Ravello -- Preview Dinner -- Table Service -- Four Seasons Orlando

*This dining experience took place in July 2014.When it comes to new resorts and dining experiences, there has been nothing more exciting for the Disney community than the grand opening of the newest resort on Disney World property, the Four Seasons Orlando. Located in the Disney community Golden Oak, this resort boasts an impressive array of amenities, including several unique dining options.As a foodie, I have been longing to visit this resort, set to open on August 3, 2014. With restaurants ranging from a Spanish steakhouse (Capa), Cuban American (Plancha), Southern smokehouse & rotisserie (PB&G), modern Italian (Ravello), and gourmet coffees and quick bites (Lickety-Split), the Four Seasons Orlando has an impressive variety of dining options to choose from.As a special diets diner, I have been so excited to visit these restaurants first-hand, especially after hearing Stephen Wancha, Director of Food & Beverage, speak about the hotel's commitment to safe gluten free and special diets accommodations on the Disney Parks Podcast. Hearing Stephen say "dedicated gluten free section" referring to Ravello's breakfast buffet, was music to my gluten free and dairy free ears.Which brings me to my most recent visit to the Four Seasons Orlando. My friends Krista Joy from Disneyways.com and Tony Caselnova from Disney by the Numbers (and hosts of the Disney Parks Podcast) were invited to the Family & Friends preview dinner for Ravello, and they graciously invited me to join them. They know how much I adore good food, and how much I had been looking forward to the opening.As a preview dinner, this is a time for the restaurant to test and refine the kitchen, as they head closer to opening day. However, one would never have known this was only the second day the kitchen was fully functional for dinner - our meal couldn't have been more magical.When we arrived, we found ourselves in the Ravello Bar, a cozy area on the main level of the resort. Here you can imbibe in cocktails, wine, and other beverages, making it the perfect pre-dinner spot. Heading down the stairs, we entered the main dining area of Ravello.Ravello truly reflects the modern Italian theme. The dining room feels open, yet intimate at the same time. The decor is simple and clean and doesn't distract from your dining experience, which is of course, the restaurant's pièce de résistance. Perhaps my most favorite part of the restaurant is the open kitchen -- a truly unique open kitchen at that. You feel like you are a part of the culinary experience from start to finish.When you think Italian cuisine, you probably think of wood-burning ovens, and Ravello has a fantastic one. You can even enjoy a truly unique experience at the 5 seat kitchen counter, facing the oven.Upon being seated at for our meal, our server Lee greeted us warmly. One of his first questions was about special dietary needs. He additionally asked about cross-contamination and health concerns, which I always very much appreciate as a special diets diner. Lee made sure to note that he would take great care of me, as would the kitchen, and to not hesitate to ask any questions. He took his time going over the menu with me, discussing options and consulting with both Executive Chef Fabrizio Schenardi and Executive Sous Chef Samuel Faggetti, who were quite literally an arm's length away from me. Both Chef Fabrizio and Chef Samuel spoke with me at various points in my meal to make sure that it was going smoothly and that I was enjoying everything, as well.Because the restaurant is still in the preview phase, the menu was limited but will be expanded upon the resort opening. Some of the options, such as a house-made gluten free pasta were not yet available, though the team at Ravello had packaged gluten free pasta on-hand for diners. They are also planning on having gluten free pizza dough.For my appetizer, I had ordered the Insalata Mista - a mixture of Trevisana (i.e. radicchio), arugula, lola rosa, and a Moscato vinaigrette. This was the perfect starter. If you enjoy bitter and spicy greens, this would be the perfect salad for you. The peppery-ness of the arugula combined with the bitter flavor of the trevisana married perfectly with the Moscato viniagrette which had a slightly sweet and lemony flavor. The salad was beautifully dressed and well seasoned as well, particularly with the addition of fresh cracked black pepper.Prior to the appetizers coming to our table, I was greeted by Jill Davis, one of the sommeliers on property. She was on hand to answer any questions that we had about the wine list, and she blew me away with her ability to assist me as a special diets diner.You might not think that alcohol would be such a tricky area for those of us with special diets but it really is. Wine in particular can be tricky because, while it is naturally gluten free, there are a few points in the wine-making process that can come into contact with gluten. These include sealing oak barrels with a flour paste and adding gluten to fine the wine (casein is another culprit in this part of the wine-making process). Generally, wine will still test as under 20 ppm, but I always try to be as safe as I can be with my wine. Jill knew exactly what to recommend, suggesting the Soave Classico on the wine list, as it was aged in stainless steel, as opposed to oak barrels. This was a fantastic wine that really went well with the items I ordered.For my entree, I ordered the Herb Grilled Chicken, which was recommended to me by our server Lee. Both the tuna and chicken entrees sounded great, but Lee certainly sold me with his description of the chicken. One thing that I always recommend, listen to your servers and chefs when they make a recommendation - I can't say they've ever steered me wrong!The chicken normally comes with gnocchi and a Gorgonzola sauce; however, mine came with garlic and olive oil barlotti beans and celery hearts.As you can see, the presentation was gorgeous. I love that the food is rustic, yet refined (much like the decor). The components were all simple but so well done. The herb grilled chicken was exceptionally well seasoned and very moist. I tend to prefer not to order bone-in chicken, but this chicken was cut in a way that that made it easy to eat, offering all the benefits of bone-in chicken without feeling the hassle eating bone-in chicken.The barlotti beans were fantastic, earthy with a bit of saltiness from pancetta. The grilled lemon adding a nice bit of acidity to the dish. My favorite accompaniment? The celery hearts. Hands down. This was crisp and bright and added that textural component to the dish that really brought it all together.For dessert, the current offerings are limited; however, Chef Fabrizio did try to make a sorbet for me. It just didn't set in time. That to me was such an appreciated touch, and while it didn't work out this time, I have no doubt that when I return to dine at Ravello that I will get to try a dessert. Both Chef Fabrizio and our server Lee offered me fruit - though I declined, feeling quite full from the meal.As a digestif (after dinner drink), our table was brought homemade limoncello made by Chef Fabrizio himself. This version of limoncello was made with Everclear, which is not gluten free; however, Chef Fabrizio brought me a glass of Prosecco (sparkling white wine) which was such a lovely touch.This was the first restaurant I've ever dined at in which not one but two of the culinary team made sure to find alcoholic beverages that fit into my dietary needs. Having to not sit on my smartphone scouring the web to make sure if a drink is safe or not is time consuming and having experts help me with this literally made my meal a breeze.I cannot thank Chef Fabrizio (who is a complete rock star in my book), Chef Samuel, our server Lee, Jill, Stephen, Michael and all of the other Four Seasons staff whom I spoke with. It is rare that more than one person discusses my special dietary needs with me during my meal, and to have not one or two staff but seven who expressly asked or assisted me is simply astonishing to me.My dining experience as a gluten free and dairy free diner at Ravello at the Four Seasons was nothing short of exceptional. I cannot wait to experience the full dining menu and to come back with friends and family. I'm also looking forward to checking out some of the other dining options on property, especially PB&G (Pool Bar & Grill) which serves Southern BBQ during lunch and afternoon dinnertime. I'm a huge BBQ fan, so this one is right up my culinary alley.If you're visiting the Walt Disney World Resort and want a fantastic dining experience with great special diets accommodations, great food and atmosphere, head to Ravello. The menu is reasonably priced and is much more affordable than many signature dining locations on property such as California Grill. If I had to choose, I would truly pick Ravello over California Grill any day. And if you're looking for a great view, you'll soon have another option with Capa which is located on the 17th-floor rooftop of the Four Seasons Orlando. And yes, you'll be able to enjoy fireworks from this location.Overall, I have to give this location a 10 out of 10. It's a rarity for me to do, but this one exceeded my expectations and then some. Here's to many more visits!To find out more about the Four Seasons Orlando visit: http://www.fourseasons.com/orlando/You can also see more of my photos from my visit on InstagramStay tuned to Disneyways.com and Disney by the Numbers for their posts about our visit to the Four Seasons Orlando and Ravello (and a huge thank you again to these wonderful friends for inviting me to join them).For photos from the Four Seasons Orlando media event check out Amanda Tinney's site, Where's AmandaSpecial thanks goes out to the Four Seasons Orlando for inviting our group to the Friends & Family Dinner preview. I was not required to write this post and all opinions are my own.