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REVIEW: We Finally Found Great Italian Food in Disney World Let Me Tell You About it

June 30, 2023 ,

So, you’ve spent the day in Disney World and are watching the sunset from Disney’s BoardWalk.

Disney’s BoardWalk

After working up an appetite from walking around the parks all day, you decide to grab a bite to eat before calling it a night. Where do you go? There are some great places to check out in the area — Flying Fish offers up some impressive seafood, you can find a simpler meal and some delicious pastries at BoardWalk Deli, and soon, the whimsical Cake Bake Shop will be opening for brunch, lunch, and dinner. But, if you’re in the mood for some Italian fare, Trattoria al Forno fits the bill. They recently reopened after a short refurbishment, so I decided to stop by for dinner to check it out. Come see how it went!

Atmosphere

Trattoria al Forno sits on the BoardWalk, and if you time out your dinner right, you’ll have a beautiful sunset to watch while you wait for your table. When I arrived, the restaurant was already starting to get busy.

I checked in with the host and took a seat while I waited for a text telling me my table was ready.

Host stand

Once it was time, I was led through the dining room — a warm space with dark wood, red accents, and gold light fixtures. During the renovation, the restaurant got new floors, which looked fresh and fit the decor.

Dining Room

Off to the side, an open kitchen gives you a glance at the magic in action.

Open kitchen

In addition to this impressive kitchen, you’ll see the pizza oven, adorned with wooden pizza trays and open for the chefs to pass the pies out to servers.

Pizza oven

Let’s take a look at the menu!

Menu

Once seated, I was given two menus. First, the wine list:

Wine menu

This featured a ton of options of rare wines by the glass and by the bottle.

Wine list

There was also a page describing what the different classifications of wines mean…

Wine List Details

…as well as a map to describe the regions!

Italian regions

The second menu had the food and a few drink selections.

Menu

There were some craft cocktails…

Drinks

…and a selection of beer, grappa, and non-alcoholics.

Beer list

For appetizers, you’ll find options like Calamari, Tomato Bruschetta, and Coastal Mussels. For Main Courses, selections include the Truffle Gnocchi, Oak-grilled Strip Steak Florentine, and the Veal Osso Buco.

Appetizers

From the brick oven, there is a selection of pizzas, like the Pizze Margherita, Pizze Pepperoni, and Pizze Carni. As a side, you can order Polpette, Garlic Bread, Crispy Pancetta Arancini, Shrimp Scampi, or Olives.

Menu

Don’t forget to look at the dessert menu! You can decide between Tiramisu, Panna Cotta, House-made Gelato, and Affogato al Cafe.

Dolci

Let’s dig in!

Eats

First, I was served complimentary bread service. Here, that means a wonderful house-made ciabatta served with a garlic and olive oil dip.

Bread service

The bread was amazing. It was soft with a beautiful crunch on the outside, and the oil on the side was a nice touch. The oil was rich and bold with a hint of a sweet balsamic vinegar to balance it out. The garlic was soft and a little sweet, but still had a little bit of a bite.

Garlic and olive oil

For an appetizer, I tried the Charcuterie Board for $15, which was a selection of Cured Meats, Cheeses, and Pickled Garden Vegetables, served with Ciabatta Bread.

Charcuterie Board

For the cheeses, there was Fresh Mozzarella, Aged Provolone, and Herbed Ricotta. The mozzarella was soft and milky, with a delicate sweetness. It was topped with a bit of olive oil that balanced it nicely. The aged provolone was very unique! It was a harder cheese, a little salty, and with a bit of a bite. It reminded me a bit of Parmesan! The star, in my opinion, was the ricotta. It was fresh and creamy and a little sweet — I could have eaten a whole bowl of it, to be honest.

Cheeeeese

Mortadella, Prosciutto, Capocollo, and Calabrese were the meat options that day. All of them were extremely fresh and offered a unique addition to the plate. I particularly liked the prosciutto, which was shaved thin, had a beautiful marbling, and was delicate and salty. The chef wanted to create a nice balance of textures throughout the board, and I’d say very successfully carried that out.

YUM

On the side was the Giardiniera, a bright and fresh selection of pickled veggies that rounded out the dish. The celery was crunchy and light, and the peppers added a spicy kick. As a whole, this had a strong vinegary taste that brightened up the meats and cheeses.

