taste of emilia-romagna wine flight $13.99

Vini Della Emilia-Romagna
NESPOLINO BIANCO,
PODERI DAL NESPOLI, 2013
Nespolino Bianco is a delightfully dry white blend, produced
from 50% Trebbiano and 50% Chardonnay. It’s crisp and
refreshing with aromas and flavors of tropical flowers and fruit
with a fresh and balanced finish making it a lovely pairing
with the Tortelli and Risotto.
$5 half glass
$9 glass
$35 bottle
Zuppe e Antipasti
Maggio 5-18, 2014
Half-glass pour of each
$13.99
noted wine
on multigrain croutons with strawberries, toasted hazelnuts and glassa balsamico
(vegetarian) 9.99 @ Bianco
17.99 @ Malvasia
Pasta
mascarpone, ricotta and organic spinach in sage cream sauce, topped with shaved
Parmigiano-Reggiano and crispy sage (vegetarian) 18.59 @ Bianco
TRENETTE ALLA RIMINESE Fresh spinach and egg pasta strands tossed with
19.79 @ Malvasia
RISOTTO CON CAPESANTE E ZUCCA Carnaroli rice with seared sea scallops,
butternut squash, white balsamic vinegar and glassa balsamico
21.59 @ Bianco
PETTO DI POLLO ALLA MODENESE Roasted chicken breast rolled with
Prosciutto di Parma and fontina cheese, topped with sage-butter sauce; served with
balsamic reduction, sautéed organic spinach and mashed potatoes 22.59 @ Sangiovese
Secondi
FILETTO DI MAIALE AI PORCINI Grilled pork tenderloin with porcini, shiitake,
champignon and portobello mushroom sauce; served with sautéed fresh vegetables and
roasted Yukon Gold potatoes 24.59 @ Sangiovese
SCALOPPINA DI VITELLO ALLA BOLOGNESE Breaded veal sautéed with
Prosciutto di Parma and Grana Padano; served with arugula, cherry tomato and red onion
salad 26.59 @ Sangiovese
BRANZINO CON FUNGHETTI Seared wild seabass with Sangiovese reduction;
AMARO MONTENEGRO
WINE FLIGHT
8.99 @ Malvasia
CROSTINI CON SPUMA DI PARMIGIANO Parmigiano-Reggiano mousse
shrimp, scallops, crab, tomatoes, shallots and wild arugula
VECCHIA ROMAGNA BRANDY
Emilia-Romagna
Grana Padano and ricotta; served with Vellutata sauce (vegetarian)
TORTELLI DI RICOTTA E SPINACI Fresh butternut squash pasta filled with
This intensely aromatic dry red is produced from 100%
Sangiovese Grosso grapes. It has aromas and flavors of ripe,
brambly blackberry with smooth tannins, great balance and
a silky finish and makes a great pairing for the Filetto
and Scaloppina.
$6 half glass
$11 glass
$43 bottle
served with grilled shiitake mushrooms and mashed potatoes
Dolci
Amaro Montenegro is an herbal liqueur with aromas and
flavors of orange peel, coriander, red cherry and cucumber
with a moderately bittersweet and citrus finish. It is a favorite
Italian “digestivo” and is delicious served neat or over ice with
a lemon twist.
$6 glass
ERBAZZONE Puff pastry filled with organic spinach, leeks, dandelion, Swiss chard,
zucchini, cherry tomatoes, burrata and Grana Padano
PRUGNETTO, SANGIOVESE DI
ROMAGNA, PODERI NESPOLI, 2011
Vecchia Romagna Etichetta Nera “black label” was first
produced in 1820 by Filippo Sassoli de Bianchi, a direct
descendent of the Medici Family, and renowned
French distiller Jean Bouton, creator of the first steam
distillery. It is a versatile brandy which can be enjoyed
either neat or on the rocks, as an after-dinner drink and even
on ice cream!
$6 glass
celery, potatoes and sage; served with a multigrain crouton (vegetarian, vegan without crouton)
4.99cup/6.99 bowl @ Bianco
GARGANELLI DEL CASARO Pasta tubes tossed with Prosciutto di Parma,
MALVASIA "TASTO DI SETA,"
CASTELLO DI LUZZANO, 2012
Produced from 100% Malvasia di Candia grapes, this
aromatic dry white wine is minerally with bright citrus aromas
and lush flavors of ripe tropical fruit. It is medium-bodied
with a lively, long finish and is a match for the Trenette
and Branzino.
