Il Fornaio, Campania: This fertile region defines the warm weather cooking style of southern Italy. Home to Naples, pizza and mozzarella.


MENU WINE CHEF REGION

MENU DELLA CENA
(November 1-14, 2004)
PANE

ANITPASTI

PRIMI

SECONDI

DOLCI

 

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VINI DELLA CAMPANIA

Falanghina Sanino,
Feudi di San Gregorio, 2003

This lively and aromatic white wine has floral and fruity aromas and flavors of apple, honeysuckle, pineapple and pear. Produced from 100% Falanghina grapes cultivated in the Sanino zone of northern Campania, it is medium-bodied, with a long smooth finish. It's a great match with the Seabass or Risotto.
$4.50 half glass $9 glass $34 bottle

Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Rosso,
Grotta del Sole, 2003

Lacryma Christi, which translates to “Tears of Christ”, is a blend of Piedirosso, Aglianico, and Sciascinaso grapes grown in the volcanic soils along the lower slopes of Mount Vesuvius. This medium-bodied red is rich and complex with aromas and flavors of plum, cherry and spice. It goes well with the Cannelloni or Scàluppine.
$4.50 half glass $9 glass $34 bottle

Rubrato Irpinia Aglianico,
Feudi di San Gregorio, 2002

Produced from 100% Aglianico di Taurasi grapes grown in the Irpinia zone of central Campania, this full-flavored, full-bodied red is chock-full of concentrated aromas and flavors of black cherry, ripe plum, toasted nuts and spice. It is elegant and well balanced with a long supple finish. Try it with the Carne Mista.
$5.25 half glass $10.50 glass $40 bottle

Villa Massa Limoncello

Limoncello is a lemon liqueur that is traditionally served well-chilled as an after dinner drink. It is a natural product created by the infusion of Sorrento lemon skins with neutral alcohol. Limoncello has long been a staple in the lemon-producing region along the Italian Amalfi Coast. Villa Massa limoncello has intense lemon aromas and flavors and a clean, well-balanced finish.
$6 glass

 

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Mario and Pasquale Lombardo
Mario Lombardo is Market Partner for Il Fornaio


“Adding Your Touch” is a philosophy of life both Mario and his father Pasquale Lombardo deeply embrace. They’ve managed to blend family, fun and food into everything they do. Mario and Pasquale, both natives of Sorrento, Campania, worked closely with Il Fornaio’s Executive Chef Maurizio Mazzon to create a unique and truly authentic menu for this month’s Festa Regionale.

Mario credits the creative spirit of his father and cooking with his mother at an early age as his greatest influences in the kitchen. He learned how to make his mother’s gnocchi by the time he was ten. And at 15, Mario joined his father at one of the oldest restaurants in Campania, O’Parrucchiano -La Favorita, where Pasquale was a chef for 30 years. Mario learned the business from the bottom up while earning money for school. Pasquale was a constant source of support for his career choice.

The father and son team have remained very close, even after Mario decided to move to the United States to pursue his dreams. Mario has been with Il Fornaio for the last 15 years. During this time, he has opened five Il Fornaio restaurants as General Manager, and is now Managing Partner of the Northern California, Denver and Seattle restaurants. Family is important to both men. Mario and his wife, Cheryl, were married in Campania and visit with their daughter Isabella as often as possible. Pasquale has flown in to help us with this menu and will be on a tour of several Il Fornaio kitchens. You may actually see them together here tonight. Listen for the roar of laughter and a crowd of smiling faces that has gathered to hear them tell their tales of growing up and raising a family in Campania.

Buon Appetito! Mario & Pasquale

 

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Campania
is the best known of Italy’s southern regions. It is home to the bustling port city of Naples, the breathtakingly beautiful Amalfi Coast and the infamous Mt. Vesuvius. In culinary terms, it is the proud originator of pizza, mozzarella, macaroni, spaghetti and grows much of the citrus fruit in Italy. The warm climate and fertile soil of the region mean that the growing season lasts practically all year long. Beans, cabbage, broccoli and tomatoes grow between rows of olive and fruit trees. Grapevines drape over trees, producing wine grapes and creating trellises throughout the region. Campanian cooking is nearly synonymous with Neapolitan cooking, and pizza is probably the single food most associated with Naples. Even the Pompeiians ate pizza (without tomatoes, which did not make their way to Europe for another 1500 years after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.). There is no limit to the variations of pizza-making, some of which you’ll find on our daily menu. By far the most popular is the Pizza Margherita (mozzarella, oregano, tomato sauce, fresh basil), the classic Neopolitan pizza. “ Dry” pasta is also associated with Naples. Cooks in Naples started to manufacture macaroni in the 15th century and today the region is the dominant producer of this national staple. We import all of our dry pasta from Campania.

When it comes to desserts, Neopolitans tend toward extravagance and the variety is endless. Sfugliatèlla cu Surbètto (ricotta cheesecake with orange and lemon zest) is just one highlight from the Neopolitan dessert cart. And who hasn’t heard of Neopolitan ice cream or spumone? The liveliness of Campanian food reflects the magnificent sites throughout the region. The ruins of Pompeii, the perilous hairpin turns along the steep cliffs of Amalfi, the indescribable color of the Blue Grotto on the island of Capri are only the beginning of a great adventure through this colorful part of Italy.

Flavorful,lively cooking from the South of Italy

Map of Italy showing Campania

Il Fornaio


Coming December 6th through 19th, 2004

 

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For information regarding Il Fornaio, please contact us at info@ilfornaio.com
www.ilfornaio.com