Have You Tried These Melt In Your Mouth Dishes at Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante?

Nothing melts my foodie heart quite like incredible Italian cuisine. Pizza is my love language and pasta is my all-time favorite food, so you better believe I never pass up a chance to dine at Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante on a Disney vacation. This Italian Restaurant serves up the handmade pasta of my dreams at The Landing at Disney Springs. Open for lunch and dinner each day, this eatery channels the glamour and flavor of the golden age of air travel in a nostalgically themed space that serves delicious food.

Let’s talk about the Italian food and great service at this spot as we review menu recommendations. Have you tried these melt-in-your-mouth dishes at Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante?

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The theming of this spot really does amp it up in the ambiance department. If the golden age of air travel is something you’ve dreamed about (ahem Delta Dreamflight anyone?) you are going to love this restaurant. Think first-class dining experience on a 1930s airline, and you have an idea of what to expect at Maria & Enzo’s.

Let’s talk about the food. One of the neatest things about Italian food is how much it varies based on the region of the country it is served in. European countries, particularly Italy, strongly believe in honoring the “terroir”, or the agricultural landscape, in their dishes. Terroir can be roughly translated to a “sense of place”. Basically, this means serving foods that were grown in the ideal region under the best growing condition is of pivotal importance. In practice, this means that each region of the country does its culinary “job” well, producing the freshest vegetables, the most delicious sauce, or the highest quality seafood available.

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Related: The Ultimate Indulgence at Gideon’s Bakehouse

If you are wondering why dishes Italian dishes from authentic eateries are that good, it is probably because of the care that went into the growing of the raw products. Italian chefs take pride in not just a good tomato sauce but the best tomato sauce, where the tomatoes were grown in ideal soil conditions in the best region of the country for tomato cultivation and where the produce is picked and processed at the peak of freshness and deliciousness. Thanks for letting me nerd out — I promise this background matters.

You can expect quality dishes that originate from the Sicilian region of Italy, made with the freshest ingredients at Maria & Enzo’s.

Maria & Enzo serves up brunch, lunch, and dinner, but today we are going to explore the dinner menu. The dinner menu is divided into antipasti (appetizers), secondi (seconds), specialita (specialties), and dolci (dessert). Of course, this menu is home to an array of delicious artisan cocktails, as well as an impressive wine selection.

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Let’s start strong with a mouth-watering cheesy appetizer that I cannot pass up — the Burrata Caprese. If you’ve never had burrata, this is the perfect place to give it a try. Think of a fresh mozzarella cheese but even meltier, richer, and more delicious, and you have burrata. The cheesy goodness is perfectly complimented by the juicy tomatoes, an extra virgin olive oil drizzle, and flaky sea salt. Dip up this cheesy goodness with the house-made focaccia served with this dish. This appetizer rings in at $19.

I am all about a unique dish, and the Polpette on this menu fits the bill. Think of a classic braised meatball, served with whipped ricotta and delicious Parmigiano cheese. This $19 appetizer is another wonderful choice. The last appetizer I’ll mention is on my can’t-wait-to-taste list on a future visit to this spot. The Prosciutto e Melone is a $16 appetizer made from Prosciutto di Parma, juicy melon, aged balsamic, baby arugula, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. I can imagine that the flavor and texture of this dish would make for an explosion of flavor!

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Now on to the entrées. Cheese lovers should try the Ravioli ai Formaggi. This $28 menu item is made from fresh egg pasta, piped with a cheese filling of Pomodoro, pecorino cheese, and fresh basil pesto. If a cheesy pasta dish is not your style, I recommend the Rigatoni alla Bolognese. This entrée is built around a house-made mezzi rigatoni. It is definitely one of the heartier meaty kinds of pasta, with veal, pork, and beef ragù. The dish is still garnished with ricotta cheese, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and grated parmigiana cheese for $30.

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Not a pasta lover? No problem! Try the Costina Di Manzo. This dish is a braised beef short-rib, served with rich creamy polenta, fontina cheese, roasted carrots, and onions for $39. Expect a fresh and unique dish where the taste is a perfect harmony of flavors. Another non-pasta option is the Bistecca alla Griglia. If steak is one of your favorite dishes, you may want to try this Disney steak option. This dish consists of a grilled 16-oz Certified Angus Rib-eye, balsamic glazed carrots, crunchy green beans, and fluffy Parmigiano potatoes. True, this dish is a bit pricey at $52, but we’d argue the quality is well worth the cost.

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I hope you’ve saved room for dessert because as you might have guessed — this menu does not disappoint! You can’t beat a classic, so we think the Tiramisu is a great choice. This $16 dessert is made from light Ladyfinger Cookies, creamy mascarpone cheese, coffee, and cocoa powder. The runner-up is of course the Cannoli Siciliano. Cannoli are a quintessential Italian dessert, so this Cannoli Siciliano stuffed with sweet ricotta, chocolate chips and candied orange for $16 is a must-try!

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Are you ready to dive into this Italian hot spot at Disney World?