For years Jay and I have abided by two informal dining rules while in WDW: no steakhouses and no eye-talian. We are awash in tasty beef here in the armpit of the Midwest so there is no point in visiting a state bordered by vast oceans of succulent seafood only to order a hunk of not-so-well prepared meat; and there are dozens of great home-grown Italian restaurants in Stinktown proper, even if they do over-sauce their pasta. We were never tempted to try Il Mulino, located on the main floor of the WDW Swan, because we didn't think we were missing anything we couldn't get at home.
Were we ever wrong.
I owe thanks to many friends for suggesting on more than one occasion over the last few years that Jay and I pay Il Mulino a visit, because without their reviews and high praise we would never have had the joy of well prepared, lightly sauced pasta, complimentary salami and oily eggplant, and the amazing traveling limoncello bucket.
On this most recent trip we actually found ourselves at Il Mulino three different times: once for dinner in the dining room, once with a group of friends drinking and snacking in the lounge, and one last time for Jay and I to enjoy dinner in the lounge. Food quality and staff service were equally as good in the dining room as in the lounge, and we actually enjoyed our dinner there more than in the dining room because it was so much more comfortable and relaxed. Very few people were in the lounge that evening and we received dedicated and personal service; I also really enjoyed settling in on one of those soft, comfy sofas with the hubba - it was cozy and all romantic-like, especially with premium booze service just steps away!
Typically guests in the dining room are provided with a house appetizer of salami and roasted eggplant and peppers along with a basket of fresh bread and crostini. I loved the salami and munched on that while dragging my bread through olive oil while Jay inhaled the eggplant and peppers.
House appetizer
Jay and I shared an appetizer off the menu that for some reason isn't easy for us to find in Stinktown: Carpaccio di Carne ... thinly sliced Tuscan-style beef served with arugula, extra virgin oilive oil, fresh lemon juice, and Il Mulino's original carpaccio sauce. This dish is the reason that I am now addicted to beef carpaccio ... flavorful beef sliced paper-thin served with peppery arugula and a creamy, slightly spicy sauce ... it's an upside down meat salad!
There's the beef!
For his entree on visit number one, Jay ordered a special not listed on the menu: Buffalo Short Ribs with Squash Puree, Roasted Taters, and a Melody of Vegetable Balls. This was the star of the evening - tender, fall-apart meat with just enough sauce to lend it some fat and flavor with dreamy, creamy baby-food squash. Jay and I thought this was really amazing and were quite impressed with the kitchen's ability to prepare something so outside the "norm" of what guests might expect from an Italian restaurant. Yes Virginia, these folks can cook!!
Short Ribs ... yum!
I played it safe with a half-order of Penne Rigatte and I was very happy - it was perfectly cooked with just the right amount of marinara sauce and ricotta cheese. Il Mulino allows half-orders on all their entrees, and I've found that's a great way to try a little more from their menu without loading up on potentially heavy food.
Noodle, sauce, cheese ... perfection!
Shortly after we ordered dessert the famed limoncello bucket made an appearance at the table - our server asked if we were interested in having some of the good stuff to which we replied, "Filler up!" The limoncello was scooped directly from the chilled bucket right into a glass and then we were able to sip and savor to our hearts' content. It was such a lovely blend of sweet lemon booziness and it was on the house - does it get any better?
Our shared dessert was the Tartufo, a word that I can say all day long and never get tired of, as well as a taste treat that I could eat all day long. It's Italian gelato encased in a chocolate shell and served with standard whipped cream and an espresso whipped cream ... beautiful, gorgeous, delicious ... I want one right now!!!
Tartufo
During our second visit we ordered multiple cheesy pizzas to share, choosing the whole wheat pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella, locatelli, and parmigiano cheeses. I liked this quite a bit but would have preferred more cheese and less sauce - it would have been even better if the tomato sauce had been replaced with a garlic cream sauce. Still, it hit the spot and really paired well with the wine we were drinking that night.
Tre Formaggi
Our final visit found the two of us dining in the lounge where we started with a couple of amazingly tasty drinks: Spring Thyme and an Italian Margarita. Spring Thyme was a seasonal cocktail that may not be available right now, but it was one of the best mixed drinks I had during the entire trip - Hendricks Gin, Cointreau, Fresh Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, Muddled Strawberries and Fresh Thyme. It was refreshing and tasty and oh-so-smooth! The Italian Margarita is an Il Mulino signature cocktail and it's also very good: Don Julio Anejo Tequila, Amaretto, Cointreau, Fresh Sour and a splash of Lime Juice ... it's like an alcoholic sweet tart in a glass!
Spring Thyme? It's Drink Thyme!!
Eye-talian margarita
Our shared appetizer this evening was one of our favorites, although we don't order it often - prosciutto and melon. We thought the serving size was just right for two people and really liked that the fruit selections included more than just melon; there were blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, all of which tasted surprisingly good with the salty prosciutto.
Prosciutto & Melon
I dared to try something new this evening and selected a half-order of Manicotti, which when done well is one of my favorite dishes. This baked pasta with ricotta cheese and tomato sauce was just delicious - the pasta wasn't overcooked, the cheese was light and creamy, and the sauce lent it a perfect tanginess. It was so good I could have ordered another, but I didn't; I opted for a second drink instead!
Manicotti
Jay chose a half-order of Tortellini with creamy pea sauce ... meat filled pastas with peas served in a cream sauce. This is one of his favorite pasta dishes and he thought it was great - tender pasta, sweet peas, and just the right amount of sauce. I don't really care for white sauces with pasta but I did try this and I have to agree with the hubba - it was pretty damn good, even with those pesky peas.
Tortellini alla panna
Il Mulino is a clear winner as far as Jay and I are concerned. We tried them once last year and were happy enough to give them another try on this most recent WDW trip - we couldn't seem to stay away, it was just that good. They have great food and service with a varied and interesting menu; their cocktail and wine menus are terrific, too! This is one of the Walt Disney World Resort's hidden gems - if you enjoy Italian cuisine then you simply must dine at Il Mulino because there's no one at WDW who does it better than they do.
3 comments:
sounds yum! love your reviews!
We have always felt the same about Italian @ Disney World ,until we tried IM for 1st time last month. Great food and service. Hope we can order those short ribs when we return in May. Great review. Thanks!!
Love it! So glad you guys caved and tried an Italian restaurant while in WDW!
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