As I walk into the lobby of the newest restaurant at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn Resort, I am quickly reminded of my trip to Italy. I close my eyes and just let the senses take over with the smells of pizza from the oven and the soft Italian music playing in the background. It instantly brings me to the pizzerias in Rome and the quaint family restaurants in Cinque Terre. I open my eyes to find I am in the lobby of Trattoria al Forno. Just standing at the hostess stand, I feel like I am in Italy.
The lobby has a beautiful brick wall with round edges around the hostess stand. A large rug sits under several comfortable chairs with a huge display of wine on the back wall. Family pictures line the other walls. I feel like I am in the home of an Italian family. That is the exact theme of this restaurant called Trattoria al Forno. This restaurant is home to Dominic and Connie Oliveri. They welcome family and friends into their home every day for breakfast and dinner.
As you walk into the restaurant, you will see three distinctive rooms. The first room is the La Cucina. This is the kitchen. Dominic and Connie opened their kitchen and home to visitors to enjoy good food, laugh and meet new friends. This room has incredible copper colored tin tiles on the ceiling. The seating includes green cloth chairs, wooden chairs, and long tables. Along the walls, there are bright red cloth chairs and benches; the Oliveri’s have family portraits and bottles as decorations. You can see the pizza oven at the entrance to the open kitchen. The open kitchen runs the length of the restaurant and covers the three main dining areas. You can watch the chefs prepare your food, right from your table.
As the visitors grew, Dominic and Connie needed to add onto their home with the formal dining room called La Sala da Pranzo. This formal dining room is much darker with some light showing from the sparkling chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The room is separated with a rich red ceiling and wood arches. The dark red curtains are drawn back with gold ties. This separates the room from the kitchen and the living room, even more. The furniture is more elegant with a mixture of decorated red and gold cloth, leather seating, and dark wooden tables.
The back wall of the formal dining room is covered with Connie’s china and silver. The wonderful hosts had to add onto their home again (as their visitors grew) with a living room or the Salotto. This room includes more tables and chairs for visitors to dine. You can even lounge in several red leather booths. The walls are lined with more family photos. Light flows into this room and the original kitchen with floor to ceiling windows. Dominic had to add onto their home one more time to fit even more guests. This room is the tavern or the La Taverna. The tavern is a separate room right off the living room, closed by a door. This room is perfect for private gatherings or you may be in this tavern with some new friends. The tavern brings in light from the glass doors out to a patio seating area. I love the brick walls and bright red paint that decorate this room. There is a wall covered with bottles and more family portraits.
The restaurant has such a warm atmosphere, that I instantly felt at ease and relaxed ready to dine on an incredible Italian meal. The theming of Trattoria al Forno is just the beginning of this new dining experience at Disney World. The food is just as spectacular. This restaurant serves breakfast and dinner. For dinner, they offer an extensive wine list that compliments the meal. The food is prepared fresh, for your dining experience. The mozzarella is a “must have” and is prepared from scratch every afternoon. Every menu item has an ingredient coming right from Italy. You truly have a taste of Italy in every bite! The dinner menu consists of Antipasti, Pizza Al Forno A Legna, Pasta E Riso, and Carni E Pesci. The Antipasti is a wonderful way to start your Italian meal with options, including Venetian Mussels, Caprese Salad, Regional Italian Soup of the Day, Romaine Lettuce, Grilled Treviso, or Fried Calamari. The most popular dishes are the Caprese Salad with the house-made mozzarella and the Romaine Lettuce with cucumber, tomato, olives, and shaved Pecorino Romano on grilled bread.
The pizzas are prepared right in the brick oven fire place. After a recent visit to Italy, I was thrilled to see the pizza is authentic Italian pizza! You can choose from Fennel Sausage, Salame Piccante, and House-Pickled Peppers, Margherita, Broccoli Rabe, Truffle Cream, Smoked Prosciutto, Potato, Rosemary and Mozzarella or Roasted Portobello Mushroom and Cipollini Onions and Arugula. The most popular pizza is the Truffle Cream with Asiago, Pecorino and Fontina. There are several menu items under the Pasta E Riso, including Linguini alla Vongole, Polpetta Gigante, Baked Lasagna, Seasonal Risotto, Campanelle, and Semolina Tagliatelle alla Carbonara. The Polpetta Gigante is a giant meatball with Ricotta Cannelloni and Marina.
The most popular dish in the Carni E Pesci and at Trattoria al Forno is the Braised Beef Bolognese. This is just one of the incredible dishes slow-cooked for 4 hours. Other entrees include T-Bone Steak Florentine, Slow-Cooked Lamb Shank, Chicken Breast alla Parmigiana, Pork Chop alla Milanese, Eggplant Rollatini, Sauteed Shrimp, and Whole-Roasted Fish. Some other popular entrees include the Slow-Cooked Lamb Shank and Chicken Breast alla Parmigiana.
The price for appetizers range from $6.49-11.99. The price for entrees range from $17.99-36.99. The pizza ranges in price from $16.99-18.99. Trattoria al Forno is already very popular with guests visiting Disney World and Central Florida locals. You can call 407-WDW- DINE or book an Advanced Dining
Reservation with your travel agent. If you are not able to get a reservation, you can still walk up at 5:00 PM for first seating or at last seating around 9-9:30 PM. Always double check the restaurant for the exact first and last seating during your vacation dates. This is a little tip from the staff at Trattoria al Forno! This new restaurant is on the Disney Dining Plan.
I would recommend this new restaurant during your Disney World vacation for breakfast or dinner. Trattoria al Forno has a comfortable feeling of home, but with a taste of Italy.
