by Ron James

Created on: August 23, 2010

I have found the Italian eatery of my dreams in Orlando, Florida.

Now, Orlando is a place jam packed with Italian restaurants. A quick glance through the menu cards and brochures in the hotel lobby revealed at least a dozen within a mile or two of the hotel. There are all the usual chain places, like Olive Garden and Maggiano's Little Italy. The main thoroughfares are crowded with everything from upscale ristorante to downscale pizzerias. But the crown jewel of Italian cuisine is hidden in a place many would not think to look.

Loew's Portofino Bay Hotel is a luxury resort located at 5601 Universal Blvd., adjacent to the world-famous Universal Orlando Resort. Like so many facilities in this theme-crazy town, it is a themed hotel. In this case, the hotel is designed to emulate an Italian villa. Buried fairly deep inside the facade are a number of Italian eateries; a gelateria, a pizzeria, a market deli, a trattoria, and a couple of more upscale ristorante. It was one of the latter that brought mio cucina di sogno Italiana to life; Mama Della's Risorante.

At first, I was afraid the place wasn't going to pass my personal “Italian Restaurant Test.” (I ask for a menu or I request or confirm reservations in Italian. If I get a blank stare and a nervous smile from the host or hostess, the place is on the downslide to potential failure.) I approached the hostess. She greeted me with, “Buona sera.” So far, so good. “Buona sera,” I replied. “Abbiamo prenotazioni per tre.” (“We have reservations for three.”) After the dreaded blank stare and nervous smile, she asked, “Do you have reservations?” Oooooo! That hurt!

But, as it turns out, she was about the only person in the place who didn't speak Italian. The waiters, the strolling musicians, even “Mama” herself, all spoke fluent Italian – embarrassingly more fluent than mine, which, under the circumstances, I didn't mind at all.

Once you get past the non-Italian speaking hostess, you are transported to “Mama's house.” The idea here is to give the impression of eating in a typical Italian home, presided over by a typical Italian “mama.” The furniture is simple, some pieces are even mismatched. The walls are papered with homey printed wallpaper. My party of three was seated near the front of the restaurant, which, although very busy, did not give off a vibe of being rushed or bustling. Every aspect of service was

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>