Epcot’s Via Napoli Ristorante to open during August 2010
Via Napoli (Artist's renderering: Walt Disney World)
Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria is scheduled to open during August 2010. Located in the Italy Pavillion at Epcot, this 300 seat restaurant expands the dining options at this multicultural part of Walt Disney World.
The Patina Restaurant Group’s CEO Nick Valenti created the authentic menu based on his travels in Southern Italy. A feature at Via Napoli is its three wood-burning ovens which are named after the three active volcanoes in Italy – Mount Etna, Mount Vesuvius and Stromboli.
The Walt Disney World blog gave a sneak peek at the new menu which includes
Appetizers
- Sicilian eggplant with olives and raisins
- Salad of lettuce, fagiolini (string beans), fennel and tomatoes; arancini (fried saffron risotto balls) with meat ragù, mozzarella and pomodoro sauce
- Corn-crusted fried calamari
- Minestrone with basil pesto
- A plate of arancini, mozzarella, calamari, portobella mushrooms, asparagus, zucchini and carciofi (artichokes).
Main course salads
- Manzo (filet of beef) with greens, red onion, gorgonzola, apple and cucumber with a red wine-mustard vinaigrette;
- Chopped salad with lemon chicken, greens, cantaloupe, cucumber, red pepper, green beans, onions, almonds and pasta crisps with honey-citrus vinaigrette;
- Calamari with arugula, carrots and fennel with orange vinaigrette.
- Pastas: candele (long, tube-shaped pasta) with sausage ragù; linguine with seafood; malfadine (ribbon pasta) with guanciale (unsmoked Italian bacon) and pomodoro sauce; lasagna verde.
- Piatti alla Parmigiana: (dishes topped with Parmesan and mozzarella gratinée): veal, chicken and eggplant
Wood-fired pizzas
The pizzas will be made with caputo flour imported from Southern Italy, San Marzano tomatoes, handmade mozzarella and water from a local spring just like in Italy’s Campania region – 10-inch, 20-inch or 1/2 meter to share: a dozen choices include
- Margherita with tomato, mozzarella and basil
- Arciofi with artichoke, potato, pecorino cheese, prosciutto and cantaloupe.
Deserts
- Tiramisù
- Zeppole di ricotta (ricotta cheese-fried dough, whipped cream and chocolate sauce)
- Apple cake with almond sorbetti
- Gelatie
- Vanilla gelato with almond cookies and amarena cherries
Yum!
–Kay
- Providing special vacation home rentals and advice for over 5 years to families and friends wanting to make the most of their time and money while visiting Walt Disney World.
- Windsor Palms Resort Vacation Rental http://www.windsorpalmsorlando.com
- Emerald Island Resort Vacation Rental http://www.emeraldislandorlando.com
Orlando Ale House being built close to Avalon at Windsor Palms
A new Orlando Ale House restaurant is being built in the area. This is great news for guests at our vacation rental home, Avalon located on the Windsor Palms Resort in Kissimmee/Orlando as it provides another local dining option. The Orlando Ale House will be located next to the Publix at Orange Lake (across the street from Rolling Oaks Commons where the SuperTarget and Olive Garden is located). I don’t know the date it is due to open yet, but as soon as I find out, I will share.
Click here to visit the Ale House Website.
–Kay
- Providing special vacation home rentals and advice for over 5 years to families and friends wanting to make the most of their time and money while visiting Walt Disney World.
- Windsor Palms Resort Vacation Rental http://www.windsorpalmsorlando.com
- Emerald Island Resort Vacation Rental http://www.emeraldislandorlando.com
Epcot Food & Wine Festival Special Event Reservations Open July 20
Guests can call 407/WDW-FEST (939-3378) for information and to make reservations for special events and programs. Festival details will be available at www.disneyworld.com/foodandwine before reservations open July 20.
Eat to the Beat! Concert Series Welcomes Seven New Acts During 15th Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
- Sugar Ray (Oct. 6-8) “Fly”
- Air Supply (Oct. 11-12) “Lost in Love”
- Howard Jones (Oct. 16-17) “No One Is to Blame”
- 38 Special (Oct. 20-21) “Hold on Loosely”
- Roger Hodgson formerly of Supertramp (Nov. 4-5) “Give a Little Bit”
- Hanson (Nov. 8-9) “Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’”
- Rick Springfield (Nov. 10-11) “Jessie’s Girl”
Additional information about the Eat to the Beat! concert series will be available at www.disneyworld.com/foodandwine.
