Through a torrential downpour we made our soggy way to L'Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante (or Alfredo's for short) in the Italian pavilion at Epcot for dinner one evening. The rain was just breaking as we entered the posh lobby with crystal chandeliers and walls covered with black and white photos of old-time celebrities enjoying Alfredo’s famous dish at the original restaurant which opened in Italy in the 1900s. My mom, sister Ally and Aunt Linda and I settled down in the more-comfortable-than-they-look Victorian settees to wait for our table to be ready. Several moments later, I was engrossed in watching the chef making pasta through the huge window which takes up part of the wall of the lobby. Having an advance dining reservation certainly paid off as people walking into the restaurant were being turned away as the restaurant was already booked for the evening at 4:30 in the afternoon. After a short wait, we were shown to our table in the main dining room of the restaurant. The restaurant was boisterous, crowded, and noisy. If you are looking for a quiet, romantic dining experience, Alfredo’s is not for you. However, if you are looking for a fun time with excellent food, Alfredo’s is a good bet tucked in the back of the Italian pavilion.

Our server was friendly and attentive and arrived several seconds after we were sat. Mom and Ally decided to skip the appetizers and specialty drinks while Aunt Linda ordered Mozzarella alla Caprese and I ordered a Rossini, a drink with champagne and strawberries. Our drinks with fresh bread and virgin olive oil arrived minutes later. The Mozzarella alla Caprese was delicious, the tomatoes fresh and juicy with the mozzarella nice and moist and covered in olive oil. The Rossini was also outstanding, made with fresh strawberries and an excellent vintage if I guessed right. The dining room, as I said was loud and enjoyed a buzzing atmosphere. There was a singer with a violin who made his way around the room and started several impromptu sing-alongs throughout our meal. At one point, all the cast members and diners were spinning our napkins in the air and shouting along with a song. Our dinners took a bit long to arrive but were well worth the wait. Ally and Aunt Linda ordered the signature dish of the restaurant, Le Originali Fettuccine all'Alfredo (see photo). It certainly lived up to its reputation. The sauce was creamy and fresh with tasty homemade fettuccine pasta. However, a word to the wise: the dinner portion is massive and could easily have been shared by two people. I suggest doing what my aunt did and ordering the appetizer portion which is still a large portion but a bit more easy on the stomach especially when you plan on hitting up the French bakery later.

I had ordered spaghetti and meatballs which wasn’t on the menu but when I asked, our server was more than happy to order for me. The dish was also a huge portion of homemade pasta and tomato sauce but the meatballs were the best I’ve ever had and the sauce full of tomatoey goodness. My mother turned out to be the most adventurous and ordered the Trittico di Pasta (see photo), a dish that consists of smaller portions of three different dishes. A piece of lasagna, very tasty and full of fresh ricotta cheese, ground beef and tomato sauce, a healthy portion of Ziti in tomato sauce which was my mom’s favorite part of the meal, and pasta dumplings that were stuffed with black truffles, mushrooms and cheese and were my favorite part of the dish. They had a different taste to them, a little on the doughy side with the pasta dumpling but they were covered with the Alfredo sauce and freshly grated cheese which made them delicious and a unique entrée I felt worth trying.

Unfortunately, after having sampled everyone’s dish and, with everyone ending up with a different dish in front of them, we were all too stuffed to sample a dessert but the dessert tray passed us several times while we were dining and I’d go back just to try one of those scrumptious dishes that kept passing me covered in chocolate and whipped cream. Through out the meal, we had constant attention to keep our drinks fresh and our bread basket full. The rain also stopped completely while we were eating and the sun came out so that the outside dining terrace could be used and if I ate at Alfredo’s again, this is where I’d like to sit. It seemed a little calmer than the inside dining room and let’s face it, when you’re in Italy, you want to dine al fresco. Overall, Alfredo’s was a fun dining experience with excellent food and attentive service that I would definitely enjoy again.

To find out when you can plan your Advance Dinner Reservation for Alfredo's, go to the PS Report.

Editor's Notes: I would like to thank Krystal Thomas (tink85 on the DISBoards) for volunteering to do this PS Spotlight. This is her fifth review, click here to see what she thought about Mexico's San Angel Inn, Boardwalk's Spoodles, Magic Kingdom's Crystal Palace and Plaza restaurants.