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Pane Trevigiano Crusty baguette with bits of pancetta, compliments of the Bakers of Il Fornaio. (Available for sale at the Bakery counter.)

Carciofini Rialto Baby artichokes baked with parmesan, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley and lemon $6.95
Soave

Carpaccio di Piovra Octopus seasoned with red wine vinegar, garlic and herbs; diced potatoes, carrot and celery with lemon vinaigrette $6.95
Bianco di Custoza

Zuppa Chioggiotta Butternut squash soup with shrimp, grilled Chioggia radicchio and parmesan $6.25
Soave

Pappardelle di Pane Housemade wide flat pasta made with bread crumbs; porcini mushrooms, trebbiano wine sauce $12.50
Valpolicella

Bigoli in Salsa di Tonno Housemade pasta, tuna cured in extra virgin olive oil, capers, kalamata olives, trebbiano wine $11.95
Bianco di Custoza

Pasticcio di Pesce Seafood lasagne with shrimp, crab, clams, scallops and tomato-bechamel $14.50
Bianco di Custoza

Risotto alla Buranella Italian arborio rice with shrimp, clams, scallops and mussels $14.95
Soave

Maialino alla Padovana Pork chop filled with saffron-pistachio cream cheese; roasted potatoes and cipolline onions $15.50
Valpolicella

Masoro alla Vallesana Duck roasted with onions, capers, white wine vinegar, garlic and herbs; grilled Treviso radicchio and grilled polenta $17.95
Valpolicella

Misto Pesce Mesquite-grilled jumbo prawn, monkfish, salmon and calamari steak served with mixed greens in balsamic vinaigrette and roasted potatoes $19.95
Bianco di Custoza

Crespelle di Mele Fritte Crepe filled with apples and grappa- pastry cream; vanilla custard ice cream and caramel sauce $5.95

Bianco di Custoza, Remo Farina, 1997 The Farina family has been producing 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 aromas 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 town of Soave, just east of Verona. Pieropan Soave is a 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.

“There is an great story behind Masoro alla Vallesana (roast duck) on tonight’s menu. It is from a very old recipe, perhaps from the 14th century. The Vallesani, a group of lagoon dwellers in Venice would go out on the lagoon in row boats to catch ducks. They had to row very fast to catch them, and then they would roast them in a certain way, ‘alla Vallesana’. I remember when my grandfather would go out on the lagoon to catch ducks, hidden in a floating wine barrel that just broke the surface of the water. He sometimes waited for hours this way before he would catch a duck.

"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."