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Seared ricotta cake, chanterelle mushrooms, white wine-butter
sauce, filone croutons $6.95
Baby artichokes baked with crab, parmesan, bread crumbs and
garlic; lemon sauce $9.50 Zucchini, spinach and potato soup
with parsley, parmesan and croutons $4.95 Ravioli filled with
prosciutto, Swiss chard, parmesan and bechamel, herbed red wine and
porcini sauce with asiago cheese $13.95
Housemade dumplings of kabocha squash and potatoes; asiago-sage
cream sauce $11.95 Seafood lasagna with shrimp,
crab, clams, mussels, scallops, mixed mushrooms and bechamel $15.95
Risotto with shrimp, clams, scallops, mussels and tomato sauce
$14.95
Thinly sliced veal with speck, chanterelles, asparagus and prosecco;
with roasted potatoes $18.95
Mesquite grilled tuna, citrus-ginger sauce, heirloom tomato,
Grilled fresh water prawns and lemon-garlic-parsley sauce; served
with roasted potatoes and heirloom tomato, arugula and cannelli
bean salad $21.95  |
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Recipes featured in The Il Fornaio Pasta Book,
now available online
and at all Il Fornaio
locations.
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Soave Classico Superiore, Pieropan, 2001 The Pieropan family produces this lively, dry white wine primarily from Garganega grapes (with a little Trebbiano) cultivated in the heart of the town of Soave, just east of Verona, Pieropan Soave is a dry and delightfully refreshing white wine full of fresh and fruity aromas and flavors - which make it a nice match with the Carciofini and Pasticcio. bottle $25 glass $6.50 1/2 glass $3.25
Bianco di Custoza is a dry, fresh and fragrant white wine produced in the rolling hills southeast of Lake Garda from a variety of grapes, including Trebbiano, Garganega, Cortese, Riesling and Malvasia. Chock-full of intense aromas and flavors of jasmine, apples and pears, its excellent balance and complexity make it a great pairing with the Gnocchi and Tonno. bottle $27 glass $7.00 1/2 glass $3.50
The Azienda Agricola Savian, founded by the Savian family in 1925, produces wines that adhere to organic guidelines in the cultivation of their vineyards and in the production of their wine. Produced from 100% Refosco dal Peduncolo grapes, this dry red wine is medium-bodied and full of intense aromas of wild blackberries and violet flavors with a hint of spice. It is the perfect complement to the Scalloppine. bottle $24 glass $6.25 1/2 glass $3.25
This concentrated, fragrant and full-fruited red is produced from very ripe bunches of Corvina Veronese, Rondinella and Molinara grapes grown in the heart of Verona’s Valpolicella district. Brimming with earthy aromas and flavors of plum, cedar and spice, its medium-body and smooth, well-balanced structure pair well with the Mezzi Ravioli. bottle $34 glass $8.75 1/2 glass $4.50
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Roberto Ivan |
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Conegliano, where Roberto was born, is famous for one of Veneto’s most well-known specialties, prosecco, the lightly sparkling wine. In Veneto you will find the Strada del Prosecco (Prosecco Drive), a country road linking the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiande. Drive along this road and you will experience a breathtaking landscape dotted with small villages, vineyards and trattorie serving refreshing glasses of prosecco. “One of the elements that distinguishes Venetian cooking is the use of spices,” explains Roberto. “The explorer Marco Polo was responsible for introducing many of the exotic spices of Asia into Italy. Ginger, for example is not commonly considered ‘Italian’, yet Polo brought it to Italy in the thirteenth century. Tonno allo Zenzero (mesquite grilled tuna with citrus-ginger sauce) is a direct result of of Marco Polo’s travels to China. “Cooking
at Il Fornaio is about authenticity,” Roberto says. “I love
the influence Veneto brings to my cooking. Here in Manhattan Beach,
so close to the ocean, I am able to be completely creative and artistic
using the traditions and style Veneto has taught me. Venetian food
is the food I love best, so I look forward to sharing this menu of
Veneto with you. |
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Join us at our restaurant at the 
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The entire region of Veneto bears the imprint of one of the greatest civilizations of all time, the free state of Venice. 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: soft-shell crabs, pink scallops, monkfish, seabass and prawns. From fisherman 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. Venetians began trading salt from their marshes in exchange for cheeses and vegetables, rice and greens. Parmesan from Emilia-Romagna, radicchio rosso from Treviso, and produce from across Italy became integral parts of "La Cucina Veneziana." They soon expanded to more precious commodities, and by the 12th century controlled the European market for rare spices. From saffron to cinnamon to curry from India and Africa, the merchants of Venice became wildly wealthy supplying Europe with these exotic ingredients. Venice is known around the world for Carnevale, the last chance for revelry before Lent. The whole of Venice is transformed into a stage where extravagant costumes and masquerades are encouraged. |
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Coming September 2-15:
the food and wine of Sicily.