My Week at Fort Wilderness - Disney - Friday 1/22/2022

 

Looking over Crescent Lake toward the quarter mile promenade of Disney's Boardwalk. The Vacation Club Villa in the center. Shops of every kind line the wooden walkway reminiscent of Atlantic City's Boardwalk and Coney Island. Epcot and Hollywood Studios are easily accessible.

As it turned out we had no plans for Thursday and it was just as well. It was a rainy/drizzly day that would be a family's worst nightmare after spending all that money and securing vacation time and being stuck "having fun" on such a dreary day. 

One doesn't need a Park Pass to enter the Boardwalk but reservations at restaurants, entertainment venues and attractions are a must. Tony drove us to the front of the Villas to drop us off and then went heaven knows where to park. We walked through the beautiful lobby, out the back, down the stairs to the Boardwalk in no time.

Our reservations for for dinner were for 5:30 pm today and is the only topic of my last blog fro my stay at Fort Wilderness. Trattoria al Forno, an Italian restaurant that recently opened and serves breakfast and dinner. 

I purposely did not add captions to the expansive view of the very busy kitchen. CLICK HERE to see the difference when the photographers for Disney's Food Blog takes it to the next level. 

Though the menu has changed since 2014, the presentation reflects opening night. You will get the full impact of the opulence that surrounds this trattoria; the quality and level of service that can only please the visitor. Read also the backstory as to how the restaurant replaced a popular Greek restaurant, Kouzzina and grew from a family owned Italian restaurant. Very impressive. And the food?

When Roberta made these reservations long ago and included me as a guest, I immediately went on line to check out the menu. I immediately chose my dish: Truffle Gnocchi! 

We were first served freshly made and still warm ciabatta bread with
an olive tapenade and olive oil plate for dipping. A small loaf for each of us.
(photo from the Disneyfoodblog)

Tony and I both had the Truffle Gnocchi. 
Gnocchi are dumplings made of flour, semolina, or potatoes, boiled
or baked and served with grated cheese or a sauce. Our servings
were topped with "Frico" and a garnish.

Frico is a crispy, thin fried wafer of cheese; in our case, parmesan, that can be
formed into various shapes for different culinary uses. Moving it aside exposes
the delicious morsels of gnocchi bathed in a Parmesan, Fontina and Pecorino Cream
sauce. It was not listed as one of the ingredients on the menu but
pesto played an important role in providing one of the most divine dishes I've ever had.

Yes, I passed on the dessert of tiramisu. Repeat: I passed on the dessert
of tiramisu. (They did allow me to sample four teaspoons just to try).
The dark and white chocolate sticks delicately resting atop the tiramisu
was a nice touch.

That, for me, was the perfect ending to my week at Fort Wilderness. A breakfast with cousins Norma, Cheri and David on nearby site 727, two days in the park itself, a campfire get together on a cold night  and my meal of the week. Saturday was spent trying to catch up on all I wanted to add and share in my blog which I'll enjoy in the future when looking back on my travels.

I left Sunday morning and headed back the twenty miles to Elite Resorts in Citrus Valley for my next week (and blog entry) before heading down into the Everglades. Hope you enjoyed the experience and, as usual, look forward to any comments. If you do comment, remember to check the blog again in a day or two where you'll read my replies, if any.

Take care, stay warm.