Il Fornaio Walnut Creek

At Il Fornaio, their mission is to provide their guests with the most authentic Italian experience outside of Italy.

Each Il Fornaio restaurant has been built specifically for the communities they serve, so that the available restaurant hours, menus and reservation sizes can differ depending on the venue. They are open for lunch & dinner every day at almost all locations & big parties, private dining groups & special events are welcome at every Il Fornaio.

Using the freshest ingredients & traditional cooking techniques, each Il Fornaio offers a wide range of premium Italian food paired with award-winning wine list & designed cocktails in beautiful settings located in California, Las Vegas & Denver. All 20 kitchens are under the supervision of Veneto ‘s native executive chef Maurizio Mazzon, using multi-generational family recipes and preparations that Italians have perfected over centuries of great cuisine.

These values are best illustrated by Festa Regionale, their monthly food & wine exploration of the 20 diverse regions of Italy. This passion for authenticity has been fostered for more than 20 years. Il Fornaio also operates two restaurants such as Canaletto Ristorante Veneto, located in Newport Beach, CA & Venetian Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV. The home office is located in Corte Madera, CA.

Executive Chef, Maurizio Mazzon

Il Fornaio Executive Chef Maurizio Mazzon realized he was going to be a chef at the age of eight. Mazzon was born in Marcon, Veneto, where he and his brother would cook shellfish from Punta Sabbioni, a port in Venice. Mazzon came from a baker’s family and went on to realize his dream by spending ten years working his way through the different kitchens of Venice ‘s great hotels and restaurants.

In 2014, Mazzon’s tireless pursuit of authentic Italian preparations and presentation culminated in Il Fornaio being awarded the ‘Marchio Q,’ the ‘Mark of Italian Hospitality around the World’ by the Italian Chambers of Commerce in Italy. Its aim is to establish a worldwide network of Italian restaurants that respects the outstanding standards of Italian hospitality, develops and promotes the traditions of Italian agriculture and food products and enhances the Italian food culture.

Mazzon, Chief Executive Officer of Il Fornaio, oversees the production of menus, innovative designs and the company’s 20 kitchens. He also guides Festa Regionale, Il Fornaio ‘s ongoing discovery of the distinct cuisines of the 20 regions of Italy. It’s a challenge to arrange menu changes every month at 20 restaurants, often with ingredients and wine not available anywhere else in the United States, but according to Mazzon, ‘La cucina del popolo e la sola esatta testimoniana della civilita,’ meaning ‘The only true sign of a civilisation is its culinary heritage.’