Orvieto Campogrande
Antinori, 2000
bottle $23 glass $6 1/2 glass $3
A refreshing white wine produced from procanico, grechetto and verdello grapes grown in the hilltop village of Orvieto. The bright citrus aromas and flavors are balanced by a crisp clean finish, perfect with the Minestre and Salmone.

Chardonnay, Lungarotti, 1999
bottle $33 glass $8.50 1/2 glass $4.25
This medium-bodied chardonnay is full of fresh apple and ripe fig flavors combined with a touch of vanilla. The excellent structure and balance make it a wonderful pairing with Rotolo and Spiedini.

Carbio, Colli Amerini, 1998
bottle $33 glass $8.50 1/2 glass $4.25
A dry, medium-bodied wine produced from sangiovese, ciliegiolo, canaiolo, montepulciano, melot and barbera grapes, this wine is elegant and velvety. It is full of strawberry-cherry fruit and has a spicy, earthy character, perfect with Porchetta, Ravioli and Filetti.

Vin Santo, Lungarotti, 1995
glass $5.75
An excellent finish to your Umbrian adventure. This intense, richly textured dessert wine is full of ripe apricot aromas and flavors, and is pleasantly sweet with a snappy finish.

onato Scotti grew up in Villa d’Almè in Lombardia. His culinary career began early; by the time he was twelve years old he was employed summers in a bakery in his hometown, delivering bread on his bicycle. At the age of fourteen his love of food brought him to the kitchens of the local restaurants. By the time he came to Los Angeles he was a veteran of restaurants in Bergamo and New York City. He joined Il Fornaio in 1997 as a sous chef in Sacramento. Now he runs his own kitchen at Il Fornaio in Palo Alto.

About Umbria, Donato explains, “The food of Umbria is very simple and full of distinct flavors because of the great quality of ingredients you find there. The black truffles, of course, give the food an earthy and unique flavor. The olives grown here produce some of the best olive oil found in Italy. The pork takes its special taste from the acorns the pigs feed on in the woods. Umbria is also one of the best regions to find game, such as guinea hens.”

To Donato Scotti, his passion for cooking is of primary importance. “You need to have passion for what you do or you will never be happy in your work.”

Donato believes that the quality of ingredients is the first consideration, “la materia prima” he calls it. “The first ingredient needs to be the best - this is what creates a cuisine that is simple but flavorful. As you look at my menu of Umbria, the preparations are not complicated. The individual ingredients speak for each dish; the wonderful ingredients you find in Umbria naturally set the cuisine apart from the other regions of Italy.

“It is my hope that you discover the simple pleasures in the food of Umbria - Buon Appetito!”

Donato Scotti
CHEF-PARTNER
IL FORNAIO

he food of Umbria is hearty and simple, relying on the fresh ingredients found in the mountainous countryside for flavor. Central to any menu from the region is the black truffle, or tartufo nero, and those from Norcia and Spoleto are especially prized. Risotto alla Norcina (risotto with fava beans and porcini mushrooms) and Salmone Tartufato (Norwegian salmon sauteed with artichokes and white wine) are finished with shaved black truffles.

Olives are another ingredient that are featured in every trattoria in Umbria. In particular, the Trevi area is home to some of the greatest olive oils in the world. In Trevi, up a steep hillside, is the oldest olive-producing tree in the world, a tree over one thousand years old. Many years ago, the olive growers in Trevi forged a collective, where they bring the fruit of their trees to a central bottling plant. In the middle of this plant sit two gigantic stone wheels, between which tons of olives are squeezed each season. It is this extremely low-tech process that we call ‘cold-pressed.’

In Umbria, sheep’s milk is favored for cheese. Pecorino is the most popular and adds a unique tanginess to Frascarelli alla Francescana (housemade pasta with sausage, tomatoes, basil and peppers). Pecorino is used often in Umbrian dishes as it proves to be the perfect foil for the flavorful and earthy black truffle.

As you sample this menu highlighting the food and wine of Umbria, let it inspire you to discover the richness and magic of all of the regions of Italy.