In the midst of the hustle and bustle of Walt Disney World is Portobello, a Downtown Disney restaurant celebrating the flavors of the Italian countryside. Part of what brings us back to Portobello time and time again is the simple yet full flavors of their dishes. Its a place where I savor the fragrances that accompany the tasty dishes. My favorite is their wood-fired Pesto-marinated chicken calzone-style sandwich with fontina cheese. A dish I first tried upon the recommendation of our server. He encouraged me to move beyond my previous favorite the Chicken Farfalle with the wood fired chicken, snow peas, asparagus, tomatoes tossed in a parmesan cream sauce with the bowtie pasta. His gentle encouragement was much appreciated when the sandwich arrived accompanied by housemade crisp rosemary potato chips. Very tasty and quite large, if my husband wasn’t a vegetarian I would’ve happily shared it with him. Doobie’s favorite is their Quattro Fromaggi wood-fired pizza. It’s a relatively thin crust pizza with sundried tomatoes, mozzarella, gorgonzola, parmigiano and fontina. We are both fond of their complimentary Roasted Garlic to spread on their rolls
This Summer Portobello introduced limited time menu specials that highlight local farmer’s market items such as Pasta Primavera with Penne pasta tossed in a private label olive oil, garlic and fresh vegetables from the farmer’s market and Green Tomatoes Milanese – Fried green tomatoes with arugula and shitake bacon salad, with a roasted tomato vinaigrette. Unfortunately I haven’t had a chance to try those but have marked down on the calendar this week’s special (available 8/21 – 8/31), a Florida peach bread pudding with blueberry puree and locally crafted gelato.
And if that’s not enough to get your taste buds watering, early this summer Portobello introduced the latest dining trend, Meatball Sliders. I’m unsure if it’s the economy or our focus on eating better but I’m in favor of this dining trend towards smaller sized, smaller priced options. It gives the consumer the opportunity to dine out and enjoy the social elements of that experience without recklessly abandoning dietary or fiscal concerns.
Portobello offers four varieties of meatballs each served on a soft mini bread roll with a splash of tomato basil sauce — Beef & Veal with Parsley, Spicy Pork, Chicken with Sage, and Salmon with Tarragon. At a July tasting for the new offerings I sampled several of the varieties and found them all quite tasty. I’ve never had a more moist and flavorful meatball. The spices enhanced the flavor of the meat — neither overpowered nor overpowering. I was surprised by how well the Salmon, Tarragon and the tomato sauce worked together but the Chicken with Sage was my favorite. The sliders are $1.95 ea or 3 for $5. Portobello also features locally brewed and organic beers — a perfect complement to the meatballs. We sampled a few varieties from Orlando Brewing, Florida’s only certified organic brewery. The European Pilz that features a strong hop presence, in fact too “hoppy” for me and the Blackwater Dry Porter was a rich dark ale with surprising mild finish. It’s considered a medium body with chocolate and coffee flavors. My favorite was their Olde Pelican EPA, a medium bodied ale with a nice balance of caramel malt and hops (pictured above).
Unfortunately for the meatballs and the beer who were to be the stars of the evening and deserved to be, their spotlight had to be shared with Portobello’s super-addictive Eggplant Fries — who knew eggplant could be so tasty, certainly not me. And an even bigger surprise of the evening was their beer-amisu — that’s not a typo it’s their super-tasty dessert simliar to a tiramisu but made with Orlando Brewing’s Blackwater Dry Porter.
Portobello strives to bring the fresh ingredients life. They are constantly offering new and exciting dishes that challenges my usual find-a-favorite habit. They continue to rank among our family favorites thanks to the hospitality of the staff and the kitchen staff’s passion for food.
Portobello – Country Italian Trattoria is open 11:30a – 4p (lunch) and 4p – 11p (dinner) Reservations are accepted 90 days in advance and can be made at 407 WDW DINE.