Ah, Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano... What is there to say about Mama Melrose's? I'll be honest, if it wasn't for the Fantasmic! Dinner Pacakge I probably wouldn't have eaten there... Why? Well, honestly... I never knew it existed. When I got the reservation for it the first time, I actually had to consult a map on where to find it. In the dozen or so times I'd visited Disney, I think it was the one and only restaurant I knew nothing about. And the reviews for it left me kind of cold. Good, but not great seemed to be the general word-on-the-street. I actually remember telling my family before we went that I kind of regretted we were eating there, but I really wanted the good seats to Fantasmic!.
Then, the refurbishment...
I love it when I stay on the cutting edge of Disney food trends through complete and total accident.
This four cheese sauce is actually still on the menu now, and after making it, I kind of regret not ordering it while we were there. It's kind of a grown-up mix between mac-and-cheese and alfredo. Not as in-your-face cheesy as mac-and-cheese, but not as subtle as Alfredo. While I served it with just the sauce (as they used to do until about a year ago), so much can be added to this to make it pop even more. Chicken, pork, bacon, pancetta, prosciutto, vegetables... Right now, they serve this with sun-dried tomatoes soaked in sherry and broccoli flowers. While they normally serve this with penne pasta, I went the rotini route (hahahaha) and it tasted just wonderful. Such a great pasta for really absorbing sauce!
This is super easy, something my 4-year-old helped me make with no problems. Plus, it was a big, big hit for dinner. The only thing that would have made it better was to be able to go walk to front row seats at Fantasmic!.
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Four Cheese Sauce
As is served at Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano
°o° 1/2 stick butter °o° 3-4 cloves garlic, minced finely
°o° 1/4 cup flour
°o° 1/2 quart half-and-half
°o° 1/2 quart heavy cream
°o° 1 ounce Reggianto Cheese, shredded
°o° 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
°o° 1 ounce Asiago Cheese, shredded
°o° 2 ounces Fontina cheese
Melt butter and add garlic, stirring for 1 minute. Add flour to make a roux. After butter and flour mixture has thickened, add half-and-half and whisk constantly, bringing to a boil. When mixture has thickened, add heavy cream and cheeses. Mix until cheese mixture has melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy.
Serve over pasta.
Serve over pasta.
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