New Pizzeria Debuts at Epcot

Via Napoli

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Finally Walt Disney World debuts a pizzeria that puts all others to shame. Don’t expect fast food-style pies at Epcot’s Via Napoli in the Italy Pavilion. This brand-new restaurant, with dark beamed cathedral ceilings and decorative wood-fired ovens (they’re tucked inside the mouths of Roman gods named after volcanoes—Stromboli, Mount Vesuvius and Mount Etna), serves a serious Neapolitan pizza. Manager Misha Mariani tells me the secret is in the crust, which is made from flour imported from Italy and water similar to that used in Naples. (Hmm I’d like to know the source of this secret water because the crust—soft, slightly chewy with a crisp outside—was delicious). I sampled the Margherita pizza topped with imported Italian tomatoes, mozzarella and basil all well balanced, and delved into a platter of fritto misto; the crisp asparagus and tender calamari were lightly battered and perfectly fried. However, I found the candele (think baked ziti) with a sausage ragu, ricotta, mozzarella and tiny Italian meatballs called polpettines a satisfying pasta dish for park hoppers who worked up an appetite. Diners with a sweet tooth can share an order of zeppoles, small ricotta-cheese fritters served with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. After my meal at Via Napoli, I can't help but say, “Theme park dining isn’t what it used to be.”

Tags: Disney | Epcot | food | pizzeria | Via Napoli