Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Review: Il Fornaio Cucina Italiana, Las Vegas

Months on a low carb diet mean that I've tended to avoid Italian given the heavy bread and pasta components. Trying to eat healthy in a tourist destination without endless serves of chicken and salad means exploring some different food choices... and then I remembered veal, glorious veal.


Il Fornaio is an authentic Italian restaurant and bakery chain imported from Italy with locations throughout Californa and Nevada. Unlike the heavy 'red sauce and provolone' Italian you often find on the East Coast Il Fornaio focuses more on fresh seasonal choices. 


Insalata di Bietole $11.99USD

Golden and red beets served with arugula, walnuts and Asiago. Light and fresh with good ingredients; golden beets are an increasingly common trend in the US of which I am a fan. 


Carpaccio $11.99USD

Raw beef pounded paper thin and served with Grana Padano, capers, arugula and lemon. The beef is grass fed and holds up on it's own while raw; the capers and lemon cut through the fat well. 


Pasta con Pesto $11.99USD

This was a special at the restaurant when we dined and does not seem to be a regular featured item. A standard offering but good quality comfort food - shell pasta served with pesto, sun dried tomatoes and toasted pine nuts. Not too heavy or overpowering. 


Scaloppine ai Carciofi e Limone $25.99USD

I'm not entirely sure why they chose to present this dish as such when it is one ingredient off Saltimbocca but it was delicious nonetheless. Usually in the US the artichokes are canned and pickled but these were fresh local baby artichokes. The sauce was rich but light such that the dish was filling without being glutinous.

Service was American Tourist Destination attentive with refreshingly Italian staff. Sometimes I find the multiple staff you deal with in American restaurants overwhelming - in this case we saw a host, our server, 2 bus boys, a patissier and a sommelier. To me this is overkill for a two course meal; I'd have been happy to have my bread and wine brought by the same person who brought my food. 

Upmarket without being snooty, comforting without being coma inducing Il Fornaio is a solid pre-theatre choice. 

Il Fornaio Cucina Italiana


Family friendly food
Upmarket casual dining
3790 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV ‎
Ph: (702) 650-6500



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