gennaio 6-19, 2014

GENNAIO 6-19, 2014
MENU DELLA CENA
Zuppa e Antipasti
Zuppa di Patate e Erbe di Campo Potato and leek soup
with Swiss chard, spinach, cabbage and grilled focaccia
4.99 cup 5.99 bowl (vegan) @ Brut
Insalata di Fine Anno Roasted beets, watercress, flame raisins,
walnuts, frisee and asiago croutons 11.59 (vegetarian) @ Incrocio
Canederli con Spinaci Spinach and ricotta dumplings
topped with Grana Padano, served in free-range chicken broth
8.99
@ Sauvignon
Sformatino di Ortiche alla Crema di Taleggio
Stinging nettle, Grana Padano and egg tortino with Taleggio cheese
sauce and basil olive oil 10.99 (vegetarian) @ Brut
Pasta
Pasta alla Castellana Rigatoni pasta tossed with pork
tenderloin, bacon, shiitake mushrooms, Grana Padano, brandy,
cream and fresh thyme 18.29 @ Incrocio
Fettuccine al Salmone Affumicato Thin pasta ribbons
with smoked salmon, dill, brandy, capers and cream sauce
18.99 @ Brut
Gnocchi val Badia Arugula-potato dumplings sautéed with
rabbit, crimini mushrooms and Grana Padano 17.99 @ Pinot Noir
Risotto Ladino Carnaroli rice with beef tenderloin, porcini
and oyster mushrooms, fresh thyme, shallots and Pinot Noir
20.79 @ Teroldego
Secondi
Medaglioni di Pollo Chicken medallions roasted with Gruyère
cheese, speck, grilled portobello mushroom and Trebbiano wine;
served with braised sweet and sour red cabbage, broccolini and
mashed potatoes 23.99 @ Sauvignon
Braciola di Maiale con Cavolo Rosso Kurobuta pork
chop wrapped with pancetta and roasted in the oven with herbs,
Trebbiano wine and brandy; served with braised sweet and sour
red cabbage and mashed potatoes 26.99 @ Teroldego
Capriolo ai Mirtilli Venison braised with root vegetables
and red wine; served with housemade blueberry preserves,
Canederli and soft polenta 25.99 @ Pinot Noir
Salmone val Ultimo Grilled salmon with marjoram-dill
hollandaise, sautéed leeks and cherry tomatoes; served over soft
polenta 26.99 @ Incrocio
Dolci
Torta della Selva Nera Chocolate sponge cake brushed with
rum, layered with amarena cherries and pastry cream, topped with
shaved dark chocolate and whipped cream 7.99
Taste of Trentino-Alto Adige $29.99
Choose
h
one noted item per course for your own special tour of Trentino-Alto Adige
VINI DEL
TRENTINO -ALTO ADIGE
Ferrari Brut, Trentodoc, NV
Ferrari was established over a century ago by the
Lunelli Family, who produce their Brut from 100%
Chardonnay by the metodo classic, aka methode
champenoise - it has lovely aromas and flavors of ripe
apples, wildflowers and brioche. An excellent match
with the Zuppa and Fettuccine.
Sauvignon, San Michele, 2012
Medium-bodied and complex, this lively white wine is
bright and crisp with aromas and flavors of tangy
citrus and spice. The wine’s excellent balance and
complexity make it a great match with the Canederli
and Medaglioni.
$6 half glass $11 glass $43 bottle
Incrocio Manzoni, San Michele, 2012
This dry, aromatic, spicy white has lovely aromas and
lush flavors of lime, white flowers, apple, citrus and
spice. It is medium-bodied with a long, lively finish
and is a great pairing with the Castellana and Salmone.
$7 half glass $13 glass $49 bottle
Pinot Noir, Lechthaler, 2011
This medium-bodied Pinot Noir produced by the
Togn family has enticing aromas of ripe blackberries
and red forest fruits followed by firm, yet wellstructured tannins. Elegant and subtle, it has great
balance and a clean finish and makes a nice pairing
with the Gnocchi and Capriolo.
$6 half glass $11 glass $35 bottle
Teroldego, Lechthaler, 2011
This lush, full-flavored red, produced from Trentino’s
indigenous Teroldego grape, is medium-bodied and
chock-full of wild berries, violets and vanilla aromas
and flavors. Lechthaler Teroldego is rich and intense
with a soft, velvety smooth finish. A great match with
the Risotto and Braciola.
