8/2 Via Napoli Opening Day Review, Epcot

 

Time to eat!  Our plates had the Via Napoli logo:

 

 

We decided on the Arancini (fried risotto balls filled with mozzarella and meat ragu, $10.00) as an appetizer, and a 1/2 meter pepperoni pizza ($36.00) to split among our 4-top group.  

The Arancini seemed on the small side for the price, each of us had one of the risotto balls. There wasn't a lot of meat, but quite a bit of delicious cheese inside:

 

 

What the Arancini lacked in size, the pizza made up for!  I am not sure what a 1/2 meter pizza measures up to in the size of a round pizza, but it was more than enough for 4 adults.  The menu says that the Caputo flour is imported from Naples, the sauce is made from San Marzano tomatoes (thought to be the best tomatoes for making pizza), handmade mozzarella, and water from their own wells that are identical to the water found in Naples. The pizza was brought out on a cart, and took up quite a bit of our table. 

Everyone at our table thought the crust was the best part of the pizza – it made the pie unique, and was thin and crispy. The wood fire taste was wonderful without being overpowering.  The cheese isn't thick, but complements the crust.  We all said we'd return for the pizza.  It is expensive at $36, but split between the 4 of us, it wasn't bad for a table service meal and the pizza is high quality.  I think the sweet spot for dining is 4 guests, to share the 1/2 meter.  An individual pizza costs $16.00, and a large for 2-3 people $27.00.  The pepperoni pieces on our pie were bunched up in the middle, which was fine with me since I don't eat it and had pepperoni-free slices. But normally I like toppings to be somewhat evenly spaced. It was the first day, and a very minor quibble. Everyone at the table would have liked the plates to be a little larger as well, since some of the slices of pizza were on the large side.

 

 

 

For dessert, three of us shared the Zeppole Di Catarina (Ricotta cheese fritters with whipped cream and chocolate sauce). There was no apparent sweetener in the cream, so the chocolate gave the sweetness to this delightful, decadent dessert. 

 

 

 

The wood fire burning ovens are the star of the show, named Vesuvio, Stromboli and Etna  – the three major volcanoes in Italy. Remember we have video of them as well!

 

 

 

 

More photos from the food preparation area, which is fully viewable to guests: