Ever thought of experiencing all the tastiness and service at Palo in a customized, tapas format with a more intimate setting, curated wine pairings and a guided tour through Italy’s regional specialties? Well, you’re in luck– so did the chefs and sommeliers at Disney Cruise Line. During the first night of our recent 5 night cruise we got to experience “Prima Notte” (First Night) on the Dream. We found it to be a fantastic way to start our cruise.
For $85 a person (21+) we got a semi-private setting in the circular dining room. We were seated with only one other couple at separate tables. Our server, Svetlana, told us that up to eight private tables can be reserved so we got lucky (it’s a relatively new offering and not everyone knows about it yet). The Sommelier was our guide through tasty personal portions of some Palo favorites and the top shelf wines that went with them. We enjoyed a tour through Tuscany with its flavor forward super Tuscan wines and various Chiantis. We capped the pairings with a hyper-sweet varietal made from Umbrian grapes picked late and trellis dried. We were offered wagyu steak or melt in your mouth caprese featuring buffalo mozzarella with stracciatella. Next we enjoyed a lovely gnocchi with pine nuts and roasted tomato. Seared tuna or butternut squash agnolotti (my personal favorite) followed. Dessert was a raspberry chocolate mousse that looked like it belonged in an art museum.
Prima Notte is billed as a light meal with wine pairing but we had to convince our wait staff at Animator's Palate afterwards that we had no more room. Luckily our kids made up for any hurt feelings that night. We really loved our server Svetlana and our Sommelier Matija regaled us with stories about the wine and food. We especially loved the medieval legend that explains why Chianti's Classico branding features a black rooster! For those that have eaten at Palo previously we think this is a great way to experience it slightly differently at a reasonable price point. If you’ve never been to Palo it is a highly personalized experience that will make you want to come back!