$7 half glass $13 glass $43 bottle
Wine Flight $14.99
Your choice of any three half-glasses
Mario Radilla
began
cooking with his grandmother
in Acapulco where he grew
up. “The most important thing
I learned from her is to use the
freshest ingredients. Using
fresh herbs, fruit or vegetables
may seem simple, but it is
what truly creates the most
delicious food. At age seventeen I moved to the United
States to pursue my cooking
Chef-Partner Mario Radilla
career and met the Executive
in Trentino at Maso Castle
on Lake Toblino
Chef of Il Fornaio, Maurizio
Mazzon. I began in the Palo Alto kitchen in 1989 as the pizza
cook. There I quickly learned that Il Fornaio shared the same
philosophy about cooking as my grandmother. In Palo Alto,
I worked my way up through the various kitchen
departments from pantry to pasta to grill. When Il Fornaio
Burlingame opened in 1995, I became a sous chef and after
three years, I was promoted to senior sous chef. Then, in
2003, I was given the opportunity to become Chef-Partner at
the Il Fornaio in Walnut Creek.”
Mario has now been with Il Fornaio for the past 24 years.
Not too long ago, Mario had the opportunity to travel
throughout Italy with Il Fornaio Executive Chef Maurizio
Mazzon where they immersed themselves in local regional
cuisines and Italian culture.
“When I visited Trentino, the region made me feel something
special. The capital city of Trento is so beautiful, a small,
charming town with so much ambiance. The kind and friendly people of Trentino, the architecture of the capital city and
the huge mountains surrounding this wonderful area all
created lasting impressions. The grapes grown on the rolling
mountains are all picked by hand there, leading to excellent
wines in my opinion as the fruit is harvested in the old
tradition prior to the introduction of machinery. My favorite
restaurant we visited in Trento, Scrigno Del Duomo, had a
huge wine list and the food reminded me of how we create
our food here at Il Fornaio.
I hope you enjoy the food and wine of this magical region as
much as I enjoyed creating this menu.”
Buon Appetito!
Trentino-Alto Adige
is perhaps the least Italian of
regions. Laid out along the country's northeastern border with
Austria, it is a breathtaking land of saw-toothed ridges and
snow-capped peaks, alpine meadows, glittering waterfalls and
popular ski resorts. In winter, it offers some of the best skiing in
Europe. Italians have long enjoyed this as one of their favorite
vacation spots, as it combines vast natural playgrounds with
immaculate medieval towns and delicious food.
If you look at Trentino-Alto Adige on a map, you'll find that
many of the localities have two names, such as Bolzano/Bozen,
Merano/Meran and Bressanone/Brixen. Despite its calm, pastoral,
orderly appearance, this is a historically divided region because
of its storied past. The northern half of the region, Alto Adige,
was known as Südtyrol and was part of the independent kingdom of Tyrol for 500 years before it became part of the AustroHungarian empire, where it remained until it was annexed to
Italy at the end of World War I. A large and very vocal segment
of the local population did not like that new post-war political
arrangement, and many emigrated north. But it was this transition that allowed Trentino-Alto Adige to become one of the
most economically successful regions in all of Italy.
In 1948, the Italian legislature made Trentino-Alto Adige a single autonomous region. While this may sound like a reasonable
solution, it has created a strange yet enchanting contrast. Even
the most casual visitor will have little trouble noticing that
Trentino, the southern part of the region centered around the
beautiful city of Trento, is far more Italian than Alto Adige,
where German and Italian are spoken by virtually everyone
with ease. Yet today there is fierce loyalty to Italy in this
northernmost part of the country and, each year, the majority of
the very successful Italian national ski team hails from Alto
Adige, with very un-italian sounding names like Gustav Thöni
and Christof Innerhofer among the legendary members. In
addition, sprinkled throughout the mountain valleys of both
areas are about 80,000 residents who, clinging to yet another
ethnic tradition, speak an ancient language known as Ladin.
This utterly incomprehensible tongue, a combination of Celtic
dialects and Latin, resulted from the encounter of northern
colonists and Roman legions in the first century B.C. and adds
further intricacies to navigating this beautiful part of the world.