Sherman's Food Adventures: Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria

Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria

*Sigh*.  *Double Sigh*.  *Triple Sigh*...  Once again, we were relegated to eating at a restaurant in Downtown Disney.  Other than Earl of Sandwich, the only 2 words that can describe eats here are expensive and mediocre.  I wasn't sure what was more painful, waiting in line to see Elsa or eating "only-if-you-have-no-choice" food.  This time around, we paid a visit to Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria which was at the very least something the kiddies would eat.  Besides, we were seated outside in the shade where it was a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of Disneyland.

After starting with some complimentary bread with olive oil and balsamic, we moved onto more carbs in the large Popette Neapolitan pizza comprised of meatballs, roasted peppers and onions, tomato sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan.  This featured a fairly thin crust that was soft in the middle and crispy along the edges.  We would've liked to see more leoparding though. The tomato sauce was rather bland with some tail-end tartness (the peppers really helped add more zip).  Ultimately, it was okay and served its purpose.  We also tried the Lasagna consisting of eight layers. Even with the promise of creamy béchamel and Bolognese meat sauce, the whole thing was dry.  It was like eating a cake made with noodles that tasted like Parm and nutmeg.  A bit disappointing for $20.00.

For the kiddies, they tried the Penne with cream sauce.  Believe it or not, this was better than the previous 2 dishes combined.  At least the pasta had the right al dente texture and there was enough sauce to keep things moist.  With that being said, the sauce was a bit watery and lacking in overall effectiveness.  But with the sprinkle of Parm, there was at least enough saltiness to go around.  Of course, the requisite Mac n' Cheese made its appearance at the table.  Again, this was okay with not-overly-soft pasta and just enough sauce that clung onto each piece of macaroni.  It was sufficiently cheesy, but again, it wasn't totally bursting with flavor either.  Bottom line, the kids ate it willingly.

I added a side of Creamy Polenta with Parm just because I love polenta (no, I'm not turning vegetarian here).  As much as the texture was fine, it wasn't creamy as advertised.  Rather, it was more porridge like with very little seasoning and not enough cheese to make an impact.  And really, this would probably best describe the food at Naples - acceptable but lacking in flavor.  Naturally, they have the advantage of being located really close to the front gates of both theme parks, hence business will always be good.  Don't get me wrong, it did the job and the kiddies enjoyed themselves, but the prices are really too high for what you get.

The Good:
- Convenient for those who don't want to eat inside Disneyland
- Good for the kiddies

The Bad:
- Food lacking impact for the price
- Service was okay, but somewhat snooty 

Naples Ristorante E Pizzeria on Urbanspoon

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