Café Firenze

Café Firenze In
Hot, Downtown
Moorpark?
Believe It!

Those of us who knew good old downtown Moorpark and visited recently have been seriously shocked. That main street we oldies remembered as three block long, worn out High Street with an ancient theater, national television victim The Secret Garden (what was he thinking?), an historic hardware store plus a taco-burger joint... has moved.

Cafe Firenze's Unique Pasta-Pizza Bar Mangia, Mangia !!!

The 2-lane Los Angeles Avenue that used to be known as a death trap connecting Camarillo to Simi Valley is now a major downtown commercial, retail and dining thoroughfare. The formerly sleepy town of Moorpark has grown from a rock and gravel pit to what almost seems to be ......(with minor apologies)…. North Thousand Oaks!!! You see it is only 7 minutes north of Thousand Oaks Blvd and the 101 on the 23.

It has amazingly emerged from what was a low rent agricultural housing town to a solid middle class city with 3000 sq ft plus semi luxury homes. Most of it now has a more up to date and sophisticated look (...and residents) than Simi Valley. While Simi may have a couple of decent neighborhood restaurant, perhaps one is worth a drive, Moorpark now has numerous choices including a highly rated Sushi bar and a hip Italian restaurant that also features fine dry aged Black Angus steaks. Both are absolutely worth that 7 minute drive.

Café Firenze is one of those two. More on the other one soon.

Cafe Firenze is located on the north side of the west end of Los Angeles Avenue about a mile from the 23 off ramp in the second of two Albertsons Markets centers in a site that was originally a Bauducco’s restaurant and deli. Their menu seemed like ancient history and they couldn’t make it.

Large U-Shaped Martini Lounge serves more than 30 variations

The new owners have totally revamped the facility to turn it into one of the most enjoyable venues in the entire county. You enter this elegant high ceiling building and immediately come upon a spacious and hip Martini Lounge that features about 30 designer choices.

The charming and comfortably sized main dining room has a warm feeling and offers booths, tables and a very unique and exciting open kitchen pasta and pizza bar. A pleasant outside patio is open when the weather is right.

Born and raised in Firenze, the art center of Italy, Chef Fabio Viviani and Manager-Sommelier Jacopo Falleni have been friends since childhood. With a little help from some other friends they took over the large but boring site and converted it into perhaps the most appealing and important restaurant to open in Ventura County in recent times.

Both have the serious and necessary culinary chops to operate at high levels. Fabio has been cooking since he was 16 and owned and operated a number of superior restaurants in Florence. He then worked in some of the better Italian restaurants in Southern California.

Jacopo worked at the world famous Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence. It is in the top 5 of all the restaurants in Italy and is reputed to have one of the best wine cellars in the world. He has been a sommelier at a couple of upscale local restaurants.

All the bread is freshly made on the premises. The menu is very extensive. There are 11 salads ranging in price from $6.95 for an Insalata Mista to a totally unique and remarkable Caprese di Buffalo Mozzarella at $18.95.

Spacious Room Offers Tables and Booths In Comfortable Surroundings

There are 12 Antipasti including a wonderful fried Calamari and Zuchini plate, a bowl of steamed clams and mussels in a cherry tomato and white wine broth over Crostini and crisp Crab Cakes with Asian microgreens (10.95-13.95) A spectacular, very deluxe imported sharable Italian Salami and Cheese plate is $19.95.

There are 19 serious and unusual pasta and risotto plates mostly with fresh daily home made noodles. From Angel Hair with Basil and Tomatoes ($10.95) to Linguini ai Frutti di Mare that has Shrimp, Calamari,Clams, and Italian Mussels ($17.95), each one makes you think you have been transported to Florence.

Eleven wonderful classic thin crust Pizzi Napolitano are featured including our two favorites which are Pizza with prosciutto and mushrooms and Ai Frutti di Mare with Tomato sauce, Calamari, Shrimp and Scallops. Pizza can be prepared with thicker crust if desired. Prices range from $10.95 to $17.95.

Chef Fabio Knows How to Operate an Open Kitchen

There are 14 main courses but notable for its absence are fish with fins. Except for the famous Classic Cioppino, the rest of the menu is meat only with emphasis on that Dry Aged Black Angus Beef. It turns out that Fabio’s forte in Italy was Bistecca Florentina and thus he offers 6 variations on Italian steak beginning with a 14 oz. Petit Grilled Ribeye Steak over asparagus remarkably priced at $23.95. With many tempting choices in between, Fabio finishes with his 38 oz. Ribeye (for how many?) served with truffle mashed potatoes and asparagus. It is amazingly priced at $59.95. Not a misprint. Do the math.

We have had both the classic Osso Buco ($24.95) and its cousin with lamb shank ($22.95) and found the latter to be a more satisfying plate. There are Chicken, Sausage and Prime Rib plates, but if you are a serious meat eater, the Dry Aged Black Angus steaks appear to be amazing in selection, execution. and price

Desserts are home made and they show it. They vary but our choice was Crème Brulee in three flavors. There is a very well thought out and fairly priced choice of wines from around the world in bottles and by the glass with obvious emphasis on Italian Reds. But I was impressed with the fact that there were clear values offered in Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand. Many eateries refuse to accept what is happening down under in both quality reds and whites .

As we have said many times before, we prefer to wait at least 4 months after a restaurant is open to give it a chance to settle in. Earlier than that is unfair to both the restaurant and the reader for us to pass judgment. The energy and skill of Fabio and Jacopo may have enabled them to overcome classic new restaurant shortcomings such as personnel turnover, food delivery, quality failures and kitchen breakdowns. At least that is what they tell us.

But with this success there have been occasional glitches, especially at peak hours. One time, a basic minestrone was heavily oversalted. Another time, Osso Buco which braises for hours, had braised a bit too long and was dry, rather than moist. Café Firenze immediately and pleasantly recognized and corrected the problems. That is a good sign.

However if you really want to get the best that Café Firenze offers, I suggest you try it midweek or for lunch. On Friday and Saturday there can be long waits for tables and the food comes out of the kitchen slowly. They have announced that they plan to convert some space in the under utilized deli into additional seating to reduce wait time. But their remarkable success will continue to put tremendous pressure on that very active kitchen.

As they say in all endeavors worldwide. “There is no such thing as a free lunch”

Café Firenze-Sophisticated Italian Fare-Dry Aged Steak

563 West Los Angeles Avenue, Moorpark    805-532-0048   Most Credit Cards
             Ample Shopping Center Parkng. Reservations are Essential
                                    Open 7 Days for Lunch and Dinner .

Frankly Noted

Earn 12 Free Gourmet Dinners for 2 For a Year
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