Via Napoli - and some other dining thoughts

[artyboy]

Hey!

We just got back from an 11 day trip...had some awesome dining experiences...I'll post the good first.

The Good:

Citricos was fabulous as always...I had a grilled peach salad, a piece of Char that was lovely with a tomato broth and pearl pasta and the cheese plate.

Artist Point, also almost perfection...the special salmon they only serve 2 weeks a year and the cheese plate.

Surprisingly, Mykonos at Universal had a really authentic Pad Thai.

2 awesome lunches at Brown Derby...martinis and Cobb Salads, as usual.

Lunch at Fulton's was great! Cold seafood tray for two.

Olivia's has markedly improved both in food and service. Ended up eating here twice out of convenience...and I had vowed that I never would eat there again...live and learn.

Kona Cafe...my first time...quite good!

Yak and Yeti...great food and drinks...iffy service...server with an attitude...sigh.

Bluezoo...so amazing...yes, it's pricey, but great!

Narcoosees is back on track...very pleased! Lobster and steak...yum!

The Wave was really good. Excellent piece of fish.

Sanaa was lovely again!

Ragland Road...what an awesome surprise! Ate at the bar...really tasty food.

The Bads:

Pecos Bill's...worst experience here ever...cheese sauce looked like they put out yesterday's stuff and watered it down...burger was flavorless...bun like a sponge...fries cold...it was a madhouse, so we couldn't do anything about it...ate a couple bites and went elsewhere.

Casey's used to be one of my favorite guilty pleasures...probably never again. The dogs taste weird and it seemed even more disorganized than usual.

and now: the point of this rant...

Via Napoli is a joke. They could've been having an off day/night. But really...$30 bucks for a pizza burned on the edges and raw in the middle? I very politely spoke to the server about it and he proceeded to explain that I don't know what good Italian pizza should look or taste like...guys...I'm Sicialian and have lived in both New York and Chicago...I know good pizza, and I'm willing to pay top dollar for it. Never again...biggest disappointment of the trip.

But as you can see, the good outweighed the bad by far...great eats, and we're going back for Food and Wine!

Later!

[HoosierDisneyFan]

Sorry to hear about your Via Napoli experience. The pizza we had during Spring Break was one of the best I had eaten. Likely you were there on an off day (hopefully at least). I was looking forward to another pizza in the fall. I would agree the price is too high (but we were on DDP so it was pre-paid and we wewre not thinking cost, just taste).

I do hate it when wait staff tries to make excuses. Just apologize and more on. Making excuses only make the customers feel worse.

[Pop Centurion]

With the wood fire ovens the edges do get charred. Did you actually show the waiter or just tell him? Regardless, I think his comment was a little out of line. He could have just said that's how it's supposed to be, not insinuate you're dumb when it comes to authentic pizza.

I'll admit though, authentic pizza from Italy is nothing like New York pizza so you can really make a comparison.

Glad to see the good outweighed the bad though.

[ElenitaB]

Hey!
Olivia's has markedly improved both in food and service. Ended up eating here twice out of convenience...and I had vowed that I never would eat there again...live and learn.

If there's one thing I've learned at WDW, is that the "never again" restaurants often do redeem themselves.

As for the pizza, a bit of "well done" is to be expected from an oven such as they have at Via Napoli; raw is never acceptable. Glad you complained... very disappointing that they responded the way they did.

[Pirate Granny]

We loved, loved Via Napoli...we all had different dishes, but not pizza...great meal...we'll go back again.

[Donald]

I agree with you on the pizza at Via Napoli: it was burned on the crust, and raw in the middle. And the price was excessive. The sad part, is that I wasted my time eating there when I could have been somewhere fantastic. Live and Learn.

[beksy]

Sounds like your server was having an off day too (at least I hope he's not always like that). What a terrible way to respond to a complaint! I'm glad you had some great dining experiences to outweigh this one. :mickey:

[BugeyedMuggy]

We agree with all your reviews. Via Napolli was a great disappointment to us after all the great reviews. You might as well get a pizza at the Boardwalk window. Thanks for the excellent review on Artist Point. We will try it next trip. We cancelled in May due to bad reviews but all yours seem to match our tastes and previous experiences.

[SBETigg]

Sicilian pizza is really different from Napolitan pizza... just busting you. It must have been a really off day, but the raw is definitely not good. We've had excellent pizza and service at Via Napoli. I can't imagine why your server didn't just apologize and try to make amends. That's so wrong.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Wow, I am surprised to hear this many negative reviews of Via Napoli in one post. There have been so many good reviews on here lately. Makes me feel a little better about not having it on my to do list this trip.....

[BrerGnat]

Wow, surprised to hear about Via Napoli. We were just there a few weeks ago and, to be honest, it was the BEST pizza I've ever eaten. I used to live in NJ and know good and well what NY Pizza should be, but this is what Neapolitan pizza should be. It's not even close to the same type of pizza. Ours was perfectly cooked and delicious. I'm sorry yours wasn't. :(

Did you eat it? Honestly, if it was truly raw, you should have sent it back and asked for another one. I never understand why people just accept poor quality food and pay for it. I would have asked for a manager if I felt the server was being rude, but perhaps (just maybe), the server was right. This type of pizza is not supposed to be crunchy throughout. It is supposed to be soft in the middle (foldable), and the edges are supposed to be charred.

