Taste of Disney

October 2015 Trip Review

This was a first for my DH and I’d only dined there once before, back in May 2012. I found that first meal to be just okay, nothing which warranted a return visit on my next trip…or my next four trips after that. But since Il Mulino focuses on the cuisine from the Abruzzo region of Italy (which is dear to my heart, as my Italian grandparents were from that area ), I felt like I needed to give this restaurant another chance. And since I knew that Niki and her DH were fans of Il Mulino, I thought this would be the perfect time to return.

The restaurant’s interior seemed exactly as I remembered it, with wood floors and contemporary furnishings…

We were seated at a table for 4 and presented with their menu, which was quite large…

We were also presented with this bread basket…

This had at least two breads, a sun dried tomato focaccia and thick slices of Italian bread. Both of these were very good.

Next came a complimentary plate of antipasti…

On this plate was some roasted eggplant caponata topped with grated parmesan along with thin slices of salami. Again both very good.

Now for our appetizers. My husband and I were not all that hungry, as I had had a big lunch and he had a very late lunch. Therefore we wanted something light, so chose to share the…

Prosciutto & Melone – Aged Prosciutto and Seasonal Melon – $11.00

Whenever I’ve had this previously it always consisted of prosciutto (Italian dry-cured ham) and sliced cantaloupe, so I was a little surprised when this was delivered to our table. Not only was the melon served in small balls, but there was also honeydew melon and even a few blackberries thrown into the mix. While the prosciutto was very good, the melon was just okay. I’m not really a big fan of honeydew (I prefer the slightly sweeter cantaloupe, especially with the salty prosciutto), so would have rather had all cantaloupe.

So I would say that Niki and her DH chose the better appetizer…

Calamari Fritti – Lightly fried calamari served with a spicy marinara sauce – $15.00

This was exactly how I like my calamari…much better than the soggy, tomato sauce soaked calamari that I had at Narcoossee’s.

Now on to our entrees, starting with Niki’s choice…

I’m not sure but I believe this was Rigatoni con Funghi (Rigatoni pasta with wild mushrooms, spicy cherry peppers, garlic and truffle oil). I think this was a 1/2 order, but I’m hoping that Niki will remember and jump in here to confirm this and that it was the Rigatoni dish.

Here is her DH’s entree…

Again I’m guessing on this, but I believe it was the Costolette di Maiale (Pork Chop with cherry vinegar peppers and mushroom sauce). I believe that they both enjoyed their entrees, but hopefully Niki will join in and tell you more.

As for my husband and me, we were both happy that Il Mulino allows 1/2 orders of their pasta dishes since neither of us were very hungry. So my husband enjoyed a 1/2 order of the…

Tortellini alla Panna – Meat Tortellini and peas in a cream sauce
(1/2 order – $15.00, or a Full order would have been $23.00)

While I had a half order of the…

Manicotti – Baked pasta stuffed with ricotta and spinach with a tomato basil sauce
(1/2 order – $12.00, or a Full order would have been $24.00)

I found it interesting that a 1/2 order of the manicotti was half the full price of $24, while on the less expensive tortellini the price was only reduced by $8 for a half order. Regardless though, both of these were very good and quite enough to fill us up. While we probably could have shared one full-size entree and saved a few dollars, it was nice to try both of these pasta dishes. My preference though was the manicotti.

We were too full, but Niki and her DH had been traveling all day so had room for dessert…

Tartufo – Italian Gelato encased in chocolate and served with a large dollop each of whipped cream and zabaglione (a mousse-like Italian dessert that is usually made with whipped egg yolks, sugar, and a sweet wine)

Here’s a look inside at the gelato (which I think was hazelnut or maybe almond flavored ) and the macerated cherry in the center…

I had just a taste of this and it was very good!

Oh, and a meal at Il Mulino is not complete without a complimentary glass of limoncello…

 

I’m not a fan of limoncello, so my DH enjoyed two glasses!

So overall my second dinner at Il Mulino was more successful than the first. The food and service were good and the company was great. I will likely return sometime so that I can try some of their meat or seafood entrees, as there were several that caught my eye.

ETA: I forgot to mention that Il Mulino accepts Tables in Wonderland for a 20% discount.