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La Focaccia del Sabado Braided egg bread, compliments of the Bakers of Il Fornaio

Carciofini Rialto Baby artichokes baked with parmesan, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley and lemon $5.95
Soave

Carpaccio con Primizie Thinly sliced beef, arugula, radicchio, mushrooms, baby artichokes, celery and shaved parmesan $7.50
Soave

Scampone del Doge Jumbo prawn stuffed with asparagus, potatoes, white wine and herbs, served with saffron potatoes and radicchio $7.95
Bianco di Custoza

Risi, Bisi e Zucca Thick Venetian-style soup of butternut squash, peas, potato and leeks, served over rice $5.50
Valpolicella

Tagliolini alla Busara Homemade egg pasta with jumbo prawn, capers, paprika, marinara and brandy-cream sauce $15.95
Bianco di Custoza

Pasticcio di Pesce Seafood lasagne with clams, crab, rock shrimp, scallops and mushroom-bechamel $10.95
Bianco di Custoza

Risotto San Terasmo Italian arborio rice with shrimp, artichoke hearts, parmesan, brandy-lobster sauce $11.95
Soave

Pollo Padovana con Chiodin Chicken breast in chiodini mushroom and chicken sauce; sauteed spinach $13.50
Valpolicella

Branzino per Due Whole seabass, butterflied and cooked on the flat grill with garlic, olive oil and lemon; white bean salad with pearl onions and radicchio, for 2 people $26.95
Bianco di Custoza

Misto Pesce Grilled jumbo prawn, monkfish, salmon and calamari steak served with mixed greens in balsamic vinaigrette and roasted potatoes $18.95
Bianco di Custoza

Creme Caramel Lemon-vanilla custard in caramel sauce $5.25

The Farina family has been growing grapes and making outstanding wines for over 400 years. This is a dry, fresh and fragrant white wine produced from a variety of grapes including trebbiano, garganega, cortese, riesling and malvasia grown in the rolling hills southeast of Lake Garda. Full of intense aroma and flavors of jasmine, apples and pears, its excellent balance and complexity make it a great pairing with seafood and light pasta dishes.

The Pieropan family produces this lively, dry white wine from primarily garganega and trebbiano grapes cultivated in the heart of the town of Soave, just east of Verona. Pieropan Soave is a dry and refreshing white wine full of fruity aromas and flavors which make it a nice match with chicken, fish and light pasta dishes.

Produced from corvina veronese, rondinella and molinara grapes grown in the heart of Verona's Valpolicella district, this concentrated, full-flavored red is brimming with earthy aromas and flavors of plum, cedar and spice. Its medium-body and smooth, well-balanced structure make it a great match with grilled meats, full-flavored pastas and cheeses.

Following the grape harvest, the remaining grape skins and seeds, known as pomace, are distilled and aged to produce this fiery spirit. Aromatic and smooth, grappa is known by Italians as a soothing aid to digestion; many believe it contributes to a longer life. Salute!

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.

Every July 19, Venetians celebrate the Feast of the Redeemer, giving thanks for their good fortune through history. This July at Il Fornaio we celebrate the unique traditions of Veneto and the wonderful gifts they have bequeathed us.

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 participants", Mauro explains. "We were especially busy in the summer putting up all the sauces and 'marmellate' for the winter. I still remember the marinara, as it simmered for hours on the stove, using tomatoes fresh from the garden."

When Mauro was thirteen, he worked for a butcher, delivering meats to the restaurants in Venice. His first view of a restaurant was always from the back door into the kitchen, so, as he says "the kitchen was my first love." He even delivered meat to the restaurant where his older brother Maurizio worked, and later started there as a busboy. "This restaurant, All'Angelo, one of the largest restaurants in Venice, is near the Piazzo San Marco and is very famous. I soon moved up to server, then into the kitchen, and I have never stopped working in the kitchen!" Mauro exclaims.

"One of my favorite stories about Venetian cooking is the one of how carpaccio was created. A Venetian countess was put on a very strict diet by her doctor and ordered to forgo all cooked meat. Giuseppe Cipriani, owner of Harry's Bar (frequented by Ernest Hemingway), made for her a dish of thinly sliced raw beef filet. Because the red of the meat reminded Cipriani of the color often used by the Venetian painter, Carpaccio, he named the dish in his honor. Since then, this Venetian dish has appeared throughout Europe and America."

"Today, cooking to me is like medicine: you have to take it every day or you'll feel bad. With my wonderful Sous Chefs and crew, I am able to feel great every day! So enjoy this menu of my home region - Buon Appetito."