A good way to make sure you get pizza that is properly cooked is to order the individual sized ones instead of the big one.

Sorry you came away with a bad experience. Via Napoli was the dining highlight of our trip.

[ChipDale2708]

I am so relieved to read others have had not so great pizza at Via Napoli. We ate there in May and were anything but impressed. The service was good - too good. Our pizza was on our table within ten minutes of ordering it. It was charred on the edge and raw like in the middle. Now I wish we had complained. We were seated by the windows and saw the pizza from the take out window and wished we had that instead. If we return, which is doubtful, we won't order the pizza.

[SBETigg]

Like BrerGnat, we went with individual pizzas. I wonder if this makes a difference in quality consistency at Via Napoli?

[wildernesslady]

Sorry about your pizza and service there. We have been there 2 times and it was excellent. The last time I even commented to the head waiter how great the service was there. Maybe try it again.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

I think most of the positive reviews I've seen were individual pizzas...

[UCJen]

We have ADRs here for August. When people say "raw" in the middle, do you mean the dough is still raw or that it just seems undercooked in contrast to the edges?

One word about Chicago-style pizza--that's not pizza. It's like a casserole. :ack: I don't know anybody who eats Chicago-style pizza outside of tourists. ;)

[BrerGnat]

We have ADRs here for August. When people say "raw" in the middle, do you mean the dough is still raw or that it just seems undercooked in contrast to the edges?

One word about Chicago-style pizza--that's not pizza. It's like a casserole. :ack: I don't know anybody who eats Chicago-style pizza outside of tourists. ;)

Honestly, I think most people's "raw" pizza is just soft in the middle. That dough is SO thin that I can't imagine it being actually raw if it spends even just 2 minutes in that 850 degree oven. It cooks that fast. Neapolitan pizza dough (in the true, authentic style) has a very simple test of "quality":

Is the edge of the pie slightly charred, while the majority of the crust is soft enough to fold WITHOUT cracking or breaking? If YES, that's true Neapolitan pizza.

This is the style of pizza Naples makes. When you pick up a slice, it doesn't "stand" on its own. You have to support it with your hands, or it will "flop". That's how it should be. :thumbsup:

[artyboy]

I understand the style of pizza, I've had it before. This had obviously been placed too close to the fire. It wasn't lightly charred on the edges like I was expecting...it was black from the edge to where the toppings started and the center wasn't soft, it still had some "liquidy" qualities.

I assume that because they were so busy they were just cranking the pizzas out as fast as possible. Ours arrived in less than 10 minutes from placing the order.

No, we didn't eat it. I asked the server to take it away...he offered no sign of getting me a properly cooked one. I asked for the manager to come see it before he took it away...nope...he just took it. I then found the manager, explained the situation, and paid only for my drinks. The only "I'm sorry" I got was from the manager...I never saw the server again.

That's how it all happened...and that's why it's on my never-again list.

But I still say the good far outweighed the bad on this trip!

[darthmacho]

WOW! Great post!

Glad to hear about Artist Point and Yak and Yeti, both beloved places of mine. Interested in Sanaa!

Not surprised about former favorite Pecos, as I think the atmosphere changes completely when the crowds are huge. Shocked about Casey's, I had a great experience there last trip, good food, and top notch service.

Hoping it was an off night for Napoli as I'm looking forward to trying this next trip. Either way, I'm appalled by the reaction of the waiter to your complaint.

Thanks for the info! :mickey:

[BrerGnat]

I understand the style of pizza, I've had it before. This had obviously been placed too close to the fire. It wasn't lightly charred on the edges like I was expecting...it was black from the edge to where the toppings started and the center wasn't soft, it still had some "liquidy" qualities.

I assume that because they were so busy they were just cranking the pizzas out as fast as possible. Ours arrived in less than 10 minutes from placing the order.

No, we didn't eat it. I asked the server to take it away...he offered no sign of getting me a properly cooked one. I asked for the manager to come see it before he took it away...nope...he just took it. I then found the manager, explained the situation, and paid only for my drinks. The only "I'm sorry" I got was from the manager...I never saw the server again.

That's how it all happened...and that's why it's on my never-again list.

But I still say the good far outweighed the bad on this trip!

Thanks for the clarification! From your original post, I had assumed you just paid for and ate the pizza anyway, and were disappointed. Glad to hear you made your issues known to the manager. Sorry the waiter couldn't have cared less. Not cool. :( Glad the rest of your dining experiences were good though!

[brownie]

Sorry you had a bad experience at Via Napoli. I'd give it another chance. We had an awesome experience there and have added it to our list of must do's for every trip.

[Tink1]

Sorry you had a bad experience at Via Napoli. I'd give it another chance. We had an awesome experience there and have added it to our list of must do's for every trip.

We did as well. BUT, it is not NY or Chicago Pizza by any means. It is like the pizza we used to get here as kids though, when the Italian speaking grandmothers made it.

