Il Fornaio Corte Madera

We came to Il Fornaio for Mother's Day lunch with reservations at 12:45pm. It was my first time in this chain, and I liked this location's ambiance, it had a large seating space and a nice enclosed patio. Our server was nice, but there were just little misses throughout the meal. First, we asked for sparkling water for the table and we got iced tap water. Fine by us, and they did not charge us for sparkling waters in the bill. Then they asked if we wanted bread for the table, which of course we said yes to. This was $3 on the bill, and the bread was completely unimpressive. We would not have asked for bread if we knew it was not complimentary. There was too much crust and not enough rise in the bread for a nice chewy inside. Also, they took our bread away before we were done with it so we lost like $1.50 of it! For our food, we ordered the calamari for the table, and my bf and I split the pesto pizza and the insalata regina salad. The calamari came out first, which was actually really good. The crust was nice and crispy with good seasoning, the calamari itself was tender and not too chewy, and the warm marinara sauce it came with was zingy and bright. The pesto pizza came out next, which I had a slice of. It was cooked well, with a nice chewy crust. The pesto was a little too liquidy for my liking, but the flavor was okay. I wish there were more toppings of the tomatoes and mozzarella. At this point, we were halfway through the pizzas and the salads had not come yet. My bf's mom had ordered the pear salad, and she had no food yet at this point. We asked our server about them, and she walked back to the counter before bringing them over. I think they forgot to bring these out with the pizzas. I really liked the insalata regina, the arugula was tender and coated in a nice olive oil and the couscous added a nice texture. The raisins and capers added little pops of bright flavor, and the avocado brought a good creaminess to round it out. We ended the meal with the Mother's Day dessert which was a raspberry and chocolate cake. It felt like we were being rushed out towards the end of the meal, which was confusing since the restaurant was not fully packed. The service was disappointing, but the food was mostly good. Not sure if I'll be back again...

• Utile
• Pas utile
• Répondre

I moved from Marin County 6 years ago and was recently in town for a visit. I did not visit Marin during the pandemic. Of course, I chose to dine here as this was one of my favorite restaurants. I did not see any of the old staff who had been there for years and who I knew from my frequent visits. The menu had changed but I asked for a carbonara which the chef used to make. Apparently, the chef had changed as well. I was advised by the wait staff that the chef could not make a carbonara at the time. My friend ordered a alfredo and she was told that the chef can't make that also. It is unusual for an Italian restaurant to not have carbonara or an alfredo on the menu, and even more strange that a chef would not make them on request. I did a little research and discovered that the original owner, who was very good to his staff, had sold to a restaurant group in Texas. It has been my experience that companies who are headquartered in Texas to have a somewhat condescending view of Californians. Texas does not have laws that benefit employees and Texas companies do not possess great customer service skills. That accounts for the absence of the long-serving staff and the failure to accommodate customer requests. It also speaks to the restaurant's practice of nickel and diming customers and of preparing food that is decent but not exceptional. I will not be patronizing Il Fornaio again, nor will my friend who lives in Corte Madera. And unfortunately, my negative belief about Texas companies has only been confirmed. Sad.

• Utile
• Pas utile
• Répondre

In hindsight, I should have been more discerning before choosing to dine at Il Fornaio, especially considering its modest 3 star rating on Yelp. While their pasta dishes are satisfactory, there's nothing unique about their pasta. Despite the restaurant's appealing decor and comfortable seating, the service leaves much to be desired. Our server, Grace, seldom checked on our table, we had to flag down other staff members for water multiple times. When Grace swiftly dropped off our dessert a slice of Setteveli (chocolate cake) without a word, we noticed that a portion of the cake was conspicuously missing. Upon bringing this to her attention, Grace appeared visibly agitated and defensive. Receiving her attention throughout the meal proved to be a challenge in itself. When I inquired about the missing portion of the cake, her response was accompanied by a piercing glare, asserting that the cake had been damaged during delivery, hence the absence of the tip. The intensity of her reaction was rather unsettling. Given that they charge $15 for a thin slice of cake, it seems reasonable to question its completeness. Consequently, I have no intention of returning to this establishment solely due to the exceedingly poor customer service. With numerous superior dining options in close proximity, Il Fornaio falls short of expectations.

• Utile
• Pas utile
• Répondre

The food is great quality. They offer that classic Italian taste, with some suprising dishes like the ravioli being one big piece! Don't be afraid to try something new here, the squash blossom appetizer was amazing we ate it so fast I didn't get a picture! It took a while for appetizers to come out, and drinks didn't come until after that, but it was Mother's day and the place was packed so that was understandable. Good ambiance, located in the Corta Madera Mall. There is a real fireplace burning as well, which seemed to smoke up the back room a bit so if your sensitive to that I recommend you tell them to seat you away from the fire. Overall: good experience Would I come back?: Yes

• Utile
• Pas utile
• Répondre

My favorite go to in my neighborhood with my daughter. She is in the pasta diet now for 5 years lol I love their Cesar salad! They have good service!

• Utile
• Pas utile
• Répondre