Trattoria al Forno, a new restaurant featuring Italian cuisine with authentic ingredients and recipes from Italy’s various regions, is set to open at Disney’s BoardWalk in December 2014. The name comes from “trattoria” — an Italian restaurant serving simple food and “al forno” or food baked in oven. The restaurant will showcase old world techniques, including handcrafted mozzarella made daily, a variety of Neopolitan-style pizzas baked in wood-burning ovens, and other classic italian favorites such as risotto, baked lasagna, chicken great alla Parmigiana with tagliatelle pasta and more.
I’ve been wondering what will replace Kouzzina, the Greek inspired Cat Cora restaurant, which itself replaced Spoodles another Greek inspired menu. Now we know that Disney is just moving next door on the map to Italy. With a couple really good Italian options right next door in EPCOT, you have to wonder why they went with Italian at the Boardwalk.
Trattoria al Forno will boast an extensive wine menu with more than 60 offerings by the bottle and more than 25 wines by the glass, including Chiantis, Super Tuscans and fine Italian white wines such as Prosecco, Pinot Grigio and Moscato. Desserts such as tiramisù, gelatos, and the signature bomboloni (Italian donut holes) with dark chocolate and vanilla gelato round out the menu.
The Disney Parks blog outlined even more expected menu items:
Here’s more from the Disney Parks blog:
A beautiful Italian flywheel slicer slices paper-thin Italian meats, served with a variety of olives and caponata. Satisfying pastas, velvety seasonal risottos and fresh seafood and vegetables will celebrate the delectable diversity of Italian cuisine with authentic ingredients and recipes from Italy’s various regions.
Italy is just half the size of Texas but has wonderfully diverse cuisine, and Trattoria al Forno will showcase dishes from Italy’s various regions – for instance, braised beef Bolognese with house-made cavatelli from Bologna, semolina tagliatelli carbonara from Latium (more specifically Rome), pork chop alla Milanese named after the city of Milano. And you’ll find classic Italian favorites: chicken breast alla Parmagiana with tagliatelle pasta; shrimp with garlic, capers and anchovy butter with polenta; whole roasted fish with roasted vegetables; baked lasagna; grilled steak; slow-cooked lamb shank with polenta; and eggplant rollatini.
A seasonal risotto will always be on the menu, and vegetarians will appreciate the ruffled campanelle pasta with green beans, roasted potatoes and Genovese pesto.
Add a classic Italian dessert with an after-dinner cappuccino for a perfect ending. Look for tiramisù, lemon panna cotta with almond crunch and berries, gelatos, and the signature bomboloni (Italian donut holes) with dark chocolate and vanilla gelato.
Wines will be 100 percent Italian from historic wine regions including Tuscany, Veneto and Piedmont, with over 60 offerings by the bottle and more than 25 wines by the glass – Chiantis, Super Tuscans and fine Italian white wines such as Prosecco, Pinot Grigio and Moscato. Signature cocktails and Italian beers and sodas round out the drink menu, with a signature-blend Italian coffee roasted just for Trattoria al forno.
It sounds like this will be a menu similar, but perhaps not as high concept as, what is offered in EPCOT’s Italy pavilion. That’s good. The Boardwalk should offer more of a resort fare anyway.