The Grandmothers are long dead and now most pizza here is NY style, with some Sicilian style.

Friends that went on the Viva Italia ABD said it was exactly how the pizza was in Italy.

Nanc

[EeyoresBestFriend]

The Bads:

Pecos Bill's...worst experience here ever...cheese sauce looked like they put out yesterday's stuff and watered it down...burger was flavorless...bun like a sponge...fries cold...it was a madhouse, so we couldn't do anything about it...ate a couple bites and went elsewhere.


Interesting that you noticed this . . . .

For alot of years this was DH & my favourite burger place, bar none. Last October we went there and were surprised by the tasteless piece of shoe leather that greeted us in the bun. :( We were both soooo disappointed since Pecos Bills historically has had one of the best CS burgers on site that we have found. We hoped this was just an off day . . . .

Anyone been there recently to see if it is as good as it used to be a few years ago or has it gone downhill? :confused:

[BrerGnat]

Anyone been there recently to see if it is as good as it used to be a few years ago or has it gone downhill? :confused:

I had a really, REALLY good burger and fries (and cheese sauce!) meal there on May 26th. Honestly, the place was crazy busy, so maybe that had something to do with it. Food was hot, fresh, and delicious. My burger was actually juicy (I know!) and the bun seemed freshly toasted--it had a sheen on top of it and was sort of crispy on the outside but soft and hot on the inside. My cheese sauce was so hot it actually burned me (my fault!). Fries were hot and crispy, and not greasy at all.

I even wrote about this meal in my trip reports. I've always liked Pecos Bill's, but never found it to be extraordinary. However, this meal went down as the BEST CS burger and fries I've ever had on property at WDW, ever.

So, I guess the point of my story is: Pecos Bill, just like literally EVERY food joint at WDW suffers from being consistently inconsistent. :crazy:

[UCJen]

Hey!

We just got back from an 11 day trip...had some awesome dining experiences...I'll post the good first.

The Good:

Citricos was fabulous as always...I had a grilled peach salad, a piece of Char that was lovely with a tomato broth and pearl pasta and the cheese plate.



Hi Artyboy.

I have ADRs for Citricos in August and I am interested in hearing more about your experiences here. I love cheese boards as a dessert and would like to know what cheeses you were served. I've never been and I cancelled California Grill to eat here.

Cheers.

[Kairi_7378]

Thank you for sharing your dining experiences... the good and not so good. It was very helpful for me to read them.

Sherri, I think that your post about individual pizzas vs. whole pies makes sense and if we ever eat at Via Nappoli I think we would do that, based on what I've read in this thread.

[BrerGnat]

Sherri, I think that your post about individual pizzas vs. whole pies makes sense and if we ever eat at Via Nappoli I think we would do that, based on what I've read in this thread.

Plus, that way, you get to try more than one kind. ;)

[artyboy]

Hi Artyboy.

I have ADRs for Citricos in August and I am interested in hearing more about your experiences here. I love cheese boards as a dessert and would like to know what cheeses you were served. I've never been and I cancelled California Grill to eat here.

Cheers.

I wish I had written them down...but from memory, we had a very soft goat cheese...a strong blue, and I believe a manchengo (sp?)...with some fruit and honey. I may be mixing it up though, as I had cheese plates at several restaurants. It's my favorite thing for dessert

[Kairi_7378]

Plus, that way, you get to try more than one kind. ;)

:thumbsup:

[MinnieMommie]

Great meals! Glad you like Kona. I think it is an unsung gem. Agree about the service at Yak and Yeti - have eaten there several times and never had a good server (even on my birthday) - have decided not to select to dine there again on our upcoming trip.

Sorry about Via Napoli. We ordered several menu items when we dined there on our last trip and all were good as was the service. We also ordered a pizza (not individual size) to try.

I had read posts such as yours about the crust being burnt (atypically) so I was apprehensive. The pizza was perfectly cooked although not the best pizza I have ever tasted and I agree expensive for what it is.

Glad you brought the unevenly cooked pizza to the attention of the manager. There is nothing like poor service (in addition to inedible food) to ruin a meal.

[EeyoresBestFriend]

I had a really, REALLY good burger and fries (and cheese sauce!) meal there on May 26th. Honestly, the place was crazy busy, so maybe that had something to do with it. Food was hot, fresh, and delicious. My burger was actually juicy (I know!) and the bun seemed freshly toasted--it had a sheen on top of it and was sort of crispy on the outside but soft and hot on the inside. My cheese sauce was so hot it actually burned me (my fault!). Fries were hot and crispy, and not greasy at all.

I even wrote about this meal in my trip reports. I've always liked Pecos Bill's, but never found it to be extraordinary. However, this meal went down as the BEST CS burger and fries I've ever had on property at WDW, ever.

So, I guess the point of my story is: Pecos Bill, just like literally EVERY food joint at WDW suffers from being consistently inconsistent. :crazy:

Awesome!! Thanks for the feedback! I was hoping it was just an "off day" thing and sounds like it was. Yay!! :woohoo:

Can't wait to try again in November!! :cloud9: