Trattoria al Forno Question

[LizC]

I just read a review of Trattoria al Forno on the Disney Food Blog and the reviewer mentioned the Chef does not give out salt and pepper. In the comments below the review a few people commented that they could NOT get salt and pepper while eating there. Now that the restaurant has been open for a while, is this still this case? Honestly, it seems insane if it is and only shows that the Chef has quite an ego since people have different tastes.

I appreciate the responses as I am debating making an ADR for our next trip there since we will stay at BW.

 

[SnarkyMonkey]

I can't answer your question as I haven't made it there yet. But I will say that so far the reviews I have read/heard have been amazing. I would give it a try...salt and pepper or not.

 

[BuddyThomas]

You can always bring your own. Packets abound at the quick service restaurants.

 

[Sweet Melissa]

If I recall, Kouzzina didn't have salt and pepper at the table either.

What's with the aversion to having the meal the way the chef intends for it to be prepared anyway?

 

[HouCuseChickie]

There are a lot of WDW restaurants that do not have salt and pepper on the tables...especially the signatures. If you ask, you may be told that the chef has seasoned the food to what he/she considers perfection and it should be eaten in accordance with the chef's palate/vision. i.e. it all plays on the artistry of the food.

 

[surfsupdon]

They had salt and pepper on the table for breakfast, on Jan 1st when I ate there with my dad.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Even if the chef has seasoned something to "perfection", that still is to their taste not necessarily mine. If I'm paying for the meal and want salt and pepper which are basic seasonings I feel a restaurant should offer that. I wouldn't imagine it would cost much to offer it to guests either. I also hate it when Italian restaurants don't have parmesan on the table for me to use, I like a lot of cheese on my pasta and I like to be able to add it to my tastes.

 

[SnarkyMonkey]

This idea that good chefs shouldn't offer salt and pepper because their food is meant to be served the way it prepared is an archaic notion in the world of cuisine. Most top chefs now talk about catering to the tastes of the guest.

 

[sgtmgd]

Just ate at the Yachtsman, Narcoosees, and Le Cellier a couple weeks ago and Im trying to remember if Salt and Pepper was on the table...

 

[LizC]

Even if the chef has seasoned something to "perfection", that still is to their taste not necessarily mine. If I'm paying for the meal and want salt and pepper which are basic seasonings I feel a restaurant should offer that. I wouldn't imagine it would cost much to offer it to guests either. I also hate it when Italian restaurants don't have parmesan on the table for me to use, I like a lot of cheese on my pasta and I like to be able to add it to my tastes.

This is pretty much exactly how I feel. I live near NYC and have been to quite a few "fancy" restaurants and I had never come across this. While I realize I could bring my own salt, I am not sure I WANT to eat in a restaurant where the Chef has such an attitude.

Thank you everyone for your comments.

Edit: I have eaten at many restaurants on property, and I always reach for the salt (I know not the healthiest choice), and I have never had a restaurant not have salt and pepper. This includes California Grill, Narcoossee's and Le Celier.

 

[NYwdwfan]

There was salt and pepper on the tables this morning for breakfast.

 

[BuddyThomas]

There are a lot of WDW restaurants that do not have salt and pepper on the tables...especially the signatures. If you ask, you may be told that the chef has seasoned the food to what he/she considers perfection and it should be eaten in accordance with the chef's palate/vision. i.e. it all plays on the artistry of the food.

That is absolutely ridiculous. We have been actively looking at menus the past week for an upcoming June trip, and have been really surprised to see how many entrees at various restaurants are over $50.00. If someone is going to pay that kind of money for a meal, they can d*mn well expect salt and pepper to be delivered to the table with a big smile if they so desire.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

That is absolutely ridiculous. We have been actively looking at menus the past week for an upcoming June trip, and have been really surprised to see how many entrees at various restaurants are over $50.00. If someone is going to pay that kind of money for a meal, they can d*mn well expect salt and pepper to be delivered to the table with a big smile if they so desire.

I'm not saying I agree with it...just merely posting that it is done at certain WDW restaurants and the reasoning behind the lack of salt and pepper.

 

[Minthorne]

If it isn't breakfast I don't have an issue with no salt and pepper on the table. I guess if I am paying $50 for a meal it should be delicious and if it isn't send it back!

 

[LizC]

I'm not saying I agree with it...just merely posting that it is done at certain WDW restaurants and the reasoning behind the lack of salt and pepper.

Are there other restaurants where guests have been unable to get salt and pepper?

 

[SnarkyMonkey]

Are there other restaurants where guests have been unable to get salt and pepper?

Do we know for sure that people have been unable to get salt and pepper? Has anyone actually been refused it when they asked? As far as I know, it's just that it isn't put on the table. I assume if you ask you will get it.

 

[LizC]

Do we know for sure that people have been unable to get salt and pepper? Has anyone actually been refused it when they asked? As far as I know, it's just that it isn't put on the table. I assume if you ask you will get it.

I read a review on Disney Food Blog that mentions it, although it doesn't specifically say they asked themselves. This confusion is why I asked here. Obviously I can bring my own or simply choose not to go to a restaurant run by a Chef with such an attitude (if that is indeed the case), but I thought if someone knew this would be the place to ask.

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2014/...oria-al-forno-at-disney-worlds-boardwalk-inn/

Here is a quote from the review. I hope it's OK to post this here.

"I also noted at this point the absence of salt and pepper on the table — something I missed, since I usually add fresh ground pepper to my olive oil. This is a carryover from Kouzzina. I once asked at Kouzzina if I could get a salt shaker, since my Greek Lasagna was utterly tasteless, and was told by my server that the Chef didn’t want salt and pepper on the table as the food should have come out perfectly spiced. So bring your own salt and pepper packets, folks."

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Are there other restaurants where guests have been unable to get salt and pepper?

Yachtsman is the first one standing out in my mind. There's a weekly podcast/web show that I follow where one of the guys on the show actually got attitude from their server when he asked for a salt shaker. I could be wrong, but I don't remember seeing salt and pepper at any of the signatures we went to last trip (Cali Grill, Narcoosee's, HBD, Flying Fish, and Yachtsman). I could be wrong, but DH is also pretty certain he didn't see salt and pepper.

 

[SnarkyMonkey]

I read a review on Disney Food Blog that mentions it, although it doesn't specifically say they asked themselves. This confusion is why I asked here. Obviously I can bring my own or simply choose not to go to a restaurant run by a Chef with such an attitude (if that is indeed the case), but I thought if someone knew this would be the place to ask.

There have been no actual reports of anyone being denied salt and pepper here. You just have to ask.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Someone, I think it was HouCuseChickie, posted something about a lot of the signatures not putting salt and pepper on the table so I just looked over my pictures of the California Grill, and I see that at no point did we have salt or pepper on our table. It didn't look like the tables around us did either. I didn't notice it then, but to be honest I didn't need any, that meal was perfectly seasoned.