Pane Cafone Traditional Neapolitan crusty bread, compliments of the Bakers of Il Fornaio. Available for purchase at the Bakery counter.

Spiedino di Mozzarella Skewer of fresh mozzarella and roasted peppers on a bed of red and yellow tomatoes $6.95
Albente

Sfogliatina con Scapece e Gamberi Puff pastry filled with zucchini, tiger shrimp and Boston lettuce $8.50
Albente

Calamari in Umido Squid and crushed tomato soup with a garlic crouton $6.50
Lacryma Christi

Focaccia di Scarola Folded pizza filled with escarole, pine nuts, kalamata olives, garlic and raisins $8.50
Albente

Penne alla Genovese Pasta tubes, beef braised slowly with onions, prosciutto and white wine $10.95
Lacryma Christi

Ravioli di Zucchine Homemade pasta filled with zucchini and smoked mozzarella; grilled tomato sauce $12.50
Lacryma Christi

Gnocchi al Tegamino Potato dumplings, mozzarella, tomato-basil sauce; baked in the wood-burning oven $11.50
Lacryma Christi

Risotto con Cozze, Vongole e Carciofi Arborio rice with fresh mussels, clams, and grilled baby artichokes $12.95
Albente

Petto di Pollo Farcito Chicken breast stuffed with asparagus, frittata and tomatoes, strawberry-wine sauce and wild broccoli $13.95
Albente

Scaloppine con Mozzarella e Pomodoro Veal scaloppine topped with mozzarella and crushed tomatoes; wild broccoli and potato croquette $15.95
Lacryma Christi

Spigola all'Acqua Pazza Whole striped bass baked in the oven with tomatoes, trebbiano wine and garlic; mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach $17.95
Albente

Pastiera Ricotta cheesecake with orange and lemon zest, candied orange peel, cinnamon and pastry cream, in a sweet pastry crust served with creme anglaise $5.25

Campania is one of the best known of Italy's southern regions. It is home to the bustling port city of Naples, the breathtakingly beautiful Amalfi Coast and infamous Mt. Vesuvius. In culinary terms, it is the proud originator of pizza, buffalo mozzarella and macaroni.

The warm climate of the south and fertile soil of the region mean that the growing season lasts practically all year long. Beans, cabbage, broccoli and tomatoes grow between rows of olive and fruit trees. Grapevines grow, draped over the trees, producing wine grapes and creating a trellis.

Campanian cooking is very nearly synonymous with Neapolitan cooking, and pizza is probably the single food most associated with Naples. Even the Pompeiians ate pizza (without tomatoes, which did not make their way to Europe for another 1500 years after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.). There is no limit to the variations of pizza-making, as demonstrated by Focaccia di Scarola (a flat folded pizza stuffed with escarole, pine nuts, kalamata olives garlic and raisins). On our daily menu you will find five pizzas including Pizza Margherita (mozzarella, oregano, fresh basil, tomato sauce), the ultimate classic Neopolitan pizza. With the introduction of tomato seeds to the rich Campanian soil (brought back from Peru by returning sailors), tomatoes began to find their way into many dishes. It is one ingredient commonly recognized as being definitively Campanian. Tomatoes are so abundant in the region that they appear in over half of the dishes on this menu.

Macaroni is also associated with Naples. Naples started to manufacture macaroni in the 15th century and today is the capital of this national staple. Penne alla Genovese (pasta tubes and beef braised slowly with onions, prosciutto and white wine) was actually brought to Campania from Liguria (Genoa is the capital) by field hands; while the dish is still made in Campania, it has long been forgotten in the north.

Another especially Neapolitan ingredient is mozzarella, buffalo or cow's milk cheese. The water buffalo was originally imported into Campania from India about 600 A.D. and herds thrived along the coast. The texture of fresh mozzarella is quite different from the common supermarket variety, as you will see in Spiedino di Mozzarella, fresh mozzarella skewered with roasted peppers, and Scaloppine con Mozzarella e Pomodoro (veal topped with mozzarella and fresh tomato sauce). The liveliness of Campanian food reflects the magnificent sites throughout the region. The ruins of Pompeii, the perilous hairpin turns along the steep cliffs of Amalfi, the indescribable color of the Blue Grotto on the island of Capri are only the beginnings of a great adventure through this colorful, abundant part of Italy.

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Claudio Urciuoli was born in Avellino, Campania and has lived in many cities throughout Italy. He spent most of his summers and holidays with relatives still living in Campania, and grew up with an intimate understanding of the differences between the Italian north and south. "It is said that Neopolitans are known for their joyful way of life; a ray of sunshine or a view of the sea are reason enough to feel happy. I think this is true for people throughout Campania.

"In Campania I spent much time at my grandmother's, along with cousins, aunts and uncles. My grandparents owned a grocery store on the bottom floor of the house and baked bread for the store in a wood-burning oven in the back. They also had land nearby where my grandmother raised chickens and rabbits and grew hazelnuts, tomatoes, herbs and vegetables. Exchanging food with our neighbors was quite common. My grandfather made wine, and it was popular with all the locals. We also traded the bread from our ovens for ingredients we didn't raise ourselves; we didn't have to buy a lot of food. As a little boy I would play in the kitchen, helping my grandmother make gnocchi or shaping leftover pieces of bread dough to see how they would bake in the oven."

At nineteen, Claudio came to the United States and eventually met Marcello Apollonio, Chef-Partner of Il Fornaio in Irvine. Marcello needed a sous chef and convinced Claudio to join him in his kitchen. When asked why he was so eager to join Marcello, Claudio says, "My father was a salesman of flour and bakery equipment who used to take me on his calls to the local bakeries. And then there was the bread oven in the back of the house. I love bread. So now I had the opportunity to work at Il Fornaio, where so many people in the kitchen spoke Italian, and Italian breads were coming out of the ovens all day long!

Claudio feels that Campania should be on every traveller's itinerary of Italy. "Campania is a beautiful region - Amalfi and Sorrento are two of the most beautiful places anywhere. And the pizza in Naples and seafood along the coast are the best in the world! With my love of travel, I am still happy to return to Campania, where I truly feel I am home. The people are so hospitable and as I eat with my friends there, I appreciate the passion for life and food that makes this region come alive. So, please enjoy this brief tour of my home region. Buon Appetito!"

Buon Appetito!