Review - 'Ortolana Pizza' at Pizza Ponte in Disney Springs, FL

Pizza Ponte at Disney Springs
1560 East Buena Vista Drive, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, 32830

Behold the Ortolana! It's a Pizza Ponte slice that sports mozzarella, sauce and mixed vegetables like sun dried tomatoes, zucchini, onion, eggplant and beautiful olives.

This slice took me by surprise in the most wonderful way. And.. as of today, this just might be my favorite slice at Pizza Ponte. I really do appreciate a pizza that incorporates vegetables successfully. 

This pizza is full of flavor rather than being bland and boring. It appears Pizza Ponte prepares their vegetables very much like I do at home before I place them atop my pizza. That is, by giving them a quick sauté or roast, which not only removes a lot of the water from the vegetables, but naturally concentrates the flavors.

The crust

What can I say about Pizza Ponte crust that I haven't already said in the past? It's always light and airy, with a nice texture and pull. These Sicilian slices tend to get some nice caramelization and toastiness around the edges, and it's wonderful. 

This crust doesn't command too much of the attention in a bite, but is also not boring or bland by any means.

The sauce

The sauce on these slices is applied very lightly. I wasn't sure if I was going to be a fan, but with this style of pie it works perfectly. It's a well thought out ratio that really lets the vegetables shine. 

The lightly applied sauce worked perfectly and added a little bit of acidity. Even if the sauce isn't prevalent during every great tasting bite, it really does helps to pull everything on this slice together.

The toppings

The cheese is a beautiful mozzarella with a nice amount of butter fat. The buttery richness of the mozzarella jived perfectly with the crust. The vegetables had a wonderful texture and were full of flavor. 

Just when I'd bite into an area of the slice I thought was going to be a bit mundane, a piece of onion or a sundried tomato would kick in, filling my mouth with flavor. 

If I happened to get a bite with no vegetables, that great flavor of the cheese and crust kicked back in to fill the void.

Pizza Geezer rating..

5 out of 5 Slices!

The logistics of this pizza are super impressive. It's a rustic, simple slice that houses an explosion of flavor. It's a slice that will awaken your taste buds, but not overwhelm them. 

This is one of those pizza styles you come across that you keep thinking about for days, weeks, and months after eating it. I look forward to my next Pizza Ponte outing, as I'm 99% sure I will be feasting on this slice again.