Il Fornaio, Festa Regionale

pane	FOCACCIA PUGLIESE Focaccia with black olives, cherry tomatoes, garlic and oregano

antipasti e minestre	ZUPPA DI BACCALA salt cod, tomatoes, golden raisins and green olives in fish stock, with filone bread croutons $8.95 Chardonnay
	BURRICOTTA PUGLIESE fresh Puglia-style mozzarella, arugula, roasted bell peppers, oregano, black olive dressing $7.95 Bianco
	GAMBERONI ALLA BENITO large prawns wrapped in pancetta, arugula, tomatoes, bell peppers; lemon and white wine $10.95 Chardonnay

primi	ORECCHIETTE CON SALSICCIA E CIME DI RAPA ear-shaped pasta with wild broccoli, spicy sausage, garlic, fresh tomatoes and pecorino $13.95 Primitivo
	TROCCOLI ALLA BARESE housemade thin pasta, mussels, scallops, shrimp, black olives, capers, trebbiano, fennel seeds and rosemary $15.95 Chardonnay
	RIGATONI CON BRACCIOLETTE pasta tubes, beef rolled with pancetta, pecorino, pine nuts and raisins; marinara sauce $14.95 Primitivo
	RISOTTO ALLA MODUGNO shrimp risotto with scallops, spinach and shaved dry ricotta $15.95 Bianco

secondi	PESCE ALLA PUGLIESE blue nose seabass layered with potatoes, pecorino and garlic, baked in the wood-burning oven and served with parsley-garlic sauce $19.95 Bianco
	POLLO DEL GARGANO chicken filled with grilled eggplant, red bell peppers and goat cheese, sun-dried tomato sauce; served with wild broccoli and mashed potatoes $16.95 Chardonnay
	TENERINI ALLA PASTORA lamb tenderloin marinated with lemon, oregano and pecorino, wrapped in pancetta and baked with red wine and thyme; served with wild broccoli and mashed potatoes $21.95 Primitivo

dolci	SFOGLIATA MINUCCIA puff pastry layered with chocolate pastry cream, ricotta, Gran Marnier-soaked golden raisins and almonds; chocolate sauce, whipped cream and pistachios $6.25

Chardonnay, Cantele, 2000

This elegant white wine, produced from 100% Chardonnay, is a great example of Italian Chardonnay at its best and brightest. Its layered aromas and flavors of citrus fruits and vanilla in addition to a long-lasting finish, make it a perfect match with Gamberoni and Pollo. $25 bottle $6.50 glass $3.25 half glass

Gravina Bianco, Cantine Botromagno, 2000

Produced from 60% Greco and 40% Malvasia grapes, this crisp, lively and aromatic white wine is full of fresh apple and pear fruit flavors and has a buttery texture. It pairs well with Burricotta and Pesce. $22 bottle $5.75 glass $3.25 half glass

Primitivo, Cantele, 1997

Primitivo, a wine of Greek origin, is thought to be identical to the full-flavored Zinfandel grape of California. This medium-bodied red wine has an intense bouquet of violets with luscious berry flavors. The long-lasting flavors and spicy-peppery finish make it a great compliment to the Orecchiette and Tenerini. $22 bottle $5.75 glass $3 half glass

Chef Gino Gramegna
Gino Gramegna
Chef-Partner of Il Fornaio

ino Gramegna was raised on the regional cooking of his father’s birthplace, Puglia. Benito, Gino’s father, traveled and studied throughout Italy and the Middle East before settling in Lima, Peru where Gino was born.

In the family kitchen, Gino grew up working and learning at his father’s side. Making homemade pasta, curing olives and meats and tending the vegetable garden, were all tasks Gino happily performed. Large gatherings of family and friends were commonplace in the Gramegna home and always included traditional Italian fare. The four Gramegna brothers were all raised to be capable cooks.

Gino left home to study in Mexico, then traveled to California to study English. He adopted California as his new home, fell in love and married. Working in Italian restaurants and hotels, Gino discovered a new passion, and enrolled in the California Culinary Academy, where he graduated with honors in 1990.

Soon after graduation, Gino joined the Il Fornaio family in Palo Alto and was promoted to Banquet Chef. Now, as Chef-Partner in San Jose, he is in charge of Il Fornaio catering.

While preparing this menu of Puglia, Gino was transported back to his childhood. “It was as though I were a boy of ten again, standing at the stove next to my father,” Gino explains. “We made Zuppa di Baccala using the cod he had salted, from the fish my brothers and I had caught.”

When asked what is most gratifying about the work he does, Gino will tell you, “It is preparing authentic, simple Italian food and then being able to share my love and cooking with friends, just as my family has always done.”

read, oil and wine are the three pillars of the Apulian diet. Each province of Puglia has developed its own style of cooking, but there are many similarities: peasant in spirit, subtle seasonings and old dishes inspired by an old civilization. Focaccia Pugliese, focaccia with black olives, cherry tomatoes and unpeeled garlic cloves reflects this tradition in the best possible way.

Puglia is the heel of Italy's boot and has the longest coast of any Italian region. Three of the five provincial capitals are on the sea, so seafood is ample year round. Troccoli alla Barese (thin pasta with mussels, scallops and shrimp) is typical of the coastal cuisine. Potatoes, artichokes, fava beans and cherry tomatoes are grown in the rich soil of Foggia and Taranto. Fresh produce is the focus of many classic dishes of the region. Olives and wine grapes are also major crops, and a great source of income for Puglia.

Although few tourists visit Puglia, the province of Bari is well known for trulli, beehive shaped houses made with mortarless stones and a conical roof. They are usually whitewashed in groups of two or three to create a unique landscape. They tell a story of a regional civilization with a rich cultural and culinary heritage.

Next time you’re in New York City, be sure to visit I Trulli, a restaurant and wine bar inspired by the cuisine of Puglia. Besides their excellent food, gracious hospitality afforded by the owners makes this one of our favorite Italian restaurants in the Big Apple.
122 East 27th Street, New York ph: 212.481.7372

Coming February 4-17:
THE FOOD AND WINE OF SARDEGNA

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