Part of the Austrian Empire for centuries, the region is
officially bilingual, both in language and cuisine

Mauro Mazzon
Chef-Partner, Il Fornaio

orn in Marcon, Veneto, Mauro Mazzon grew up learning how to cook in a family of seven children. “It was like a cooking class with my mother as the teacher and my brothers and sisters as the students”, Mauro says. He is now in charge of the kitchen at Il Fornaio in Burlingame.

“Preparing this menu took me back to the carefree days when I worked in Venice and traveled to Trentino each weekend to ski during the winter months. There are very primitive guest houses tucked in among the mountains called 'masi', where you can stop for a bite to eat or stay overnight. Originally, these small cabins were built as emergency shelters. Now it is quite common to make a day of walking or skiing from masi to masi, something we call 'andar per i masi.' The owners of each hut make most of their own food, from speck and salami to many types of cheeses. You go from one to the next, fortifying yourself with the rustic homemade foods of the region. The bread was often dense from hearty grains much like the Pane Tipico di Fie (cumin-scented rye flat bread). Salsiccia e Polenta (sausage, grilled polenta, mushrooms, parmesan, and fontina cheese) was also inspired by my days of skiing and eating in Trentino.

“Cooking to me is like medicine: I have to take it every day or I’ll feel bad. With my wonderful sous chefs and crew, I am able to feel great every day! The food we prepare here is authentic, as close as you can come to Italy without traveling there. “I hope you enjoy your experience in this region of Trentino-Alto Adige.
Buon Appetito!”

T R E N T I N O

Trentino has a definite Italian flair and is almost entirely Italian speaking. But the Austrian influence is still strong in the cuisine, where dishes are a combination of the Italian and Austrian kitchens. Countless lakes and mountain streams make Trentino the best place in Italy for freshwater fishing. Agriculture (mushrooms, cabbage, potatoes) and the production of wines are the mains sources of income in the area. Merlot and pinot grigio are the best known wines, now sold all over Italy. The capital, Trento, was a Roman town of some importance, and is now a quiet, industrious urban center.

A L T O   A D I G E

Alto Adige (also known as the South Tyrol) was part of the Austrian empire for six centuries. It came into the Italian domain in 1919 when the Austro-Hungarian empire was carved up and European borders redrawn. A dominant element in Alto Adige cooking is pork, so you will find many dishes with ham and speck (smoked ham). North of Bolzano (the capital), rye, maize and wheat are cultivated; to the south are cattle and dairy farms. The food can be heavy and coarse, or delicate (like trout from the Alpine streams); there seems to be no middle ground in Alto Adige.