Carnival of Venice
Tutto Italia in EPCOT will be having a Carnival of Venice celebration beginning February 8th 2010 through to February 16th 2010. This special celebration includes an appetizer, entree and desert. Prices are $19 for lunch and $29 for dinner. Servers will be wearing amazing handmade Venetian masks and costumes. Dinner will also feature the strolling musical trio “Viva Venezia”
The chef inspired menu also features Fileto Di Pesce Al Melograno (Halibut with Pomegranate Sauce) at dinner.
http://bit.ly/CarnivalofVenice
Call (407) WDW-DINE (939-3463) for reservations.
FILETO DI PESCE AL MELOGRANO (HALIBUT WITH POMEGRANATE SAUCE)
Serves 4
Halibut
1 3/4 pounds halibut fillet (1 1/2 inches thick), cut into 4 even portions
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pomegranate Sauce
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup pure pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon butter
For the halibut:
1. Season the halibut with salt and pepper.
2. Heat olive oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat until just starting to smoke.
3. Carefully place the halibut in the oil and cook for 4minutes each side, turning once, until golden brown on each side.
For the pomegranate sauce:
1. Boil wine and shallots over medium-high heat in heavy small saucepan for approximately 2 minutes or until most of wine has evaporated.
2. Add heavy cream and pomegranate juice and bring to a boil for approximately 5 minutes or until reduced to 3/4 cup.
3. Whisk in butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Spoon sauce over halibut before service.
Sounds delicious!
–Kay
- Providing special vacation home rentals and advice for over 5 years to families and friends wanting to make the most of their time and money while visiting Walt Disney World.
- Windsor Palms Resort Vacation Rental http://www.windsorpalmsorlando.com
- Emerald Island Resort Vacation Rental http://www.emeraldislandorlando.com
Pollo Campero
A new Downtown Disney eatery will be opening in late 2010. Pollo Campero is a Guatemalan fried chicken restaurant chain - think a latin version of KFC - featuring fried and grilled chicken, salads and specialty drinks.
Pollo Campero will open in the space currently occupied by McDonald’s which is closing shortly.
–Kay
- Providing special vacation home rentals and advice for over 5 years to families and friends wanting to make the most of their time and money while visiting Walt Disney World.
- Windsor Palms Resort Vacation Rental http://www.windsorpalmsorlando.com
- Emerald Island Resort Vacation Rental http://www.emeraldislandorlando.com
Downtown Disney McDonald’s restaurant to close
As part of a 2004 decision to end a 10 year exclusive sponsorship agreement with Disney, the McDonald’s restaurant in downtown Disney will close at the end of April. McDonald’s will still continue to operate the restaurant near to the entrance to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
In its place will be a Pollo Campero, a Latin chicken fast-food restaurant.
–Kay
- Providing special vacation home rentals and advice for over 5 years to families and friends wanting to make the most of their time and money while visiting Walt Disney World.
- Windsor Palms Resort Vacation Rental http://www.windsorpalmsorlando.com
- Emerald Island Resort Vacation Rental http://www.emeraldislandorlando.com
EPCOT: New Authentic Italian Pizza Restaurant, Cantina de San Angel expansion
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Two exciting additions are coming to Epcot World Showcase, with culinary expansions under way at the Italy pavilion and Mexico pavilion.
In Italy, an authentic Neapolitan pizzeria is under construction with opening planned for fall 2010 in time for the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. Operated by Patina Restaurant Group, the same restaurateurs who run the pavilion’s Tutto Italia Ristorante, the 300-seat pizzeria is inspired by Naples 45, another Patina Restaurant Group pizzeria on East 45th Street in New York City.
The casual pizzeria will feature wood-burning ovens – and will import water from a source that most resembles the water in Naples, Italy, home of some of the world’s best pizza dough. The menu also will feature pastas, salads, sandwiches and Italian wines.
The 14,000-square-foot space will include indoor and outdoor dining.
