By Chris Murphy
Four-cheese Tortellini, Mediterranean Pesto Chicken, Cioppino, Lamp Chops, Coconut prawns, and flaming Saganaki cheese. These tastes are amazing. Rich, perfect pasta, worlds of spice and nice portions are what greet you when you dine at D’Forno in Downtown Modesto. Besides being a great new restaurant, D’Forno has great roots here in our community.
David Alonzo is proud to bring a new level of flavors to downtown Modesto. Over the years as he and his brothers owned and operated restaurants all over our region including Papavalos and Papapolloni, He had previously not considered being in downtown Modesto, but then one night, after a show at the Gallo Center, he thought something was missing and knew he had a great offering and an idea.
Located on 13th St, between J and I Streets, D’Forno has now taken its place in the top of our local restaurant offerings. The flavors, the cheeses, the sauces, the presentation and most of all, the way guests are treated and the quality of signature dishes make D’Forno welcoming. And this is personal. The D stands for David and Forno is Italian for “oven” and the rest is magic.
Ever since David Alonzo was 12 years old, he has been in the kitchen creating wonderful food dishes. David feels that one of the most important characteristics of a restaurant is consistency. Before Papapavlo’s, he was a trainer and opened, managed and executive chef at corporate restaurants where he learned that the experience must be right every time. That attention to detail is what makes his restaurants stand out. From the menu, to the always fresh ingredients, the service, the ambience, the menu, to the plating, everything needs to be just right.
And just right it is. Family is the secret recipe. In the kitchen at D’Forno is his nephew Sergio Alonzo. David has been working with Sergio for over 12 years and the dishes are faithfully prepared, using only the best ingredients in a great exhibition kitchen, where the sounds and the flames of great cooking enhance your experience. Every detail is noticed, 100% fresh cheeses, meat, fish, chicken and in house prepared sauces and house made pasta really stand out. One of my favorite flavors is the Chicken Piccata with a great lemon caper sauce. The scallops in the Cioppino are just perfect and tender soaking up the rich red sauce.
This is just the start of the D’Forno dining experience. Some of my favorite Mediterranean dishes are on this menu as well as a full Mexican food section. There is really something for everyone from flaming Saganaki cheese, to the Elianna’s Chicken pita, gyros plate and a full array of Mexican tastes including the D’Forno burrito and of course, house-made pizzas.
Start your experience with a drink from the bar, with the traditional favorites to classic craft cocktails. Get into the spirit with the starters and then have your taste buds impressed with the entrees. You will recognize many of your favorite servers and this new place feels like home right away.
Every dish is great, and you really need to give it a try.
D’Forno is open daily.
M – W 11:00 am to 9 pm
Th – 11:00 am – 9:30 pm
Fri. & Sat. 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Sunday 10:30 am – 4:00 pm
Reservations at 209.859.9094
918 13th St, Modesto
@dfornococina
