I always love when dineLA comes around because it’s a great chance to try out some of the best restaurants around town. This year I decided to go try an old favorite place that I haven’t tried in years. Il Foranaio.

At Il Fornaio, they start the meal with some complimentary bread: Ciabatta, Pane Olive (Olive Bread) and Pane Noci (Whole Wheat Walnut Bread) which you can dip in olive oil. After that is the antipasti and I chose the bruschetta al pomodoro. The complimentary bread and bruschetta were carbs at it’s finest. They were all very flavorful.

For the secondi, I chose the Conchiglie al Pollo with shell pasta, chicken breast, broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, pecorino cheese, roasted garlic and trebbiano wine. The soft shell pasta, the tender chicken brest and the flavorful sun-dried tomatoes, cheese and garlic toppings made for a great second entry!

The last course or the dolci was dessert! I chose Zabaione alla Gritti. It is zabaione with fresh berries, bellini sorbet, fresh whipped cream and topped with a cherry. I loved the presentation of this dish, with the bellini at the bottom, the whipped cream and berries on top and the addition of the Italian biscuit.

For more smiles, please see my recent yelp review on Il Fornaio.