$6 half glass
$11 glass
$43 bottle
ZUPPA DI PEPERONI GIALLI Yellow bell pepper soup with onions, carrots,
26.99 @ Malvasia
TORTA DI MELE ALLA FERRARESE Traditional apple cake served warm
with caramel sea salt ice cream
8.99
TASTE OF EMILIA-ROMAGNA
Enjoy a 3- Course Tasting Menu for $29.99
Choose one
noted item per course for your own special tour of Emilia-Romagna
Chef Roberto Carboni is excited about this month’s re-opening of his newly renovated Del Mar, CA Il Fornaio not only for
the expanded kitchen, patio dining and al fresco bar (stunning sunsets served nightly), but also because the cuisine of his
native region – Emilia-Romagna – is in the spotlight.
Roberto was born in Arezzo (Tuscany), but when he was a baby his family moved to one of Europe’s most famous
seaside towns – Rimini in Emilia-Romagna – so that’s the region he considers home. “I have nine brothers and four
sisters, and we all helped our mother, Giovanna, prepare meals and preserve ingredients from our father’s garden. I always
wanted to know how she made everything taste so good. She taught me about building flavors and discovered I had a
pretty discerning palate for a kid … I became her ‘pasta taster.’”
ROBERTO CARBONI
CHEF
As a teenager, Roberto worked in his parents’ pizzeria/café-bar in Rimini, mastering the art of pizza-making in a woodburning oven. At 17, he began working in fine-dining restaurants, gaining expertise in gourmet cuisine and seafood.
By age 21, Roberto was running his own restaurant and at 27 made his way to Los Angeles. Before joining Il Fornaio in
Del Mar, Roberto owned and operated several successful Italian restaurants in southern California and was also a private
chef, caterer, cooking instructor and restaurant consultant.
The Crostini con Spuma di Parmigiano on tonight’s menu was created as an appetizer for Roberto’s wedding by his sister, Antoinetta (a chef in Modena,
Italy). The Zuppa di Peperoni Gialli (fresh puree of yellow bell pepper soup), traditional Erbazzone (typically sliced from a large cake; our version is
“revisitato” or “re-visited” in the form of individual tarts), and unique pasta in
Garganelli del Casaro are all “very, very Emilia-Romagna; they taste like home to me.”
Buon Appetito!
With all of Emilia-Romagna’s
resources, it should come as no surprise that it is a region
of hearty eaters and countless delicacies like ParmigianoReggiano cheese, balsamic vinegar and Prosciutto di
Parma, all of which are featured on this menu.
Emilia-Romagna is arguably one of the finest culinary regions in all
Maurizio and Roberto working together
the world. The plain that runs the length of the region has some
developing the recipes for tonight’s menu
of the richest soil in Italy, creating abundant food resources.
Emilia-Romagna leads Italy in the production of wheat and tomatoes; pigs and cows are raised in large quantities.
Perhaps no product from Emilia-Romagna is more famous than “Parmesan” cheese. Originally from the province of Reggio,
it is also produced in neighboring Parma, hence “Parmigiano-Reggiano,” the true Italian name of this world-famous cheese.
It is aged for at least one year and its authenticity and quality are regulated by the Italian government.
The province of Modena in Emilia-Romagna produces one of Italy’s most precious commodities: balsamic vinegar (aceto balsamico).
Balsamic vinegar is made with as much care as wine and is also strictly regulated. Traditionally the vinegar is aged 12 years in 7 different
casks, where it absorbs the qualities of each cask. These casks are made only of acacia, cherry and oak, and with each cask the vinegar becomes richer than
its predecessor. After several years of blending, aging and moving from cask to cask, the vinegar is a
dense dark brown with a mixture of tart and sweet. The longer it is aged, the richer it becomes; some
are aged as long as one hundred years.
The region’s capital city of Bologna is believed by many to be the culinary capital of Italy. Tortellini, the
pockets of pasta stuffed with the freshest meats and vegetables, originated in Bologna and are now found
in numerous regions in Italy and around the world. Our Tortelli di Ricotta e Spinaci (fresh butternut squash pasta
filled with ricotta, mascarpone and organic spinach in a sage cream sauce, topped with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano
and crispy sage) is a tortellini variation.
Rimini