The Love Chef Web Site - Restaurant Reviews

Restaurant Name:	IL FORNAIO

How Many Hearts?:

Address:	1265 Battery Street San Francisco, CA 94111

Phone Number:	(415) 986-0646

Type of Food :	Italian

Hours:	Lunch - Monday to Friday Dinner 7 days a week

Dress:	Adult

Price Range:	Dinner: Pastas range from $12.95 to $19.95 Dinner Entrees: from $17.95 to $25.95

Reservations:	Suggested

Description of Restaurant:

This trip I was in San Francisco to appear on KBO-TV (the same day Barbara Walters was a guest) with my friend Christian – you may remember him – from TV’s “Good Morning America”. He now hosts this ABC San Francisco show along with weather duties at the Channel. The day before I was in Portland, Oregan, for another TV show, and we planned to have dinner that evening after the 6 P.M. newscast. Christian said, “I think you’ll enjoy one of my favorite restaurants Il Fornaio.” And he was so right! Il Fornaio (eel-for-nigh-oh) means “the baker” in Italian. It began as a baking school outside of Milan in 1972, created in response to the disappearing art of centuries old Italian baking. Gathering traditional recipes from the diverse regions of Italy, Il Fornaio taught a new generation the secrets of traditional bread making. Today there are over 2,500 Il Fornaio bakeries through Italy.

Some Pasta Dishes:

Cappellacci Di Zucca – Ravioli filled with butternut squash and walnuts topped with brown butter. Parmigiano-Reggiano, crispy sage and marinara. Linguine Mare Chiaro – Thin flat pasta with clams, mussels, prawns and scallops tossed with tomatoes, crushed red pepper, garlic, trebbiano wine and Sicilian olive oil. Fiadoni Di Pietro – Fresh spinach ravioli filled with whitefish and salmon, topped with shrimp and asparagus; saffron-herb sauce.

Some Meat Dishes:

Pollo Toscano – Wood-fired rotisserie Petaluma chicken with white wine reduction and rosemary, served with roasted fingerling potatoes and sautéed vegetables. Tagliata Chianina – Beef tenderloin grilled and sliced, balsamic vinegar and green peppercorn sauce, served with sautéed organic spinach, roasted fingerling potatoes and uccelletta cannellini beans. Filetto Di Maiale Alla Milanese – Breaded and sauteed pork tenderloin, served with Tuscan salad and roasted fingerling potatoes.

Desserts:

Choose from an array of Il Fornaio’s famous baked goods. (Well worth the calories.)



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“The Love Chef” (Francis Anthony) is the author of several cookbooks and appears on local and national TV. You can find his cookbooks at Amazon.com and/or visit his website www.thelovechef.com. “Cooking With Love” and “The Love Chef” are registered trademarks.







email: lovechef@thelovechef.com