A Real Review of a Top Chef Finalist: Fabio's Firenze Not Fabulous in Moorpark
Pam Vetter
March 07, 2009
He didn't win, but he placed close to the top.
When I heard his restaurant, Café Firenze, was less than an hour's drive, I had to gather the family and make plans to go to Moorpark. I wanted to love his restaurant. I wanted to shout from the mountaintop that he should have been the Top Chef.
I went to Café Firenze with love in my eyes and love in my heart for the most incredible food I would ever eat in my life which would be created like a work of art by one of the Top Chef finalists.
I was joined by my husband and my teenage sons, who also loved Fabio on the show. My eldest son wants to become a chef one day, so he was thrilled to go to Fabio's Firenze. We went for lunch on a Saturday. We didn't have a reservation, but the people in line around us didn't seem to have one either. The draw was Fabio. As we waited, the hostess said she could seat us in the bar by pushing two tables together to make a foursome. There were some empty tables on the main floor, but we accepted the bar seating.
When we were seated, we noticed the glasses were dirty with fingerprints all over the outside. Odd for the lunch round. They were soon taken away as we received new glasses filled with ice water.
After sitting for a while, we were informed that there were no more menus in the restaurant because they had a party coming in soon in a larger room next door. The party hadn't arrived yet, but that didn't seem to matter. No menus. So, we sat and waited. Eventually, they gave us two menus to share amongst the four of us. Disappointing.
As we struggled to share menus and see the lunch choices, a nice gentleman gave us a basket of warm bread with a cold marinara sauce on the side.
I asked him if Fabio was in the restaurant. He laughed and said, "Only sometimes."
That was our tip-off that Fabio would not be any part of preparing or making our food. He is the showman, the front man, who according to this fellow, drops in "sometimes" to his own restaurant.
What made it worse was waiting for someone to take our order as we felt forgotten at the bar tables. The two women at the tables behind us complained, "I'd rather be watching an episode of 'Wife Swap' than eating here." Not a good afternoon at the restaurant when other patrons were complaining.
After I used the restroom, which was lovely, clean and probably the best accommodation at the restaurant, I noticed a framed rave review on the hallway wall. Now, this really irritated me and let me tell you why. Fabio was in the photo, which meant he cooked the food that was served to the reviewer. And, the reviewer's food is always complimentary. Simply put, free food always tastes better. Most importantly, what's not to love when a chef is putting his heart and soul into the food? Clearly, the reviewer got some table side attention as well, which we did not.
Back at my table, we were just about to place our order when an employee approached with a smile saying, "I just found two more menus." Too late.
The menu is basically American fare that we've had better elsewhere: soups, salads, pizzas and Panini sandwiches. My husband ordered the Steak Salad and I ordered the Cobb Salad. My sons ordered a Margherita Pizza and Risotto with Chicken and Mushrooms. It wasn't as though you could order a steak or a specialty from the dinner menu, because those items were not available at lunch.
Where was his 'Grandma's Chicken' that the famous chefs loved on Top Chef? Nowhere to be found.
By the end of the meal, my 13-year-old said that McDonalds was better. My 14-year-old said that food at Sisley Italian Kitchen Restaurant in Sherman Oaks tasted better and had better service. In fact, the owner of Sisley was in that restaurant the last time we ate there and he paid attention to every detail in the restaurant. It makes a difference on whether customers return to dine.
The food served to us at Fabio's Firenze was average, nothing special. In fact, my husband and I have eaten in many restaurants around Los Angeles, Studio City, Beverly Hills, Malibu, Echo Park, and Glendale, and we could think of two dozen restaurants better than Café Firenze. We were looking for a Top Chef and food to match. But, Firenze was missing the main ingredient that brought us to the restaurant: Fabio's cooking.
Make no mistake, I wanted to love this restaurant. We drove to this restaurant and made an effort to support Fabio. But, after spending $80 on lunch for four and struggling to get menus and begging for good service, I'd have to give this restaurant only one star out of four. Our food was not complimentary, it was not cooked by Fabio, and this is an honest review by someone who simply walked in off the street wanting to love everything about the place.
When every dollar matters, you want to eat good food when you go out. If it's not good food, it's not worth it. Fabio said as much on Top Chef, saying he loved to eat good food. But, this experience at Café Firenze was definitely not worth my tastebuds, time or money.
It does bring me to the realization that reviews in print don't mean that the food was great. It means that the food served to the reviewer was free and great attention was paid to every detail in service ONLY while the reviewer was present in the restaurant.
My prediction is that Fabio would best serve his fellow man by writing a cookbook with great recipes from Italy (highlighting the dishes that he actually cooks) or serving as the host of a cooking show. He has the charisma, but his charisma is missing at his restaurant in Moorpark.
It turns out I won't be getting an "I love Fabio" T-shirt anytime soon.
Fabio could learn a thing or two from a film. Watch the 2007 animated film "Ratatouille" to see a chef who is in the kitchen every day and pays attention to each dish that leaves the kitchen. He may be a mouse, but he has the heart of a tiger when it comes to serving the customer right!
To make your own decision or to visit on your own link to www.cafefirenze.net
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