Founded by Nick Valenti, the long-time CEO of Patina Restaurant Group and Restaurant Associates, the new Italian restaurant Simply Capri has recently opened, with goals to bring the charm, cuisine, and spirit of southern Italy and the Amalfi Coast to FLAMING CROSSING by Walt Disney World here in Orlando.
Mr. Nick Valenti has had an impressive decades-long relationship with Disney by which he developed and operated twelve successful restaurants at the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort.
His newest endeavor with his company Simple Hospitality is Simply Capri, which features wood-fired pizza, house-made pastas, dishes from the Amalfi Coast, a Negroni bar featuring Italian based cocktails, an outdoor Spritz bar that will offer refreshing summer drinks, and warm hospitality to create an upscale yet casual dining experience.
We recently were invited to try out their restaurant and it was a wonderful experience, very similar to what we had in Italy during our trip last year to Rome and Naples. The pizza was very delicious and you could tell they used high quality ingredients. A great feature at this restaurant being so close to Disney World is their kid-friendly pre-fixe menu and fantastic service. I definitely recommend bringing the whole family to try Simply Capri out soon!
Some highlights for Simply Capri:
- The Executive Chef is Giovanni Aletto, who was born and raised in Naples, Italy. Aletto was previously Executive Chef in the Italy pavilion at EPCOT and owned his own restaurant in the Marche region of Italy.
- The General Manager is Benito Sevarin, formerly the Head of Operations in the Italy Pavilion at EPCOT. He was also Director of Operations for 18 years with the famed Le Cirque in New York, Las Vegas and Mexico City.
- The restaurant was designed by award-winning Italian architects Stefano Nardini and Raffaella Melucci. All the artwork and murals come from Italian artists.
- The interior of the restaurant features imported Italian fixtures which include hand painted tiles that form stunning murals, dining tables, chairs, hand blown glassware turned into nine-foot long lighting fixtures, hand painted pottery, and an Acunto pizza oven.
- Simply Capri imports Italian ingredients which will include Caputo flour, San Marzano tomatoes, cheeses, and a wine list featuring over 100 labels with many exclusive Italian wines.
- The restaurant will unveil a cultural exchange program that has brought representatives from Italy to be servers, chefs, and bartenders, allowing them to share their proud heritage with guests.
- Simply Capri customers will be impressed with its fresh fish offerings that will feature local and imported fish from around the country.
- Capri is famous for their women’s sandals… and he has a light fixture at the entrance made from 50 sandals from Capri.
- Mr. Valenti had an Acunto pizza oven from Naples brought in to capture the taste of Neapolitan pizzas… like he did at Via Napoli in EPCOT.
- And if you like hidden Mickeys… Nick Valenti did his own version and has hidden the names of his grandchildren in his murals.
Simply Capri is located at 114 Ruby Red Place in Winter Garden, and is open seven days a week serving lunch from noon-3:30pm, and dinner from 4-10:30pm, with late night bites on Thursday through Sunday from 10pm-midnight. For more information on reservations, please visit www.simplycapri.com.
Inside Simply Capri:
Mr. Valenti is considered an innovator in the restaurant industry, praised for creating groundbreaking new restaurant concepts and long-time CEO of Patina Restaurant. As Chairman Emeritus at the Culinary Institute of America, Valenti was awarded the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association’s (IFMA) Silver Plate Award, the industry’s premier accolade, for his achievements as an independent restaurateur. He was awarded the prestigious TY Award by the New York State Restaurant Association and inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America. Valenti has also received lifetime achievement awards from Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) and NYC & Company, the official tourism and visitors bureau for New York City.
About FLAMINGO CROSSINGS Town Center
FLAMINGO CROSSINGS Town Center, a new master-planned, mixed-use development with hotels, shopping and dining experiences, is currently under construction at the western gateway to Walt Disney World Resort. Once completed, guests will discover a compelling mix of over 40 familiar brands and unique-to-market offerings in a 200,000-square-foot, open-air, retail hub. Conveniently located near area attractions and theme parks, FLAMINGO CROSSINGS Town Center will serve a dynamic and growing Central Florida area at the intersection of the Western Way and the FL-429 toll way (Orlando’s Western Beltway).
