A Cozy Meal at Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano | the disney food blog

A Cozy Meal at Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano

This post is in honor of StudiosCentral.com‘s “Disney’s Hollywood Studios Awareness Week,” so…be aware! 😉

Mama Melrose Lobby Decor

I’ve mentioned on the blog before before that I’ve never truly understood the theme of Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano. According to the storyline, Mama Melrose came to the United States from Italy, but wanted to become a Hollywood star. Moving to California, she didn’t “make it” as an actress, so she opened a restaurant, decorated it as a shrine to all things Hollywood, and started serving her Italian family favorites.

Atmosphere
So, although the story is a bit thin for Disney in my opinion, it’s still fun to wander around the restaurant to see how they’ve carried off the Italy-meets-California theme. The dark wood and red [Read more…]

The Most Popular Disney World Restaurants (And Alternatives When They’re Full)

By AJ 33 Comments

Chef Donald

You guys remember when we covered the Top Ten Disney Dining Tips, right? Overwhelmingly, the tip that was mentioned the most by Disney Food Blog readers was making Advanced Dining Reservations for high priority meals at Disney parks and resorts.

While this might be obvious to many, not everyone knows which Disney restaurants fill up the fastest when it comes to reservations. Having a little frame of reference on this might be extremely helpful as you’re planning your Disney dining and trying to determine what meals are high priority for you. So, I’ve prepared a little primer on which Disney restaurants are the toughest to book, along with great alternatives if you don’t happen to get your favorites!:

1. Le Cellier

Le Cellier Steakhouse

has been, for years, one of the toughest tickets in Disney World for both lunch and dinner. Seriously, I have heard Le Cellier cast members mention more than once that they’re continuously booked up for lunch and dinner 6 months in advance, with walk-up reservations rarely an option. In my opinion, this is due to three things: [Read more…]

It’s All About the Crispies

By AJ 42 Comments

One of everyone’s favorite easy-to-make and easy-to-enjoy snacks is the Rice Krispie Treat. Clearly Disney understands this phenomenon and has capitalized on it. These days, Disney’s customized “crisped rice treats” seem to have become as ubiquitous as any other classic Disney parks treat.

Classic giant Mickey head Crisped Rice Treat

So, being the Disney Food Blog, I was just waiting until I had enough pics to really do them justice. What’s incredible is the sheer variety of things Disney has done with these little snap-crackle-pop puffed rice pieces! “Crisped Rice” + Marshmallow + Butter + Imagineers = big bucks, I’d imagine!

Experience the Magic

I’d like to share with you some of my favorite “crisped rice treats” in the Disney parks, but first of all, here’s a little tip: Did you know that you can watch Disney’s Confectioners create these goodies? You can! Just head to the Main Street Confectionery in Disney World, where the talented Cast Members are always whipping up something special. Sometimes you’ll see them making caramel apples or fudge, but they’re often churning up some of your favorite light-as-air crispie treats as well!

Making Crispies at The Confectionery

Shaping the Crispies

Finished Crispies on the Cooling Table

Dipped And Decorated Crispies

Now I get to share some of my favorites! Here are some [Read more…]

Disney Food Post Round-Up: June 13, 2010

By AJ 1 Comment

Wow! Lots of Disney food news popping up this week! Here are few of our favorite stories:

Fantasmic Dining Packages announced for Lunch!
Check out the latest announcements of Hacienda de San Angel menu items, Cantina de San Angel menu items, and Via Napoli menu items!
Germany will welcome Karamelle-Kuche (Caramel Kitchen) in September.
You can now book your World of Color picnic packages online!

Also, I want to remind you to check out two new Disney Food Blog additions:

Our Disney Food Blog newsletter is ready to go — sign up here to have fun Disney Food news, info, tips, and photos to be delivered to your inbox straight from DBF headquarters!
The Disney Food Blog Photo Extravaganza flickr group is up and running! If you’re a flickr member, come join us and add your pics to the pool!

And now — on to the round-up!

Laura and Jeanine’s Salute to All things Disney but Mostly Disneyland has a great look at some of the World of Color picnic options.

Touring Plans Blog has an awesome post about dining in Disney with special diet needs.

The Disney Chick makes sweet bread from Kona Cafe in Disney’s Polynesian Resort!

The “World” According to Jack takes us to Tokyo Disneyland’s Club 33!!! It KILLS me that there are no food pics in this post, Jack. 😉

Zannaland has her interview of Raglan Road’s Chef Kevin Dundon up this week!

Disney Every Day reviews Disney World’s House of Blues! Yum!

Main St Gazette heads to the Studio Catering Company in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

DF ’82 shares the menu from Hakuna Matata counter-service restaurant in Disneyland Paris. Frites Hakuna, anyone?

Chip and Co features their favorite Quick Service locations in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Disney Parks Blog showcases the opening of Disney California Adventure’s Wine Country Trattoria.

Also, check out a couple of guest blog posts I did this week (about Disney Food, of course!). Thanks to Anna and Grey for their hospitality:

Cookie Madness allowed me to showcase my amateur baking skills on this Artist Point Berry Cobbler!

Solo Friendly let me create an itinerary for my dream day traveling solo to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival!

Finally, I know it’s NOT Disney, but…it’s cool…

Scott Joseph Orlando reviews The Three Broomsticks in Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Disney World Dining Details for the World Cup Games

By AJ 1 Comment

Disney has announced some great ways to catch the games! Plan ahead and make reservations to dine in style while catching the games with other fans!

