Posted by frank, a resident of the Pleasanton Heights neighborhood, on Dec 1, 2010 at 9:41 pm

Yikes! You mean Amarone is no more? The only authentic Italian ristorante in Pleasanton is no more? Replaced by something called "Forno Vecchia" which should be named "Forno Vecchio" instead? Yikes!!! (or is the poster being careless in spelling vecchia/o?) I will have to return to San Ramon's Incontro Ristorante for true italiano. The two owners there are Italians and have been operating since before Amarone started. Great menu!

I would like to hear more about "Forno Vecchia/o", especially what the owners really name their ristorante so I can judge origins.

Posted by Scott, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Dec 1, 2010 at 9:52 pm

Amarone was awful. Mediocre food, often served at the wrong temperature, and snarky service. Good riddance. Hopefully this place will be better.

Posted by yikes! yowsers!, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Dec 1, 2010 at 11:57 pm

relax frank

link to website (of 'new' place) here:

Web Link

Posted by Todd, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Dec 2, 2010 at 8:31 am

The weblink points to Amarone (www.amaronepleasanton.com). Is it likely that the same restaurant simply changed its name?

Posted by unclehomerr.., a resident of the Downtown neighborhood, on Dec 2, 2010 at 8:39 am

The sign out front says.. "Under New Management".. not, new ownership.

unclehomerr..

Posted by olfthfl, a resident of the Pleasanton Meadows neighborhood, on Dec 2, 2010 at 8:41 am

I just tried the web link and it went directly to Forno Vecchio

Posted by pcrawford, a resident of the Downtown neighborhood, on Dec 2, 2010 at 9:43 am

Hello all...

I have briefly met the new owners of Forno Vecchio. Nicole & Brett. Nicole is a local Pleasanton native that is a skilled and creative chef.

Click on the link below which rercognized them as the winner of the recent Downtown Association's 2010 Fall Fest Sweet & Savory Competition! FIRST PLACE for Nana's Meatballs and ALSO second place in the "Sweet category" for Mint Chocolate Brownies...both are Nicole's creations! It is listed under the "Amorone" name (see link) because of the recent transfer of owners.

Try them...I think you'll discover a nice new addition to the variety of Downtown Cuisine!

Buon Appetito! (Is that Italian?!? :-) )

Web Link

Posted by Alberto, a resident of the Downtown neighborhood, on Dec 2, 2010 at 12:11 pm

If it is being offered as and Italian Ristorante, somebody can't spell the name. It seems to me that it should be Forno Vecchio, meaning old oven. Who is kidding who, will give it a try. The only thing Italian about Amarone was that it took two hours to get served.

Posted by Michael Leonard, a resident of the Vineyard Avenue neighborhood, on Dec 2, 2010 at 1:32 pm
Michael Leonard is a member (registered user) of PleasantonWeekly.com

Matteo Pasotto sold Amarone and returned to Verona. It has new owners and a new chef who are local Americans. I have not been there since the change but from the web site they are playing on their Italian (American) heritage and have an Italian menu.

I ate at Amarone many times. The group style wine dinners were especially good. The food was authentic, prepared by chefs from the featured regions, and the service was exceptional with several staff at the table at all times.

I hope that the new place continues to serve authentic Italian food and will bring back the wine dinners.

Posted by Luigi, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Dec 3, 2010 at 9:07 am

On the subject of Italian words and spelling...panini is more than one sandwich, panino is one sandwich. Cannolo is one of those desserts, cannoli is more than one of them. Ravioli is plural. "Raviolis" is incorrect and only works if you're five years old.

Posted by thanks, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Dec 3, 2010 at 12:40 pm

thanks for the unwanted italian lessons and such but nobody actually responded to the original post with a current review of the actual new place.

Posted by Anne, a resident of the Del Prado neighborhood, on Dec 3, 2010 at 9:26 pm

Never went to Amarone. Where is this restuarant located? I know you said "downtown", but what is/was it near? thanks!

Posted by Sandy, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Dec 4, 2010 at 4:33 pm

Try yelp. Some of the reviews seem to have been posted after the new owners took the reins.

Posted by Tim, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Dec 15, 2010 at 10:15 pm

I tried to find Amarones today and couldn't, of course, because it is gone. Amarones was recommended to me as a reasonably priced restaurant. I checked the FV webpage menu. It looks like it will cost me almost $60 for two spaghetti dinners, splitting a Ceasar salad and two iced teas ($44 for food, $4 tax, $10 for 20% tip).

Not "reasonable" for my wallet.

Posted by Elizabeth, a resident of the Birdland neighborhood, on Dec 18, 2010 at 8:21 am

We went to Forno Vecchio last week (8 of us) and were very pleased - food, service and price all were great! Give it a try!

Posted by Italian Mama, a resident of the Laguna Oaks neighborhood, on Jan 22, 2011 at 10:13 pm

This place is incredibly good. If you have not yet tried it, you need to - you will be very pleased, and glad that Matteo went back to Verona!

Posted by wondering, a resident of the Charter Oaks neighborhood, on Feb 1, 2011 at 9:04 am

why don't you take down those ugly plants and make the front of your restaurant more inviting? It looks terrible.

Posted by a fan, a resident of the Country Fair neighborhood, on Feb 9, 2011 at 8:30 am

the outside of this restaurant does not look inviting at all. The other restaurants on Main street have their tables set in all weather conditions - it looks so much better that way. Make people want to come in to your lovely restaurant!

Posted by 4top, a resident of the Birdland neighborhood, on May 11, 2011 at 8:36 am

FV is hands down the absolute worst meal & service we've ever had in Pleasanton in the last 16 years. Everything from the bland bread & olive oil to the spring mix salad with cesaer dressing & the mushy gnocci with greasy butter sauce is YUCK YUCK YUCK...the desserts were pathetic, especially the creme brulee.....and the service was beyond pathetic, cocky waiters with attitudes. The wine list is small but our table of 4 did stumble on a new favorite wine from the Livermore Valley. The only redeeming quality.

Posted by Alberto, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on May 16, 2011 at 8:57 am

Local resaurants continue to emulate real Italian, you cannot find an authentic Italian Ristorante in Pleasanton, you have to go to North Beach to get close to authentic, and even the best of those cannot compare with Ristorante's in Italia.