At Mexico, the popular Cantina de San Angel restaurant is expanding, and will feature 400 seats with al fresco seating for lunch and a perfect place for viewing “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth,” the nightly Epcot fireworks spectacular.
The restaurant will feature south-of-the border creations from the culinary team at San Angel Inn LLC, who have run both the outside eatery and the pavilion’s San Angel Inn for more than 25 years. Opening also is set for fall 2010.
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Looks like great new additions to EPCOT.
–Kay
- Providing special vacation home rentals and advice for over 5 years to families and friends wanting to make the most of their time and money while visiting Walt Disney World.
- Windsor Palms Resort Vacation Rental http://www.windsorpalmsorlando.com
- Emerald Island Resort Vacation Rental http://www.emeraldislandorlando.com
New Year’s Eve at The Magic Kingdom
Guests staying at thee Windsor Palms Resort in Kissimmee over New Year may be interested in two offerings at The Magic Kingdom.
New Years Eve at Walt Disney World is traditionally a busy time. This year, The Magic Kingdom is offering two options for guests to take a break from the crowds and enjoy an exclusive event.
The first is a special New Years Eve package which includes a 2 hour all you care to enjoy dinner. The dinner is from 6.30 p.m. - 8.30 p.m. on December 31st at the Tommorrowland Terrace Noodle Station. Dinner includes dessert and non-alcolohic sparkling beverages. After dinner, you and your family will settle down in exclusive, reserved seating for the holiday Wishes! fireworks show.
The menu includes fresh fruits, assorted cheeses, sushi, salads, seared tuna, artisan breads, beef short-ribs, and carved pork. Kid friendly foods such as macaroni and cheese and chicken nuggets will also be available.
The Magic Kingdom’s New Year’s Eve Wishes! dining experience costs $139.99 for guests age 10 and up and $69.99 for guests ages 3 to 9. Children under 3 can dine for free.
The second offering is the Fantasy in the Sky Dessert Party which starts at 9.50pm. This event features a self service buffet offering a variety of deserts and non-alcoholic beverages. The dessert party costs $35.99 for guests age 10 and up and $19.99 for guests ages 3 to 9.
Theme park admission is required for both events.
For reservations call: (407) WDW-DINE
Dining Reservations at Walt Disney World
Character dining reservations can be made in advance
As of the 27th October 2009, advance dining reservations (ADRs) for Walt Disney World restaurants can be now made 180 days in advance. Some popular dining options can sell out in minutes, Cinderella’s Royal Table, located in Cinderella’s Castle in The Magic Kingdom is one such option.
Dining reservations can now be made online here or by calling (407) WDW-DINE. Online reservations can be made as early as 6am Eastern time – earlier than the telephone reservation department opens, bear this in mind when searching for those popular reservations!. Both options are available to you when staying at Emerald Island.
Sometimes it may be better to call for a reservation rather than book online. If you are looking for a dinner reservation at the Contemporary’s California Grill at the same time as the fireworks, only the live operator will be able to tell you what time the fireworks are that night.
Even at slower times of the year, advance dining reservations are a must. If you are a compulsive planner or want specific reservations (for example character dining), you will want to get your Walt Disney World dining reservations in place early. It is feasible to get reservations the day prior, even for large family groups. You have to be flexible on restaurant and time, but it is not an impossible mission.
We tend to be flexible guests at Walt Disney World, preferring not to plan our every day down to the last second. A tactic that has worked for us is to book a couple of key dining reservations for specific events that we definitely wanted to experience during our trip. These might be character dinners or reserved seating at Fantasmic. These days are booked for that event and park, but the other days we leave flexible. Then as our plans firm up during the week (which park we want to go to on which day), we phone up and get perhaps a dinner or lunch reservation for the next day or two. (This has worked, even with a group of 15 of us!) Usually we book lunch in a nice restaurant which gives us a welcome mid day break from the hustle and bustle. Dinner is usually off site at one of the many restaurants in Kissimmee / Orlando or a take out eaten at the vacation home.
Don’t forget about dining options in the resort hotels themselves or at The Boardwalk or Downtown Disney. Windsor Palms Resort guests can still dine at Boma, The Wave and any of the other resort restaurants. Great for those quiet non-park days.
