Join us at our restaurant at the
Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas, where Executive-Chef Maurizio Mazzon
has created a restaurant feturing
the food, bread and wind of Veneto.

For more information visit ilfornaio.com/canaletto

After the fall of Rome, mainland refugees settled the sparse Venetian islands to escape waves of invaders. They found their subsistence as fishermen, and lived off seafood harvested from the canals of the Adriatic. From fishermen they became sailors, leading inevitably to sea merchants. Combining seafaring skills with their unique geography, the people of the Venetian arc created an empire whose culinary and cultural impact are felt to this day throughout Italy.

Spices fueled the Venetian empire. In fact, most of the legendary Venetian wealth was literally built on salt. The production of salt by evaporation of sea water was well known all over the world but it became particularly well developed by the Venetians use of their lagoons. Today we consider salt as nothing more than a very ordinary kitchen ingredient but in ancient times, the “sea crystals” (as it was also known) were an extremely valuable commodity. Equal in value to gold, armies were actually paid in salt. The term “salary” is derived from this practice. Because of spices like salt, saffron, cinnamon and curry, the merchants of Venice became wildly wealthy supplying Italy and the rest of Europe with these exotic ingredients.

Tonight’s menu features authentic Veneto recipes and ingredients developed by Il Fornaio’s Executive-Chef Maurizio Mazzon and Chef-Partner Mauro Mazzon (yes, they’re brothers and Veneto natives). From the beautiful Dolomite mountains to the historic canals of Venice, discover the flavors of Veneto where taste merges with beauty to delight your palate.