breakfast Cuban...we may have to add that to our list.

 

[englishrose47]

I'm with you WPE is amazing !!I had the meatloaf there inFebruary and it was delish and the creme brulee is outta this world !!!!

 

[dizneeat]

That cuban breakfast sandwich looks amazing.

Love your reviews btw, wish I had a month with disney!

We were there for breakfast the day after you!

We were like ships that pass in the night!

Loving the reviews and the pics! Can't wait for more!

The shrimp and conch benedict looks amazing! I love all things benedict, but don't find them too often.

I am a big fan of your reviews! Thanks for taking the time to share them!

ooh that breakfast looks great - we were considering paying oop for olivia's breakfast and those 2 dishes are just what DH and I would order.

Are the potatoes with both dishes cheesy?

Karin, can't believe we are home already either. Gee, there this is little Italian gal who lives in Naples who might be able to see you and give you the tour of the place.

Ooh....Mark would like that Breakfast Cuban...we may have to add that to our list.

Doesn't time just fly by while at WDW? I wonder if there are really 24 hours in a day when you are there, seemed less to me ...... although even that time did wear me out!

I wonder if this Italian signorina would be willing to see us?

Kathy, I am sure you would LOVE Olivia's Cafe, no matter what meal you would have there. And their breakfast is just wonderful!

I'm with you WPE is amazing !!I had the meatloaf there inFebruary and it was delish and the creme brulee is outta this world !!!!

Guess what, I had the meatloaf too. I HAD TO have it after you raved about it in your thread - followed by ........ drummrole ........ the best creme brulee ever!

 

[dizneeat]

Still August 15

Lunch at Via Napoli

After we had done some much needed shopping we checked out some resorts before heading over to Epcot to try and snatch a reservation at the new Italian restaurant, Via Napoli.

We walked up to the restaurant at around 12.30 and there were quite a few people waiting, but they did have a table for us within 5 minutes.

We were quite impressed with the chandelier in the entrance area.

From our table we had a nice view of the restaurant

and the wood burning pizza ovens.

Our server was very nice and explained the menu and our entitlements of the DDP.

We both ordered a Diet Coke and ....

some Aqua Fresca. Tom had the Blood Orange Aqua Fresca. Water flavoured with blood oranges (and I guess some sugar) - very refreshing, but a bit pricey for 5$ a glass.

I had the Strawberry Aqua Fresca - which had a real good strawberry taste and was so yummy. Only downside - the strawberry pieces became stuck in the straw ever so often and made it a "fun" experience to try and "suck it through".

I had done my homework and looked at the menu before travelling and so we knew what to order as our starter.

The Arancini - (fried saffron risotto balls) with mozzarella and meat ragu. And they were all we had hoped for! Perfectly cooked risotto, rolled into balls stuffed with mozzarella and meat ragu, breaded and deep fried. Crispy on the outside and soft and tasty inside. It came on a "bed" of fresh tomato sauce which gave it that extra lift.

Here's a look inside one of the risotto balls. The serving is quite generous and more than enough to share.

Since this is supposed to be a Pizzeria we knew we had to go with one of their pizza creations. We both thought long and hard and then decided on ....

the Prosciutto E Melone - fontina, mozzarella, pecorino, prosciutto, canteloupe for Tom.

This is a white pizza, crust baked with cheese, then topped with arugula, canteloupe and freshly cut prosciutto. We were most intrigued how this would work on a pizza as we love prosciutto e melone (prosciutto and cantaloupe wedges) and well, it DID work perfectly well.
Our server put some fresh black pepper on top and we were on

I had my heart set on another white pizza.

The Carciofi - artichoke, pecorino, mozzarella, truffle oil. I love artichokes and I love pizza - so I was on the safe side. Guess what, I was so surprised to discover that the artichokes on the pizza were fresh ones. A little black pepper on top, lots of ooey, gooey cheese and artichokes and I was in heaven.
Be prepared - personal pizzas come on a little "metal" plate. If you like to enjoy and eat at a slower pace like I do, the pizza will cool faster than on a regular plate. Also the metal plate was a bit more wobbly than a china one.

We both tried our hardest, but I was not able to finish my pizza - I had to leave room for dessert too!

Tom wanted something "light" and decided on the Coppa Di Brutti Ma Buoni - Amarena cherry and vanilla gelato sundae with cookies.

Lots of ice-cream, lots of whipped cream and amarena cherries and loads of pieces of cookies - no more comment on this one - it speaks for itself. It was just the perfect Italian dessert.

After reading the menu I was sure there was ONE dessert I needed to try.

The Zeppole di Catarina - ricotta cheese fritters with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. There was a HUGE cone full of fritters, some freshly whipped cream and the most delicious dark chocolate sauce ever. Thick, creamy and a strong taste of that really yummy dark chocolate. The fritters itself were light on the inside and the crispy, deep fried outside made it a feast in your mouth.
Unfortunately I had to give in after about half the fritters - it was just too much, but I was still able to gobble down a little of the sauce with the spoon.

I guess I do NOT have to mention that we both left Via Napoli, stuffed and very happy and with a

Price breakdown:
DDP - 24 credits to start with
Via Napoli .... $ 62,60 (2 credits)
TS credits left - 22
CS credits left - 24
Snack credits left 24

Overall money spent on DDP: $ 62,60

OOP - 2 Aqua Fresca and Arancini = $ 17 (not including tip, after applying TiW)

Next up - dinner at The Wave

 

[iluvpluto27]

Really enjoying your reviews. I've never been to olivias but that eggs Benedict looks so good we might give it a try next year.

