by Pixie Dusted Diva
One of Disney’s newest restaurants which opened in December is Trattoria al Forno, an authentic Italian restaurant located at Disney’s Boardwalk. The restaurant is open daily for breakfast and dinner and accepts the Disney Dining Plan. Reservations can be made through Disney Dining at 407-WDW-DINE.
After a day at Epcot, we headed towards Disney’s Boardwalk area by the International Gateway exit. For those not familiar with the exit, it is between France and the United Kingdom in the World Showcase. Not 
knowing where the restaurant was exactly located, we decided to go left towards the Boardwalk hotel. If we would have continued straight, the Beach Club and Yacht Club hotels would have been on our right (and if would have been the long way!) We made the right decision as after a short walk the restaurant was on our right. Trattoria al Forno replaced Kouzzina by Cat Cora, which closed in September. After checking in, we were seated immediately as there was not a wait at all, which I was pleasantly surprised. Our reservation was for 5:30 p.m.
While I enjoy Italian food, I am not Italian. To save our waiter all the questions we did google several items on the menu so we knew what our choices were (and what we would be eating!) I am not a foodie by any means; actually I’m pretty picky. I always check the menu before booking any restaurant to make sure everyone in my party will like something on the menu. The menu is divided into sections, Antipasti, Pizza al Forno a Legna, Pasta e Riso and Carni e Pesci. (Click here for the menu)
I played it safe and ordered an all-time favorite of mine, chicken breast alla parmigiana aka chicken parm. However, the menu stated it came with tagliatelle, which I was able to substitute for another type of pasta. We also ordered the braised beef bolognese with house made cavatelli, slow-cooked lamb shank with soft polenta and the kids’ cheese pizza slices.
A large selection of beer and wine are offered, but we did not order any. Water pitchers are placed on the table for 
self-service.
After we ordered, our server brought over several loaves of warm ciabatta bread. There were plates and small cans of tuscan olive oil on the table. We asked for more bread and our waiter gladly brought more out.
When the meals arrived, I have to admit that I was expecting a larger portion size based on our conversation with our waiter. That being said, I was able to finish three-quarters of my meal. I am also not a huge fan of sauce, but the taste of the sauce was not overpowering. The chicken did have fresh mozzarella cheese on it, and the waiter also brought fresh parmesan cheese when we asked. One thing I noticed was there were not any salt or pepper shakers on the table. Both the men (my husband and Dad) finished their meals. Now if you know Disney meals, this doesn’t always 
happen. The kid’s meals included two slices of cheese pizza, which my seven-year old daughter was able to finish easily, but it didn’t come with anything else.
Now on to the best part, dessert! A variety of Italian coffees and espressos are offered to accompany your dessert choices. Some of the dessert choices include tiramisu, gelato, cannoli and chocolate cake.
Trattoria al Forno is one of the select table service restaurants participating in the limited time Frozen Fever summer treats. Anna’s birthday cake is available as a dessert; however it was not listed on the dessert menu. When I asked our service if they had the limited time ice cream cake, he wasn’t sure what I was referring to, so he asked someone else. In the end, I was able to get my ice cream cake and it was the most delicious dessert!
Overall the food and experience was good. We would recommend others try the restaurant and we would return again. Ciao!
