Bringing a winning recipe to Maidenhead

Forenza has just opened in Bridge Street on the site of the former Newt and Cucumber pub. It is a roomy, smart restaurant with stone flooring, a wide, granite-topped bar and red leather sofas where you can relax with a Martini before ordering your choice from the comprehensive menu of traditional Italian food. The spacious dining room features large plants, ceiling spotlights and attractive paintings. It seats 80 but can be adapted to accommodate weddings and other parties of up to 100 people. Proprietors Salvatore Iasi and his brother-in-law Mario Iasi are passionate about the food they serve and dedicated to the quality of service they provide. Theirs is authentic yet contemporary Italian cuisine without a pizza in sight: “There is no fast food here at all,” said Salvatore. He and Mario have been running another Italian restaurant, the Bel Vedere in Bagshot, for 15 years and are well tuned to what diners seeking good Italian food want on the menu at affordable prices. They have brought one of their top chefs from Bagshot to be head chef at Forenza, which is named after Salvatore"s home town in Italy. Elkhazooi Khalid has been employed in Italian kitchens all his working life, including 10 years in Italy. He has creative and instinctive flair and uses the best fresh and seasonal produce. Vegetables and fruit come from Covent Garden, fish from a supplier near London, and meat from the Windlesham butcher who has supplied the Bel Vedere for the past 15 years. Salvatore and Mario have also brought their highly successful lunch menu from Bagshot to Maidenhead. It costs £10 for two courses and includes starters such as tuna in extra virgin olive oil and corona beans salad; and ragout of pan-fried small shrimps served on a bed of polenta. Among the main courses are breast of chicken, mozzarella and basil in a red Napoletana sauce; strips of calf liver with shallot, Venetian style; and homemade vegetarian risotto. The irresistible a la carte menu features a number of cold appetisers and salads, pasta and risotto dishes, fish courses, chicken, calf liver, veal and beef dishes. There are also daily specials and everything is freshly prepared and cooked to order. Desserts are all homemade and include tiramisu and pannacotta. More than 100 wines are stocked. They are mainly classic Italian wines with some French, Spanish and new world varieties. They are priced from £12.50 a bottle up to £238 for a bottle of Gaja. To book a table call 01628 633233 or 633231. n WELL-STOCKED: The bar area includes a variety of more than 100 wines carefully selected by proprietor Salvatore Iasi (pictured) and Mario Iasi. Ref:91786/3