Raglan Road at Downtown Disney, where you’ll be able to watch the games on two 50-inch screens, will open at 10 a.m. throughout June. They’ll serve a full Irish breakfast all day and offer happy hour drinks and food specials.
ESPN Club on the Boardwalk will start serving at 10:30 a.m. for all early game days June 11-29 and July 2-3.
The Grill at the ESPN Wide World of Sports will be offering a limited breakfast menu for early games and lunch for the 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. games. From June 26-July 10, the Grill will offer a buffet with guaranteed seating. On July 11, you can dine in a special viewing area during the game.
For reservations, call 407-WDW-DINE

Enjoy!

Source: Disney Parks Blog

Epcot Germany’s Karamelle-Kuche to Open in Late September

By AJ 10 Comments

New info has surfaced about the Werther’s Candy Shop in Germany, set to open in September 2010.

The official name will be Karamelle-Kuche, or “caramel kitchen,” and the shop will take over the prior Glas and Porzellan shop in Epcot’s Germany. The store will feature a show kitchen, in which cast members will be making caramel popcorn and apples, and caramel-covered strawberries.

The shop will also sell gourmet caramels, cookies, brownies, fudge, and cupcakes. This is the only free-standing shop in the world for Storck, the makers of Werther’s candies, so there will be some one-of-a-kind items there as well.

Source: Disney Parks Blog

Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Sandwich

By AJ 22 Comments

Now, you know I don’t post on Saturdays if I can help it, but I was much too much craving this little sandwich to not tell you all about it.

Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Sandwich

Graham crackers. Peanut Butter. Chocolate.

That’s really all you need to know, but I’ll expound.

This particular little sandwich was found at Pooh Corner in Disneyland, which really is the heart of all things sweet and wonderful in Critter Country. You can find them all over Disneyland, though; so pop into any candy shop. Sadly these have been discontinued in Disney World, where you can only find the s’mores version now.

Pooh Corner in Critter Country

Basically, you start with a graham cracker, pile half an inch of peanut butter on top (the good, sugary, stand-up-on-its-own kind of peanut butter, too — not that creamy stuff you put on toast and celery), then smother the whole thing in a ton of milk chocolate. Wondering why it’s called a sandwich when there isn’t a second graham cracker? Me, too. But I didn’t see one in the photo. Do you?

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cross Section

Anyway, I think we can all agree that We Love Pooh for this one, right?

Have a great weekend! See you tomorrow for the Disney Food Post Round-Up!

Fantasmic! Lunch Dining Packages Announced

By AJ 2 Comments

Disney World has extended their popular Fantasmic! Dining Packages into the lunch hours! Lunch packages with reserved seating at the show are now available at The Hollywood Brown Derby and Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano. Here are the details:

Packages can be booked on all dates when Fantasmic! is scheduled
Guests should arrive 30-45 minutes prior to the show time to take advantage of their designated seating
When there are two performances on the same night, the package is valid for the first performance only
Make reservations by calling (407) WDW-DINE (939-3463) up to 180 days in advance
Don’t forget to pick up your VIP voucher for Fantasmic! at the end of the meal

Source: Disney Parks Blog

The Megalosaurus, Giganto, Paleozoic T-Rex Review

By AJ 22 Comments

What is T-Rex? Part Dinosaur, Part Cotton-tini, Part Ice Cave.

Let me explain: if you’re a fan of Rainforest Cafe and other themed restaurants, you’ll love T-Rex. It takes themeing to the max — meteor showers, ice-bound wooly mammoths, a moving octopus bar — it’s all there. And it is what you make it. If you’re expecting gourmet food and bend-over-backwards service, you’re in the wrong place. If you’re expecting a fun, entertaining meal with decent grub and lots to look at — Welcome to T-Rex!

Atmosphere
Located in Disney World’s Downtown Disney, T-Rex is a prehistoric carnival of themeing. Each room has a different focus: an ice cave, complete with shifting colors and an embedded T-Rex skeleton; and undersea room with giant jellyfish lampshades and a moving octopus presiding over the bar; a meteor shower room, where you’d better watch out every 10 minutes or so; a fern forest with giant wasps and a triceratops so big you can seat three parties in his…midsection…? And it goes on from there!

Ice Cave with T-Rex Skeleton

Triceratops Seating Area

Moving Octopus Bar

Octopus Hidden Mickey

[Read more…]

Hacienda de San Angel Menu Alert

By AJ 16 Comments

New info and items from the Hacienda de San Angel menu and the Cantina de San Angel menu have just been announced. Both restaurants are scheduled to open in September 2010.

La Hacienda de San Angel

The Hacienda will seat 250 and will serve as a table service eatery for dinner only, opening at 4pm. (And I’ve heard that all the chairs will face the windows, so that everyone has a great view of Illuminations!)

The Hacienda de San Angel Menu will include:

queso fundido (warm cheese with poblano pepper and chorizo)
taco trio with rib eye
roasted chicken and pork
traditional black bean soup
mixed grill for two with flank steak, chicken, chorizo and vegetables (a seafood version features grouper, shrimp and scallops)
roasted shrimp in pepper garlic broth
flank steak with spring onions, refried beans and cactus leaves
grilled red snapper with roasted corn and cactus leaves
Chocolate churros
sweet tamales
fruit empanadas

La Cantina de San Angel

The Cantina will operate as it always has, opening at 11am and serving quick-service dishes throughout the day. It will seat 150.

The La Cantina de San Angel menu will include:

chicken and beef tacos on fresh handmade corn tortillas
nachos
cheese empanada
guacamole and chips
churros

Click to see all of our coverage, including construction photos, of the creation of La Hacienda de San Angel.

Source: Hooray for the Disney Parks Blog

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A Cozy Meal at Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano