8FFLFOE sacrificed palatability for a pretty presentation. Il Fornaio offers a half-dozen pizzas. I liked the vegetariana ($14.59) with mozzarella, tomato sauce, artichokes, zucchini, eggplant, sliced tomatoes, mushrooms and fresh basil. Just enough ingredients to make it tasty without overload. The justright crust was semi soft, pliable and chewy. Pasta? Of course. A half-dozen, dry, house-made options plus lasagna, cannelloni and specials. Ravioli magro ($12.99) was filled with rainbow chard, kale, onions, pine nuts and pecorino cheese, and tossed with sauteed artichokes, white wine, tomatoes and parsley. The ravioli were plump and mouthwatering, the toppings more than ample. As artistic as it was tasty. The special vegetarian tortelloni ($18.59) were appealingly plump house-made pasta pockets filled with red beets, ricotta and
Staff members set tables in the small back dining room at Il Fornaio.
pecorino cheeses, and topped with silky sage cream sauce sprinkled with poppy seeds. For main courses, the mixed fish grill ($25.99) of salmon, petrale, prawn, sea scallop and calamari with lemon parsley sauce was an enormous plate of seafood. Add to that grilled
polenta and sauteed seasonal vegetables, and it was more than any diner could have hoped for. The plate was zesty and fresh and the fish perfectly prepared. Veal scaloppini ($24.99) did not disappoint. Three not too thinly sliced pieces of forktender veal had been sauteed
with fresh baby artichokes and lemon, then served with roasted Yukon Gold potatoes and a medley of seasonal vegetables — quintessentially Italian. As mentioned earlier, Festa Regionale offers excellent value. During this review time, “Taste of Veneto” was featured. On that menu we tried the capesante ($13.29), the tortelloni ($18.59) and the mixed fish grill ($25.99). That added up to $57.87 but was priced at $31.99. That’s a deal. The Veneto menu offered a choice of four antipasti, three pastas and three main dishes. As for desserts, the crema doppio ($7.99) was a fennel-infused custard with chocolate mousse and caramelized sugar topping. A chocolate-covered creme brulee by another definition. It was delicious but a bit overwhelming after a big dinner. More to my taste was the bianco mangiare ($7.99), an almond custard topped with caramel
sauce, toasted almonds and fresh berries. In essence, a delicate panna cotta topped with toasted almond slivers, fruit on the side. A perfect conclusion. Steve Boyden, longtime Il Fornaio managing partner, has covered all the bases. Besides the regular and Festa Regionale menus, there are a children’s menu, a gluten-free menu and banquet menus, and every dish on the menu lists its calorie content. The wine list is not overwhelming, quantity wise or pricewise, and selections complement the food. There are many drinkable wines in the $35-$75 range. Naturally, Italian and California wines dominate the list. Few restaurants survive three decades and many that do have a fierce and loyal clientele who never want the menu changed. Il Fornaio has preserved its classic dishes while infusing new and intriguing options each month. It’s a great formula. V
September 20, 2013 ■ Mountain View Voice ■ MountainViewOnline.com ■
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