Primo Piatto Dinner – Paleo, Keto, and Gluten-Friendly Options
Riviera Resort is a beautiful new addition to the Walt Disney World family of resorts. It is home to a variety of dining options. On our first visit, we checked out the brand new Primo Piatto – Riviera Resort’s quick-service restaurant. It is home to probably one of the best quick service dinners of any resort. With plenty of allergy-friendly, paleo, keto, and gluten-free options, and a staff that is more than able to alter any dish as needed, you can be sure your Primo Piatto dinner will stand out as a top dining choice.
We enjoyed Primo Piatto so much that we returned a few days later to try it for breakfast. You can read that review here.
When you arrive at the restaurant at the end of a long hallway, you will reach these signs showcasing your menu options.
Upon entering Primo Piatto, you will find a counter with two cashiers. Unlike many other quick service resort restaurants, at Primo Piatto, you pay first and then receive your freshly-prepared food. For those with food allergies or special dietary needs, this is also where you will ask to speak with a chef. We were lucky enough to come late at night, allowing us plenty of time to speak with the utterly fabulous Chef Christopher. If you are lucky enough to dine under his watch, prepare yourself for an amazing meal.
Primo Piatto Dinner and All-Day Allergy Menu
The Primo Piatto dinner allergy-menu is actually available all day for lunch and nighttime dining. The notice at the top of the menu states that guests may consult with a chef, and as always, Paleo Disney recommends that you always do that. You would be surprised as to the increased variety of mealtime options that chefs can provide that are not on the printed menu. Please do not skip speaking with a chef at Disney restaurants.
The first page of the Primo Piatto allergy menu features Hot Sandwiches, Sides, and Entrees. Three of the entrees, the Grilled Hanger Steak, Crispy Chicken Breast Cutlet, and Roasted Half Chicken, are available after 4 pm.
We begin by discussing the Hot Sandwiches, which are served with a choice of soup, fries, side salad, or fresh fruit. Although the Croque Monsieur does not say it is gluten-friendly, it can be prepared that way using Bloomfield Farms bread. Click on the Gluten-Free Mall Link to the right if you would like to have this bread at home. (Paleo Disney receives a small commission as an affiliate when purchases are made through this website link – we thank you for your support.)
The buns used for other sandwiches and burgers are Udi’s buns. Primo Piatto also uses Udi’s pizza shells, which you can substitute for the pizzas on the other side of the menu. They can also prepare burgers and sandwiches wrapped in lettuce. The spinach and artichoke spread for the grilled chicken sandwich is keto-friendly as it contains cream cheese, salt, and pepper.
The listed sides include fresh fruit, salad with champagne vinaigrette, and Romano fries. I like the fact that so many of the items are also soy-free, making them better options for people on paleo and keto diets.
Two of the entrees, the Shrimp Pasta and the Grilled Vegetable Skewer (plant-based option), are available all day. Although it is not listed as a gluten-friendly option, the Shrimp Pasta is available with Barilla (corn and rice blend) pasta or Monarch brown rice pasta. For those looking for a gluten-free mac & cheese, the chefs could make it from scratch – just be aware it will take longer to prepare this dish. The Grilled Vegetable Skewer is normally served with warm pita. The Primo Piatto dinner and all-day substitutions include sliced and warmed Udi’s pizza shells, buns, or Bloomfield Farms bread.
The after-4 entrees include Grilled Hanger Steak, Crispy Chicken Breast Cutlet, and Roasted Half Chicken. We will discuss the steak and roasted chicken in the next section, as those were our selections. The crispy chicken cutlet cannot be prepared gluten-free. Caramelized onions can be prepared fresh in olive oil rather than the standard canola-olive oil blend.
The other side of the Primo Piatto allergy menu includes Salads, Pizzas, and Cold Sandwiches. For those who want extra virgin olive oil and vinegar for their salads, Primo Piatto has Champagne, Balsamic, and Red Wine Vinegar available.
As with the hot sandwiches, the cold ones can also be prepared with any of the previously mentioned gluten-friendly bread options.
Our Primo Piatto Dinner Paleo, Keto, and Gluten-Friendly Selections
Our first Primo Piatto dinner selection was the Grilled Hanger Steak. Typically served with a red wine sauce and balsamic syrup, the chef told us to skip the sauce and balsamic glaze if avoiding sugar. The red wine sauce is made from veal stock, red wine, balsamic vinegar, and sugar. Sides included are mascarpone-mashed potatoes and buttered carrots.
This dish is gluten and soy-friendly. Already an incredibly allergy-friendly option, we asked for the red wine sauce and balsamic syrup on the side to taste. To make this dish suitable for a paleo or keto diet, you can omit the sauces and swap out the potatoes for a different side. The carrots can be roasted with basil butter and lemon zest or prepared with olive oil if desired.
By itself, the steak is incredible. Cooked to perfection and perfectly seasoned. Even without the sauces, it is absolutely wonderful, but with the addition, the dish truly shines. The red wine sauce brings out the flavor of the steak, where the balsamic syrup adds a pop to every part of the dish. The potatoes are perfectly seasoned and creamy, and the carrots are flawlessly cooked. This is a steak that shines far and above any other. This Primo Piatto dish did not disappoint and we would come back here again and again for this delectable steak – one of the best we have had anywhere on Disney property – and this is a quick-service restaurant.
Our other Primo Piatto dinner dish was the Roasted Half Chicken, which regularly comes with mac & cheese and asparagus. The reason the chicken is not listed on the menu as gluten-friendly is due to the pasta. Of course, we swapped out the pasta but could not help ourselves – we had to taste the saffron risotto. As you can see in the photo, the presentation of the chicken and asparagus was beautiful. To make this dish entirely paleo or keto-friendly, swap the risotto for another side (we recommend the yummy carrots we had with the steak).
The saffron risotto, which is also offered by itself, is gluten-free. It does contain the oil blend, butter, and parmesan, and is out of this world. If you like risotto – try this dish. The chicken is brined in a mixture of water, lemon, salt, thyme, bay leaf, garlic, parsley, and red and black pepper. I love the fact that there is no sugar in the brine! It is a delicious option for people on paleo and keto diets. The roasted asparagus were prepared for me in olive oil, with salt and pepper, and were amazing.
Primo Piatto is one of a new breed of restaurants that the Walt Disney Resorts have been rolling out. A stunning breed of quick-service locations that hold themselves to a high standard of food and care. All in all – not only did our Primo Piatto dinner not disappoint, it outshined many table service restaurants in terms of food quality, taste, and presentation. You can see the current Primo Piatto dinner menu here.