Maria & Enzo's is back at Disney Springs complete with Patina's Dine Safe program and a return of some of the best Italian food you'll find at Walt Disney World.
The restaurant invited us to a media event to see first-hand the new safety measures and to try out some of the favorite dishes that they are known for.
Stepping inside you'll immediately notice some changes that have been made to accommodate physical distancing and even higher standards of cleanliness.
Spacing markers on the floor begin right inside the lobby, and physical barriers are up around the check-in podium. Hand sanitizer takes a prominent position at the entrance - and it is a rather fancy one too.
The main dining room looks as impressive as ever, and all the tables are still in place, so it retains that grand feel.
However, to maintain lots of physical spacing between you and other parties, many of the tables are marked as unavailable.
As you would expect, all of the staff are wearing masks, and servers are also wearing face shields in addition to the masks. Menu's are digital, meaning you scan a code on the table to launch a copy of the menu on your phone - another way to minimize physical contact. For anyone without a phone, single use menus are also available.
Disney has done a great job with enforcing health protocols in its theme parks and this also extends to Disney Springs. The third party operators have also met the same high standards which is great to see. It put our minds at rest to be dining there, and for a few hours you can stop focussing on COVID-19 and enjoy a great meal and wonderful service.
Moving onto the food, we are happy to report that the food is as great as ever. Led by Executive Chef Charlie Restivo, who has some real passion for his job, Maria & Enzo's is one of those restaurants that is very consistent, and is as good today as it was on opening day. Something that you don't often find.
If you are looking for some recommendations, you can't go wrong by starting with the meats and cheese board. It is Prosciutto di Parma cured 24 Months, Salami Piccante Finocchiona, Parmigianino, Pecorino, Fontina Olives, and Grissini bread sticks. This one is a Maria & Enzo's must-do.
Something a bit lighter is the Insalata Della Casa - mixed baby greens, cucumbers, pickled peppers, cherry tomatoes olives, ricotta salta. There is a wonderful dressing on this one that really elevates the flavor.
Maria and Enzo's makes everything from scratch in-house, and that really shows in the pasta and meatballs.
Patina know pizza from Via Napoli and Pizza Ponte, and it is particularly good at Maria & Enzo's.
Onto entrees and one of the restauran'ts signature dishes - Pollo alla Parmigiana. It is a lightly breaded chicken breast, tomato sauce, fior di latte mozzarella, parmigiano-reggiano with spaghetti pomodoro. Big enough to split along with some other smaller dishes, or a great choice for your own main course.
The drink menu is varied, full of Italian wines and some great speciality cocktails with some ingredients you wont find everywhere. Some of our favorites include the Little Italy - bulleit rye whiskey, carpano, cynar, maraschino cherry, and the Ligurian Sunrise - caravella limoncello, 1800 silver tequila, lemon juice, fresh basil, lemon.
The star of the dessert menu is the scratch made Cannoli Siciliano - it is huge and one of the best you'll find anywhere.
For chocolate lovers, go with the Chocolate Ganache - bittersweet chocolate tart, toasted marshmallow meringue and orange caramel.
Disney Springs is still in a phased reopening, and most locations are operating on reduced hours. Maria & Enzo's operating hours are currently 5pm to 10pm daily, and reservations can be made online.
You can also take advantage of a new promotional program - 'Weekdays at Disney Springs.' Taking place Monday-Thursday through October 29 2020 with participating locations offering at least one featured menu item at a 20% discount. Just mention 'Weekdays at Disney Spring's in order to receive discount on the Pollo Alla Parmigiana at Maria & Enzo's.
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