An artist rendering of the new South Portland Italian restaurant Il Forno, now under construction by Woodhull. (Courtesy of Il Forno/Woodhull)
The owner of Taj Indian Cuisine and his business partner are launching an Italian restaurant in South Portland this fall.
Il Forno will be located at 333 Clarks Pond Parkway, the same building as Taj, in the former 1,500-square-foot space of Port City Nutrition. Taj owner Sai Guntaka is partnered on the project with Jim Baldi, his bar manager at Taj and co-owner of Silver Street by Taj in Portland.
Guntaka said he noticed a void in Italian food offerings in South Portland. “I don’t think there’s anything like this in South Portland,” he said.
The menu will offer handmade pasta dishes like tagliatelle al ragu and butternut squash ravioli, brick-oven pizzas, salads and entrees like strip steak with salsa al vino rosso and grilled chicken with lemon-herb sauce. Guntaka said the menu will change often. The bar program will spotlight Italian wines as well as draft beer and cocktails.
“The prices are going to be very reasonable, like Taj,” Guntaka said. “We wanted to have an Italian joint that was priced for the local community with some elevated experiences.”
Guntaka said Baldi and Jim Fitzgerald, formerly chef at the Portland Regency Hotel, will be executive chefs. Former Bar Publica chef Ron Medlock will be chef de cuisine, and Ruth Connelly, previously of Via Vecchia and Papi, will be the pasta maker.
Guntaka said they aim to open in mid-October. Il Forno will serve lunch and dinner seven days, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30-10 or 11 p.m.
Dining and Cooking