Canaletto, an Italian Il Fornaio restaurant in Fashion Island, whisks you away to Venice with lavish decor, polished silver bread trays, a white marble Raw Seafood & Oyster Bar, and tableside handmade pasta service.
From Aug 2nd-15th, Chef Maurizio Mazzon has put together a special 3-course "Taste of Veneto" meal ticket to Venice. For $29.99 choose an Antipasti course like Heirloom Tomato Salad or Artichoke Baked Crab in a Lemon White Wine Sauce; a Pasta course like Housemade Prosciutto & Swiss Chard Ravioli in Porcini Mushroom Sauce or Gnocchi with Lamb Ragu; and a Secondi course like Whole Game Hen with Cream Cheese, Ginger Saffron Stuffing or Grilled Seafood Mix with Lemon Parsley Sauce & Polenta.
If that doesn't fit your bill, Canaletto also has Happy Hour from 4:30-6:30pm with $5 priced Wine, Prosecco, Beer, Cocktails, Pizza, Pasta, and Appetizers like Calamari.
I had the pleasure of dining here for a recent birthday meal on a lively packed Friday night. And while I was
sad to see Tutto Mare gone along with some wonderful childhood dining memories of the 80's, I was happy to be introduced
to Canaletto's new digs that by the end of the night had both my eyes and tastebuds Dancing in Heaven.
The Grubdown:
- fight-worthy, warm, fresh out the oven Selection of Olive Bread, Whole Grain Bread, Sourdough & Breadsticks
- spicy, salty, creamy good 'n plenty Burrata, Arugula & Prosciutto Appetizer Special ($11.99)
- lovely, earthy, refreshing Rosemary Gin Lemonade Cocktail ($13)
- creamy, fresh & tangy Sant'erasmo Risotto with Shrimp, Crab & Baby Artichokes ($19.59)
- had so much potential, but lacked proper seasoning Tagliatelle alla Castellena with Pork Tenderloin, Bacon, Shiitake Mushrooms with Grana Padano Cheese, Thyme & Brandy-Cream Sauce ($13.99 half / $18.99 full)
- hearty, tomatoey Pennoni al Ragu with Traditional Meat Ragu and Dry-Aged Ricotta Cheese ($9.99 half / $14.99 full)
- i want one now and every day hereafter Columbina al Cioccolato Dark Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry & Kiwi Sauces ($7.99)
Before ordering my insanely scrumptious, fizzy Rosemary Gin Lemonade Cocktail, my family and I were literally fighting over the fresh, piping hot Complimentary Bread Tray like Nasty Boys. We don't normally do this, but the selection of Traditional Venetian Breads – Olive, Whole Grain, Sourdough & Breadsticks – is so enticing we had no choice. I ordered the Burrata Appetizer Special – one of my all time favorites – and this one definitely takes the cake! It comes with a huge, heaping portion of Burrata, which is plenty to split between 4 people. It sits on top some earthy, spicy Baby Arugula, and another heaping portion of silky, salty Prosciutto with a couple of Kalamata Olives for good merit. I honestly couldn't decide between the next 3 pasta dishes – they all sounded so good – so we ordered half portions of each and split: 1.) The Sant'erasmo Risotto is creamy, peppery, and cheesy with buttery Crab & Shrimp, and tangy Baby Artichokes. I would definitely order this if you're a Risotto fan. 2.) I was sadly disappointed by the Tagliatelle alla Castellena. Bacon, Mushrooms & Cheese in a Brandy-Cream sauce – how could this go wrong?!? Unfortunately, it lacks proper seasoning. And I found myself doing something which I never do – taking out the salt shaker and laying it on thick with EXTRA PARM too, since the salt wasn't enough. 3.) Whenever I eat Italian, I must always order the Bolognese, or in this case the Pennoni al Ragu. And this one did not disappoint. I liked the fresh take with Thick Grated Strips of Dry-Aged Ricotta, and the creaminess of the cheese blended well with the Sweet Tomato Meat Sauce. For this one, I wish we ordered the full size, since the large Pennoni pasta tubes overwhelmed the volume of my usual bread-dipping, bowl-licking bolognese feast.
I ended my birthday meal with none other than my favorite dessert – Chocolate Mousse. While it looked like it came straight from the 80's – with sharp geometric Dark & White Chocolate Shavings and bright neon green Kiwi & red Raspberry Sauces – the richness & creaminess of the Mousse soothed it all away like a Smooth Operator. And just like the bread, we fought for every bite like a Cold Hearted Snake.
For Dinner, Canaletto also serves specialties tableside like Vermicelli Cassopipa with Fish Ragu, Clams, Mussels, Scallops & Grape Tomatoes ($23.99) and Whole Salt-Crusted Branzino with Grilled Polenta & Sauteed Seasonal Vegetables ($29.99). Appetizers range from $2.59-25.99, Pizza & Pasta from $8.99-18.99, Entrees from $13.59-41.99, and Dessert from $6.99-12.99 (unless you're engulfing the entire Dessert Cart).
545 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660. 949-640-0900.
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Posted by: shop taobao china | 11/16/2010 at 02:27 AM