This restaurant has opened since we last visited Epcot and we were delighted when some guests at our villa told us about their experience there. Apparently it is owned by a large restaurant group which has more than fifty restaurants in America.
They said that although Italy always seemed to be the smallest Pavilion the addition of the restaurant made it seem much bigger. The inside of the restaurant is nearly 10, 000 square feet so and the tables are well spaced apart from each other making a nicer atmosphere. However they said when they went there was one very long table nobody was sitting at it but they wondered if it would be reserved for large parties. Over 200 guests can be seated inside and about 50 on the external covered patio.
They really liked the show kitchen where guests could walk up and watch the chefs at work. They were intrigued to find out that the three wood-burning ovens were named after the active volcanoes in Italy, Mount Etna, Mount Vesuvius and Stromboli.
As you would suspect from the name pizza is the main focus of the restaurant but there are other Italian dishes also available like lasagna, chicken and pasta dishes.
My friends who were our guests were a family of four so first they tried the Fritto Misto which was a dish to be shared between them all. It was an assortment of fried seasonal vegetables, fish, and cheese and included arancini, mozzarella, calamari, melanzane, asparagus, zucchini and carciofi (artichokes) agro-dolce sauce as well as sweet and sour tomato sauce. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water! The cost of this was $24.
For the main course my friend who is not a pizza fan had and enjoyed Calamari. This was fried corn-crusted calamari with carrots and fennel with orange vinaigrette.
Her husband had Fusilloni Trapanese which was large cork-screw type pasta in an Italian pesto of vine-ripened tomatoes, almonds and basil; he said it was very good but quite filling.
The boys both opted for pizza which came in three sizes Individual, Large which had 8 slices and 20 inches which was 12 slices. Both boys normally like the thick crust pizzas but they said these thinner crust ones were great. One had the Piccante which was Italian Spicy Sausage, broccoli tomato and mozzarella whilst the other had Prosciutto E Melone which he said had fontina, mozzarella, prosciutto and cantaloupe. Melon seemed a strange thing for a pizza but he said he would definitely have it again.
Between them they shared Tiramisu, Torta di Sarena, an apple cake with almond, Gelati E Sorbetto which was vanilla, chocolate, pistachio and lemon sorbet. Their favourite of the three was the traditional Tiramisu.
Via Napoli is a definite “Must Do” for our next visit to the villa.
They said that although Italy always seemed to be the smallest Pavilion the addition of the restaurant made it seem much bigger. The inside of the restaurant is nearly 10, 000 square feet so and the tables are well spaced apart from each other making a nicer atmosphere. However they said when they went there was one very long table nobody was sitting at it but they wondered if it would be reserved for large parties. Over 200 guests can be seated inside and about 50 on the external covered patio.
They really liked the show kitchen where guests could walk up and watch the chefs at work. They were intrigued to find out that the three wood-burning ovens were named after the active volcanoes in Italy, Mount Etna, Mount Vesuvius and Stromboli.
As you would suspect from the name pizza is the main focus of the restaurant but there are other Italian dishes also available like lasagna, chicken and pasta dishes.
My friends who were our guests were a family of four so first they tried the Fritto Misto which was a dish to be shared between them all. It was an assortment of fried seasonal vegetables, fish, and cheese and included arancini, mozzarella, calamari, melanzane, asparagus, zucchini and carciofi (artichokes) agro-dolce sauce as well as sweet and sour tomato sauce. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water! The cost of this was $24.
For the main course my friend who is not a pizza fan had and enjoyed Calamari. This was fried corn-crusted calamari with carrots and fennel with orange vinaigrette.
Her husband had Fusilloni Trapanese which was large cork-screw type pasta in an Italian pesto of vine-ripened tomatoes, almonds and basil; he said it was very good but quite filling.
The boys both opted for pizza which came in three sizes Individual, Large which had 8 slices and 20 inches which was 12 slices. Both boys normally like the thick crust pizzas but they said these thinner crust ones were great. One had the Piccante which was Italian Spicy Sausage, broccoli tomato and mozzarella whilst the other had Prosciutto E Melone which he said had fontina, mozzarella, prosciutto and cantaloupe. Melon seemed a strange thing for a pizza but he said he would definitely have it again.
Between them they shared Tiramisu, Torta di Sarena, an apple cake with almond, Gelati E Sorbetto which was vanilla, chocolate, pistachio and lemon sorbet. Their favourite of the three was the traditional Tiramisu.
Via Napoli is a definite “Must Do” for our next visit to the villa.