Okay, some of you might think Il Fornaio is just a chain. But it's really not. Each one has their own chef who has menu control. I've been to the ones in Del Mar (OK) Coronado (nice view, OK food) and Pasadena (good bakery, OK food), so when I went the one in Beverly Hills last weekend I was expecting more of the same, OK food, good bread, whatever. OhmiGOD I was wrong. It was AMAZING. I'm not sure if it was so good because I didn't have high expecations or what, but it was the bomb!
We started with a focaccia (mmm wood burning oven), fresh polenta with various savory toppings, and calamari fritti. I admit, it's hard to screw up calamari fritti, but this was one of the best I've had. Very lightly breaded, crispy, and too chewy. Then, my sister ordered this simple pasta, penne with a burrata (stuffed fresh mozzarella) and a light tomato sauce. The past was ACTUALLY AL DENTE! Which I have not encountered in any restaurant in recent years (it's always parboiled). Then I had fresh spinach fettuccine with black truffles (always yummy!). My parents both ordered the rabbit wrapped in pancetta (which was tasty, but not extraordinary), but the mashed potatoes that accompanied the rabbit were PERFECT. I am not exaggerating. They were light and smooth, but not at all gluteny. They just melted in my mouth. MMMM.
My sister and I were fighting over who got to eat our parents' mashed potatotes, and she started scraping the potatotes off a carrot. The chef saw this and sent a huge side of mashed potatoes to our table. (LOL! She blushed to her hairline!)
For dessert we had bread pudding (with their tasty bread they really can't go wrong with that one) and chocolate mouse cake with creme anglais. So good! All of this was accompanied by a bottle of Nozzole Chianti Classico which really completed the meal.
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