Despite knowing a lot of information about the various resorts around Walt Disney World and many of the restaurants at these resorts, I’ll admit that until recently I knew very little about Trattoria al Forno at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort. I knew they had a character breakfast, but that was it.
Unfortunately, the character breakfast is paused for the moment. Breakfast is still available, just without the characters. They’re also open for dinner. What’s on the menu for dinner? Italian! Since I’ve never been to Trattoria al Forno ever, and I haven’t heard much about it besides their character breakfast, I decided to give it a try!
No vampires tonight!
If you’re wondering about that ball in the middle of a bowl of olive oil: it’s garlic! It’s all garlic. Soft and pliable, easily scoopable garlic that you can mix into olive oil with a piece of warm bread before taking a bite. This was absolutely delicious, and I did not have to worry about vampires that night. In fact, I think everyone avoided me that night. Whatever, garlic is good for lowering cholesterol. Take that, vampires!
A simple salad.
With all the fancy food offerings available these days, some times a simple, classic, Caesar salad ($12) is all you need to start dinner off on the right foot. I will admit, though, that having to cut your salad is still new to me. Perhaps it’s a new presentation to an old favorite, but it’s weird to me. Crisp romaine lettuce, croutons made from the complimentary dinner bread, and plenty of grated cheese. Despite the extra work involved, I’d still order this.
This is what, now?
These are not meatballs. They may look like meatballs, but they are not, in fact, meatballs. I saw this as a side item and knew I had to try it. These are Crispy Pancetta Arancini ($16). “Risotto Balls with a Creamy, Rich Mozzarella Center“, and my goodness were these heavenly!
I’ve also never had risotto before, so this fell under the ‘try something new’ category. I cannot say enough good things about this accompaniment! They were soft and creamy. Crispy on the outside, so it had a good texture. With the tomato sauce on the bottom and the cheese sauce on top, these Arancini were absolutely amazing. A must try and a must order again!
Steak sounded good!
I really wanted to try Veal Osso Buco tonight, but unfamiliarity turned me away from that and instead to the Oak-grilled Strip Steak Florentine ($39). Grilled to your liking, the strip steak is served with roasted vegetables, olive oil potatoes, and an Amarone butter which I found out later is a wine.
I won’t leave you in suspense for an additional paragraph: this steak was fantastic! Was it the best steak I’ve had on property? Maybe not the absolute best. I’ll say it’s tied for first. I feel comfortable saying that, it’s tied for first of the steaks I’ve personally had on property. The vegetables were decent, as were the potatoes. The strip steak was the star of this dish, as it should be.
Best dessert ever?
Do I even need to tell you what this is? It comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Large dishes, small dishes, glass dishes, plastic dishes. Yes, friends, it’s Tiramisù ($10).
I’ve had this dessert many times in many places. From Epcot and Disney World, to our local Greek deli. It’s one of my favorite desserts, second only to key lime pie. After trying Tiramisù in a variety of different places, I feel comfortable saying, for me, this Tiramisù at Trattoria al Forno is my favorite.
Ambience
I apologize for the small picture. It’s hard to take a picture of the interior with staff buzzing around. Suffice it to say, I had to take a picture and then crop everyone’s heads out of it. Hopefully these pictures give you can idea of how the inside looks. It reminds me of Hollywood Brown Derby at Hollywood Studios, but with framed photos instead of caricatures.
Lots of wood, lots of rich tones. It feels like an elevated dining spot. Indeed, despite a casual restaurant, there was a mix of attires inside. I started feeling a bit underdressed until a party of six were seated nearby dressed as casually as I was. On the other hand, a few tables were dressed for a date night, and one table of four were a couple out to eat with the spouse’s parents. It’s a mix here, but there isn’t required attire unlike other signature restaurants nearby.
Another fun feature about Trattoria al Forno is they have an open kitchen! Yes, like in Hell’s Kitchen but with a lot less swearing and yelling. Having an open kitchen gives you the perfect opportunity to people watch the kitchen area as everyone scurries around making dishes, plating dishes, and setting dishes up at the pass to be served. It’s quite exciting to watch, and even more exciting when you notice your server is heading to your table, plate in hand!
In addition to the plenty of indoor seating available, Trattoria al Forno also offers several outdoor tables, so you can people watch the Boardwalk and all the happenings going on there. When you check in online though the My Disney Experience app, you can choose between indoor, outdoor, or first available as your seating preference.
Let’s wrap this up.
I came into this dinner experience with zero expectations. Having not heard anything about Trattoria al Forno for dinner, I really didn’t know what to expect. I heard nothing about the food. Nothing about the service. It was akin to dining at a brand new restaurant knowing nothing about it.
By the end of dinner, I became a fan. I enjoyed everything I had for dinner. My server was fantastic, offering suggestions and answering questions. He was great at small talk, and refilling beverages. While the pacing of dinner was a little slow between two courses, my server did an excellent job communicating with me and constantly checking with the kitchen. Perhaps a few orders came in all at once. Maybe I’ll get to hear some yelling! (there was no yelling)
Would I return to Trattoria al Forno for dinner in the future? Absolutely. Was it so amazing that I would make a special trip again from the Yacht Club Resort, on the other side of Crescent Lake, to the Boardwalk Resort to dine again? Definitely. It was worth the trip over.
Trattoria al Forno is located on the boardwalk area of the Boardwalk Resort and Villas. They are open for breakfast from 7:30am – 11:30am, and then for dinner from 5:00pm – 10:00pm. Annual Passholders are eligible for a 10% discount. Trattoria al Forno is also an eligible restaurant for the Disney Dining Plan should you have a vacation package that includes it.
They do offer a kid’s menu as well as an allergy-friendly menu upon request.
Prices range from $15-$34.99. Trattoria al Forno used to offer a Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast featuring several Disney characters, but that is currently unavailable at the moment.
Reservations are highly suggested and during busier times, recommended.
Disney Rover 