I'm still undecided about via napoli as I'm not a huge pizza fan but your meal there looked really good and those ricotta fritters would be DH's dream dessert!

 

[englishrose47]

Via Napoli looks wonderful!!I too am intriqued by some of their pizzas !! What are the entititlements on the ddp?????

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

Love the review of Via Napoli! I cannot wait to try it next year. Hoping they don't take those fritters off them menu!

 

[DaveInTN]

I can't wait to try Via Napoli! Maybe we will sneak in a visit later this month...

 

[MickeyNicki]

Good morning Karin!

We are staying at CBR this time, Todd got to pick the resort since I always choose and he misses CBR, his favorite place to chill out. I do not have any breakfasts planned except Boma on the day we leave so I think we may just wing it some mornings and drive to the resorts for breakfast before heading to the pool for the day. It is going to be a very easy going vacation..maybe!

Via Napoli looks incredible! I really want the pizza and dessert that you had...if we love the place we are going to try and get a walk in for lunch...YUMMY!

Now I need to go harrass Kathy and see what she is up to on her thread

 

[2BusyPlanning]

Oh, my! Somehow I found the 2008 one first and went through (looked at pics and read your reviews) ALL of the pages and realized that it was from 2 years ago!!! Well done, none the less! : So, that's what brought me here. Can't wait to hear all about this trip!

 

[sandym718]

Wow, 21 days in the World, how wonderful!!! Loving your reviews so far! And your writing style....so I'm off to check out your trip report !

 

[Linda67]

Right that's decided it
Via Napoli here we come !!!
Great review Karin .... Thanks as always

 

[KatMark]

Karin, the review of Via Napoli looks awesome. I especially like the looks of the appetizer and your dessert. Unfortunately, I can't eat pizza anymore (it doesn't like me ), but I might just go for appetizers and dessert.

Now I need to go harrass Kathy and see what she is up to on her thread

Harrass? Harrass, Kathy? And here I thought you missed me.

 

[dizneeat]

Really enjoying your reviews. I've never been to olivias but that eggs Benedict looks so good we might give it a try next year.

I'm still undecided about via napoli as I'm not a huge pizza fan but your meal there looked really good and those ricotta fritters would be DH's dream dessert!

If you have never been to Olivia's then you should give it a try. OKW is such a tranquile resort and Olivia's is such a fun restaurant.

There are lots of other things to try at Via Napoli - but since it was supposed to be a pizzeria we wanted to give that a try. If you don't want pizza, the Arancini are devine and the fritters too - those two make for a very filling meal!

Via Napoli looks wonderful!!I too am intriqued by some of their pizzas !! What are the entititlements on the ddp?????

Entitlements are the same as everywhere else main course, dessert and soft drink - but since this was our first meal on the DDP we let him "tutor" us.
Their pizzas are really outstanding - very thin crust and the taste the woodburning oven leaves reminded us so much of the pizzas in Italy (the one in Europe, right next door to Austria!)

Love the review of Via Napoli! I cannot wait to try it next year. Hoping they don't take those fritters off them menu!

While on vacation we decided that for our February trip we could pick ONE restaurant each and we already have three - California Grill, Le Cellier and VIA NAPOLI!!
Taking the fritters off the menu! I hope not - I would have to start a petition to bring them back!

I can't wait to try Via Napoli! Maybe we will sneak in a visit later this month...

Yeah, a surprise visit to VN! We were so pleasantly surprised and if you go with your family, order a half meter pizza - it was fun watching families share them.

Good morning Karin!

We are staying at CBR this time, Todd got to pick the resort since I always choose and he misses CBR, his favorite place to chill out. I do not have any breakfasts planned except Boma on the day we leave so I think we may just wing it some mornings and drive to the resorts for breakfast before heading to the pool for the day. It is going to be a very easy going vacation..maybe!

Via Napoli looks incredible! I really want the pizza and dessert that you had...if we love the place we are going to try and get a walk in for lunch...YUMMY!

Now I need to go harrass Kathy and see what she is up to on her thread

Good resort choice, Todd! We love CBR too (well, we haven't come across a resort we didn't like yet) - are you going to get a pirate room? They are SO much fun!

Breakfast at Boma is a very good choice - BUT try to fit in Olivia's (for me!) I can relate to your "very relaxed" vacation style - that's what we had!

Hope you'll like VN! We want to go back in February!

 

[dizneeat]

Oh, my! Somehow I found the 2008 one first and went through (looked at pics and read your reviews) ALL of the pages and realized that it was from 2 years ago!!! Well done, none the less! : So, that's what brought me here. Can't wait to hear all about this trip!

But at least you found the right one now and are all caught up! We did try our best and eat A LOT while at Disney - so a lot more reviews coming up soon!

Wow, 21 days in the World, how wonderful!!! Loving your reviews so far! And your writing style....so I'm off to check out your trip report !

We love our month longs trips to Florida, and especially to Disney! Thank you so much for your kind words about my reviews. English is not my first language, so your comment really made my day! Thank you!

Right that's decided it
Via Napoli here we come !!!
Great review Karin .... Thanks as always

Great choice!

Karin, the review of Via Napoli looks awesome. I especially like the looks of the appetizer and your dessert. Unfortunately, I can't eat pizza anymore (it doesn't like me ), but I might just go for appetizers and dessert.

Harrass? Harrass, Kathy? And here I thought you missed me.

They have quite a lot of other things on the menu, Kathy. I am sure you will find something that is to your liking at VN.
But the Arancini and the ricotta cheese fritters were devine - and quite a big helping!