a printable version of this menu in PDF format - Il Fornaio

orn in Marcon, Veneto, Maurizo Mazzon
knew he would be a chef from the age
of eight when he would cook shellfish
caught with his brother off Punta Sabbioni
near Venice. Mazzon, who comes from a
family of bakers, went on to realize his dream
by spending 10 years working his way up
through the various kitchens of Venice’s great
restaurants and hotels.
In November of 1985, Mazzon left Italy to
serve as chef at Donatello in Tampa, Florida.
Four years later, he joined Il Fornaio to open a new restaurant
and bakery in Palo Alto, California, just three days after the
1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Under Mazzon’s leadership,
Il Fornaio in Palo Alto won many significant awards including
“Best Restaurant in Santa Clara County” from San Francisco
Focus Magazine three years in a row.
In 1992, Maurizio accepted the challenging assignment
to open Il Fornaio’s most expansive project to date, at the
newly-restored Hotel Sainte Claire in San Jose. As Chef-
Partner, Mazzon oversaw the restaurant, retail, private dining,
room service and catering for this centerpiece of San Jose’s
downtown renaissance. Because of his leadership in Palo Alto
and San Jose, Mazzon was promoted to Executive Chef of
Il Fornaio, responsible for every kitchen, recipe and ingredient
used at Il Fornaio.
azzon was the culinary leader in the 1999 opening of
Canaletto Ristorante Veneto at The Venetian Resort
Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. This authentic
Venetian restaurant was Maurizio’s realization of a lifelong
dream: create a world-class dining destination here in the U.S.
that would honor the kitchens where he honed his craft.
Mazzon’s menu presents traditional foods of the “Tre Venezie”
Maurizio Mazzon
Executive Chef
area of northeastern Italy, complemented by the
wines of this less heralded part of the country.
Situated at the heart of The Venetian’s recreation
of St. Mark’s Square, Canaletto quickly
became one of Il Fornaio’s most successful
restaurants and is today among the highest
volume Italian restaurants in the world.
The second Canaletto Ristorante Veneto,
located at Fashion Island in Newport Beach,
California, opened in 2008 with Maurizio at the
helm. His original vision, to offer the most
complete Veneto dining experience in the country, was
achieved. Guests can expect to experience five-star tableside
service in breathtaking Venetian interior decor and spectacular
private dining rooms as well as year-round outdoor dining.
Highlights from the menu created by Maurizio will include
freshly baked breads, sliced-at-the-moment cured meats, an
extensive fresh fish selection, pasta made fresh daily and a
selection of risotti unique to Canaletto.
In 2002, Mazzon wrote the
Il Fornaio Pasta Book, a personal
collection of his favorite pasta
recipes. From Piemonte in the
north to Calabria at the tip of
the boot, Mazzon has gathered
preparations from all twenty
regions of Italy. Beyond the
recipes and personal history,
the Il Fornaio Pasta Book also
contains a pasta glossary and source
guide for hard-to-find authentic Italian ingredients as
well as Mazzon’s collection of Italian proverbs that any cook
will appreciate. It can be purchased through our website at
ilfornaio.com.
Today, as Executive Chef of Il Fornaio, Mazzon oversees
all menu development, new concept development and the
company’s 22 kitchens. He directs Festa Regionale, Il Fornaio’s
ongoing exploration of the distinct cuisines of Italy’s 20
different regions. It is a challenging endeavor to coordinate the
changing of menus every month at two dozen restaurants,
often with ingredients and wines unavailable elsewhere in the
U.S. But that’s Maurizio, who perhaps sums it up best himself,
“La cucina del popolo e la sola esatta testimonianza della civilita,”
meaning: “The only true sign of a civilization is its culinary
heritage.”
Canaletto Ristorante Veneto
Newport Beach, California