The lively, 300-seat restaurant that is operated by Patina Restaurant Group is full of energy with an open kitchen and three wood-burning pizza ovens that
represent Italy’s three active volcanoes: Etna, Vesuvius and Stromboli. Those ovens are cranked up to 700°F with oak wood, each ornamented with an open-mouthed face, waiting to “swallow” the mouth-watering pizzas.
Everyone is sure to find something on this menu. If you’re hungry or have at least four gathered for lunch or dinner, try the fritto misto, an enormous platter of fried mozzarella, calamari, eggplant, asparagus, zucchini, artichoke hearts and arancini (rice balls) – delicioso! – dipped in the spicy red sauce. Enjoy entrées such as Lasagna Verde, tortino di melanzane (baked eggplant with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses), and of course, the wood-fired margherita pizza. And don’t forget to wash it down with an Acqua Frescas, the housemade seasonal fruit juice coolers.
Those pizza pies will quickly become a new favorite and Via Napoli Executive Chef Charlie Restivo shares why. The secret combo: the oven, the mixer and the ingredients. The mozzarella is flown in from Italy, the water from a source in the U.S. that is similar to the alkaline of the water in Naples, and San Marzano tomatoes – absolutely no substitutions for a “certified” Vera Pizza Napolitana, with specific rules, including hand stretching the dough. The crust is blistered and slightly charred to seal in the flavors, says Chef Restivo. The gargantuan “1/2 meter” to share is rolled to the table on a stainless steel cart.
Sweet endings are not an afterthought. Indulge with the hot, crisp zeppole di Catarina, ricotta cheese fritters with chocolate sauce and whipped cream; traditional tiramisù; pistachio gelato; and the over-the-top coppa di brutti ma buoni, a vanilla gelato with Amarena cherries and “ugly but good” cookies. Worth an extra lap around World Showcase.
The same menu is for lunch and dinner. Table service only, one meal point on the Disney Dining Plan. Contact your Magic Maker® to request a quote and to make your dining reservations.
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