Review of Trattoria Al Forno

I would give this place five stars for breakfast...but not for dinner.

We were staying in the Boardwalk area and came here almost every day for breakfast. It was GREAT. Chef Brad is an absolute gem. He personally took my order each day, prepared my food, brought it to the table, and came back out to check on me. Unfortunately, the Bob's Red Mill mix they use for the gluten-free Mickey waffles has changed; waffles were gummy. (Chef Brad warned me, but I can't resist a GF Mickey waffle!) Eggs and bacon were delicious, though. I tried the scrambled eggs with tomato/mozzarella and the frittata on different days. The frittata was probably one of the best things I've ever eaten. French press coffee is the best I've had at Disney.

We came for dinner midway through our vacation, which was a less enjoyable experience...there were two chefs on duty, who came out to the table, and I placed my order with them. I had the fried calamari and the chicken parm (barilla gluten free spaghetti w/ marinara sauce on the side), with a scoop of chocolate gelato for dessert. The bread crumbs they use for the calamari/chicken parm are all gluten-free for the entire restaurant, and the fryer is supposed to be a gluten-free zone. They have a separate "station" for allergy, with separate cookware. They told me all gelato flavors were safe. But I was sick the next day. Not full-blown symptoms, thankfully...but I strongly suspect some cross-contamination.

I did come back for breakfast two days later, with some trepidation. Told Chef Brad about what happened, and he clearly felt awful. He brought me two Enjoy Life chocolate bars...and also offered my aunt and I free passes to an ice cream tasting for later that day. We didn't go...but he's a class act. And that breakfast did not make me ill.

I think it ultimately comes down to the chef...and how busy the restaurant is. Breakfast wasn't busy while we were there...dinner was definitely happening, though, and something clearly went wrong in the shuffle. :(