Il Fornaio Walnut Creek

House-Baked Focaccia and Bread Basket

The kitchen's calling card — warm, herbed focaccia with a crisp crust and airy interior, served with quality olive oil; the reason they named the place after a baker

Pollo al Mattone

Brick-pressed roasted chicken with crispy skin and juicy meat, a classic Il Fornaio signature served with seasonal accompaniments

Pappardelle with Braised Meat Ragù

Wide ribbons of fresh egg pasta tangled with a slow-braised ragù that clings to every fold — one of the more honest pastas on the menu

Risotto

Creamy, properly rested risotto with seasonal add-ins — consistently one of the better executions you'll find at this price tier in the East Bay suburbs

Tiramisu

The classic dessert done cleanly — espresso-soaked ladyfingers, mascarpone cream, dusted cocoa; not reinvented, just reliably good

Insalata Cesare

A kitchen-sink-clean Caesar — house-made dressing, good croutons, nothing adventurous but consistently a safe opener