Il Fornaio

Today's dinner involved a visit to an old friend.  6 years ago we enjoyed Il Fornaio in San Francisco.  There is one in Seattle but it's not the same -- not even on the list of chains with the name on it.  Not sure why -- it's the same logo.  But what I remember, six years later still, was the gnocchi.

This trip we discovered a three course "tasting" menu.  The quotes have to do with the portion.  I started with a bright, fresh, acidic salad that included garbanzo beans (yuck) and mostly deliciousness that I devoured.  And then felt like I had dined enough.  But that was not to be... out came THE GNOCCHI!  Not as amazing as I remembered it -- it had a rabbit ragu which was very good but think 6 years ago I had a creamy cheesy sauce that pressed my happy buttons.  I ate about 1/2 of the "small" portion before I was ready to be rolled out of the restaurant.  Still, the third course came.  Short ribs.  Now, on any given day, one bite of short rib is really enough to fill my stomach completely.  So an entire portion of it... however "small" they want to say it was... was too too much.  Deliciousness.  Thankful for the company dime because we had no way to reheat the food.  It really was delicious.  Just too much of it.

Also, to visit another old friend and welcome in a new life to come, we decided to order tiramisu.  This dessert has its roots in our dating history and it was definitely a delicious way to end an indulgent meal.

The nice thing about this restaurant is the joy I would get bringing friends and family who visit us in the city.  Hopefully the tasting menu continues.  What a nice way to enjoy a wide variety of special food at a reasonable price.