Il Fornaio, Festa Regionale


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

antipasti e minestre	ZUPPA DI FAVE E CARCIOFI artichoke and fava bean soup with fennel and e mazzafra cheese $6.25 Greco di Tufo
	BURRATA DI ANDRIA fresh Puglia-style mozzarella, served with red pear and yellow tomatoes, basil and olive oil $8.95 Greco di Tufo
	SFORMATINO DI FARRO E FAGIOLI terrine of organic barley, white beans, fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce $6.95 Greco di Tufo

primi	ORECCHIETTE CON CIME DI RAPA ear-shaped pasta with wild broccoli, anchovies, garlic and crushed red pepper $12.50 Primitivo
	SPAGHETTINI ALLO SCOGLIO thin spaghetti, shrimp, scallops, baby octopus, cherry tomatoes, capers, oregano $16.95 Greco di Tufo
	PENNETTE CON POMODORINI E BURRATA pasta tubes, Puglia-style fresh mozzarella sauce, cherry tomatoes and bay leaf $12.95 Primitivo
	RISOTTO CON GAMBERI E FAVE risotto with shrimp and fresh fava beans $15.95 Primitivo

secondi	BRACIOLETTE DI MANZO beef rolled with mazzafra, pecorino, pancetta and celery, braised with red wine and tomato sauce; with potato-mushroom cake $16.95 Primitivo
	SPIGOLA CON OLIVE E CAPPERI sauteed striped seabass with olives and capers in trebbiano-lemon sauce; sauteed leeks $19.95 Greco di Tufo
	SPIEDINI DELLE MURGE CON CIME DI RAPE skewers of spicy sausage, onions and cherry tomatoes; with sauteed wild broccoli $18.50 Primitivo

dolci	RAFFIOLI dome-shaped sponge cake filled with pastry cream and galliano liqueur, with creme anglaise $6.50

Greco di Tufo, Feudi di San Gregorio, 1998

This dry, crisp and refreshing white wine is produced from the indigenous greco grapes cultivated around the town of Avellino in the neighboring region of Campania. The wine has floral and fruity aromas and flavors that are full of roses, apples and toasted almonds. A good match with fish, seafood and light pastas. $32 bottle $8.25 glass $4.25 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 pairing with grilled meats, game and cheese. $22 bottle $5.75 glass $3 half glass


	ttavio Palmeri was born in Gela on the southern coast of Sicily. Because he was the youngest of eight children, he was named Ottavio ("eight" in Italian is "otto"). Growing up, he would help his mother prepare meals for this large family, so it seemed natural that he should attend culinary school at age 14. His first job out of school was as a sous chef in a trattoria in Catania.

"Now that I live in the U.S, I go back to Italy every few years to visit friends who have restaurants there.I love to see what is going on in different parts of Italy. This travel and collection of various dishes, passed down through generations are the inspiration for my Puglia menu. "In Puglia", Ottavio explains, "there are many ingredients, and everything we cook with is absolutely fresh. Even the cheese is fresh - mazzafra, a mild fresh cheese and burrata, a fresh Puglia-style mozzarella that you find here in several dishes. And so many things that we must buy here grow wild in Puglia, like cherry tomatoes and rapini, a vegetable similar to broccoli. "One great challenge is how to combine the ingredients of Puglia to create a balance. Take for example Spiedini delle Murge con Cime di Rape - the slight bitterness of the wild broccoli combined with the spiciness of the sausage and the flavors of grilled lamb and chicken is absolute perfection. "With each regional menu we search to find this balance, and it keeps eating at Il Fornaio interesting and exciting. So join us as we explore the food, bread and wine of Puglia. Buon Appetito!" I would like to dedicate this menu to the memory of my great friend, Chef and Puglia native, Antonio Pupillo.

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 some 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 holds up 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. Spaghettini allo Scoglio (thin spaghetti with shrimp, scallops, baby octopus, cherry tomatoes, capers and oregano) features much of this abundant supply. Potatoes, artichokes, fava beans and cherry tomatoes are grown in the rich soil of Foggia and Taranto. You will find potatoes in Braciolette di Manzo, artichokes in Zuppa di Fave e Carciofi, fava beans in Risotto con Gamberi e Fava and tomatoes in the focaccia as well as in several other dishes on this menu. Olives and wine grapes are also major crops, and a great source of income for the region. 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.

Coming August 7 - 20:
THE FOOD AND WINE OF BASILICATA
Join our mailing list to receive your Passaporto
for the next six months of Festa Regionale

Join our mailing list!