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

http://www.ilfornaio.com/

Family friendly food

Upmarket casual dining

New York-New York Hotel & Casino

3790 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV ‎

Ph: (702) 650-6500

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Review: White Cockatoo Pub Bistro, Petersham

A friend of ours had read an article on "giant food" servings in Sydney and found mention of the bistro at this pub so suggested that we head off to the White Cockatoo pub in Petersham.

The main schtick of the pub is its "loaded schnitzels" and though there are any number of other standard pub meals on the board we all order a variation on the schnitzel. Having read the review we knew to order one meal between two, but really even this was far too much and by the end of the meal we still can't finish the serve.

Apologies for the quality of the photos, I forgot my camera and so these were snapped on someone's phone in poor lighting with no flash.



Hawaiian schnitzel - Ham and Pineapple with cheese - $18.90

The coaster is provided for a size reference more than anything, keeping in mind that the coaster is 4 inches wide this really shows how ridiculously big the meal is.



Mediterranean schnitzel - Mozzarella, cream, pinenut and parsley - $18.90



Boscaiola schnitzel - Cream, mushroom, peas and bacon $18.90



Cheese schnitzel - Ricotta, mozzarella, cheddar and feta $18.90

All of the schnitzels have much the same review; they're absolutely huge, far too big for the oversized platter and far too big even for two people. The schnitzels are thick and juicy, well breaded and and not too oily, the chips are unnecessary but well made. Despite the size of the meal we all fall on the side salad that someone ordered just for the freshness and acidity after the richness of the food.

The loaded toppings are divine for the first few bites and become almost painful at the end; not because of poor quality but because the meal is so large and so rich. By the end we each leave a piece about the size of a normal schnitzel on the plate and are glad for a walk home in the cold. I don't know that anyone could finish one on their own without having drunk a small ocean of beer first, however with a relatively cheap bar in the pub, a wide screen TV pumping out sports and a welcoming open fire this may not be an issue. We decide to return without a doubt, but vow next time to order the schnitzel plain with lemon or at best with gravy in the hope we may finish the meal.

While eating we are interested to note that the chefs at the bistro are Spanish through and through and we spy an excellent looking tortilla in the window and check excitedly for the listing of flan on the menu (though finding space for dessert may be hard). It's a short walk from home and as good as I'm going to get short of flying home to my grandmother's food.

All in all the first meal was far too heavy but we've learnt what to order now and the price, size and quality make this a standout pub counter meal worth a walk in the cold.

White Cockatoo Pub Bistro
30 Terminus Street,
Petersham
(02) 9569 4675
Opposite Petersham Station

Fully licenced, pub atmosphere
No reservation necessary