Il Mulino New York Trattoria — Restaurant in Bay Lake

So, in our first visit here about a year ago, we were pretty disappointed. The food was good, but the wait staff was awful - snobby, slow, and uncaring and the clientele seemed to be mostly guys in suits. But, the place keeps getting good review after good review, so, since we were staying in the Swan this time, we decided to give it another try and we're glad we did. First, the place had a real energy to it this time and the clientele was just what you'd expect in a nice place in Disney - a mix of folks on vacation. We'd made a reservation and despite the place being pretty busy, we were seated immediately. The wait staff here works in teams of two and one half of ours showed up just after we were seated and took drink orders, which the second half of the team delivered quickly. We were pretty hungry, so both my wife and I went for appetizers - I had the Arancini di Carne and my wife went with the Tortellini In Brodo. The Arancini were excellent - the red sauce having just the right balance of sweet and spice. The Tortellini In Brodo my wife also enjoyed - meat stuffed tortellini in a chicken broth, what's not to like? For dinner, I had the Pollo Parmigiana and because it came with no sides, I added the Patate Al Rosmarino (roasted potatoes) and my wife had Spaghetti Carbonara. Now, when I ordered, the waiter mentioned that the chicken parm was large, but little did I expect a very large chicken breast that had been flattened out and breaded and was (no kidding here) the size of the entire plate! I mean, the waiter had said it was big when I commented on the no sides, but wow was this thing huge while still being no thinner than a quarter inch anywhere. It was very good as well - the breading was perfect, the chicken was moist without softening up the breading, and the red sauce was excellent. In addition, the potatoes were very good as well - I half wished I wouldn't have ordered them given the size of the chicken, but they were certainly tasty. My wife also enjoyed the spaghetti as well - a large portion of a classic dish done perfectly, she thoroughly enjoyed it. So, needless to say, we weren't up for desert, but if they're as good as the rest of it, they're winners too. Finally, the service was excellent - friendly, attentive, and with perfect timing. So, if you want an excellent Italian meal in Disney, there's any number of places you can go, but the best I've had so far...

So first I’m gonna say we didn’t plan ahead or do any research before deciding to eat here. We couldn’t think of anything else to do and we saw the restaurant’s picture on the wall outside in the walkway between the Swan and Dolphin. Had we known there was a “dress code” and the price tag associated with pretty mediocre Italian food, we may have made another choice. I asked the hostess how long it would be for a table for 2. She said she had some availability and she would put us in. Then another hostess walked up behind her and said “they are walk-ins?” To which she replied, “yes but we have some openings for 2 people.” This resulted in whispering and the ultimate decision to get our information and have us wait. This was very awkward to say the least, but we were hungry and waited. Then when we were being seated, my husband was asked to remove his baseball-style hat (I was not asked to remove mine). There were children in Mickey Mouse ears, people in track suits, and lots of athletic wear. Sandals! But baseball caps for men is where the line is drawn? Then as we were finishing our meal, two men were wearing hats and being seated by a different hostess. So not an enforced dress code if you have a reservation? The food was ok, nothing at the level they were charging. I guess if I was only thinking about the proximity to Disney, I could start to understand the price. But $14 for a Caesar salad that doesn’t have any capers or anchovies, but has chewy croutons? Please rethink that price. It’s just lettuce, dressing, and a tiny bit of cheese. I’ve had better food at my local family-owned Italian restaurant (and they don’t charge $14 for a salad). Husband was asked if he wanted any protein with his risotto but it was served without. It was still tasty, just not sure about $30 for a vegetarian risotto. The server was able to make sure the added protein was not on the bill. She was about the only nice part of the experience. The veal dish I had was good, Saltimbocca. But not super memorable for the price tag, again. The bread was a little tough, maybe not as fresh on a weekday? I would recommend walking over to the boardwalk or the yacht & beach club. You’ll have better service and...

This place is outstanding. I cannot say it enough, OUTSTANDING. The portion sizes are insane, we were full after the appetizer course and took 2/3s our entrees and 2/3s our desserts home. We were lucky enough to eat here during Orlando Restaurant Month (which I highly recommend everyone take advantage of. Each restaurant is offering a $35 - 3 course meal) Arancini di Carne - Perfectly fried rice balls, stuffed with meat inside. 3 to an order which was perfect for our party. Outstanding arancini but the spicy marinara really helped to tie the dish together. Added the perfect amount of spice to the dish. Each arancini is the size of a baseball and sits in your stomach like a brick. Calamari Fritti - I love calamari and Il Mulino delivers perfect italian calamari. Light, fluffy and crispy all tied with super fresh tasting calamari. Definitely not from a bag, it was absolutely hand breaded. The flakiness of each bit is outstanding. Squirt the lemon and dip it into the spicy marinara, you will be really happy. Linguine Alle Vongole - We got both the red and white clam dishes. Neither disappointed. Personally, I like the white better. The clean, garlic, wine, butter and lemon flavors all come through and work well together. The whole clams are a nice touch. Pollo Fra Diavolo - Our least favorite, and only got it because we wanted to try other dishes. It was what you would expect, chicken and sausage tossed in sauce. Nothing to rave about. Tiramisu - This was outstanding. Soft and extremely flavorful with a huge amount of shaved chocolate on top. Cheesecake Italiano - The best italian cheesecake we had at Disney. Fluffy and pillowy texture. This...