Veggies

For my entrees, I tried. the Lasagna al Forno and the Pizze Stagionale.

Full spread

First, the Lasagna al Forno, for $30, was made with Blended Italian Cheeses, Beef, Veal, Pork, and Herbed Ricotta. I was surprised by its presentation! The pasta was rolled with the blend of meats and cheeses and then propped upright and topped with breadcrumbs.

Lasagna

While the look of this dish was unexpected, the flavors were incredible. The blend of beef, veal, and pork made the filling taste complex and tender. The pasta itself was perfectly al dente, and altogether it was a tasty combination of meat, cheese, and pasta — what’s not to like?

Lasagna

However, if you prefer a saucier lasagna, this one might leave you wanting more. The rolled-up noodles were sitting on a bed of béchamel and marinara, which was delicious, but I personally would have liked it to be more prevalent throughout the dish.

Lasagna

Lastly, I got the Pizza Stagionale for $23. This is a Chef’s Seasonal Pizza Selection that changes from time to time. For me, it was made with Arugula, Cipollini Onions, Mushrooms, Gorgonzola Cheese, and Balsamic Glaze.

Pizze Stagionale

This was delicious! The crust was the perfect texture — soft but with enough structure to hold all of the toppings. It tasted just like it was fresh out of a wood-burning pizza oven, with a slight char on the sides of the crust.

So much going on

All of the toppings gave this pizza a ton of flavor. The cheese was rich and creamy, but sharp-tasting and a little salty. The balsamic and onions added a delicious sweetness to balance out the sharp cheese, and the arugula on top was fresh and a little nutty.

More, please.

This was a great mix of sweet and savory that I really enjoyed, but it was pretty unique. The bold cheese combined with the mushrooms and sweet components won’t be for everyone. This was a surprisingly flavorful combination that I would get again.

For dessert, I ordered the Tiramisu for $10, which was Lady Fingers soaked with Espresso and layered with Italian Mascarpone Cream.

Tiramisu

This was light and creamy — a perfect way to end a heavier meal, with a nice coffee flavor to give you a pick-me-up.

Tiramisu

The lady fingers were soft and delicate, and the mascarpone was rich and thick but still fluffy.

Something sweet

To tie it all together, the touch of alcohol gave it a little kick.

Nosh or Not

Head on down to the BoardWalk and give Trattoria al Forno a try if…

  • You love Italian food. We aren’t always impressed with the Italian food on property, but you can find some rather enjoyable meals here at Trattoria.
  • You are staying at an EPCOT resort or want to enjoy the BoardWalk. The atmosphere on the BoardWalk is really something. It’s worth a stop on its own, but if you’re looking for a satisfying meal for your evening in the area, this is worth considering.
  • You want to spend date night on the BoardWalk.

Skip Trattoria al Forno if…

  • You want a quiet meal. This location can get loud and feel a little frenzied. This is a popular spot, and families with tired children seem to gravitate here.
  • You are looking for something the whole family will enjoy. As noted, this isn’t a super enjoyable spot for a little one who has been in the parks all day. There isn’t really any Disney theming and the atmosphere feels a bit more grown-up.
  • You are on a budget. This isn’t a cheap dining location, so if you’re hoping to save some money, you might want to look elsewhere.

Overall

Overall, this was a pretty good place to find some quality Italian food. It is a little pricey, but compared to other fine-dining restaurants in the area, it’s reasonable. The service I received was some of the best I’ve had in Disney World. My server, Andrea, was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable and made me feel right at home.

Full spread

However, this place can get very busy, and it is not quiet. There were quite a few unhappy children here, and if you are looking for a quiet, romantic meal, that might throw a wrench in your plan. It is worth considering if you are a fan of Italian food, but keep in mind it can feel a little hectic in the dining room.

As always, stay tuned to DFB for all the latest Disney news and food reviews!

Click here to see the 5 most devestating menu changed in Disney World in 2023

What’s your favorite Italian food in Disney World? Let us know in the comments below!

The post REVIEW: We Finally Found Great Italian Food in Disney World -- Let Me Tell You About it first appeared on the disney food blog.



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