Cafe Firenze - Moorpark, CA

Last week I had the opportunity to meet a few of my gal pals for lunch and I was just thrilled about it. Darla and Dana met me at my favorite out of the way restaurant, Cafe Firenze in Moorpark. They had never been so I was happy to share with them the goodness of Fabio from Top Chef. I arrived to the destination first so I got first dibs of the focaccia and marinara. Such a lovely start to any meal!

I have been denying myself the pure joy of Lobster Bisque as of late so when I saw it on the menu I knew that is exactly what I wanted. I started my meal with the liquid gold and I practically licked the bowl clean. There are not actual chunks of lobster but it is heavily saturated with the flavor.

I followed my creamy bowl of soup with another creamy concoction, Butternut Tortellacci. It is wonderfully filling almost to the point of button popping exhaustion but worth every calorie. If I had to critique the dish the dough on the pasta was quite thick. If it was a smidge thinner it would have been a more pleasant mouth feel. The fried sage is always my favorite. I try to get a piece in every forkful. 

Dana went the pizza route and ordered the Arugula and Prosciutto pie and it was totally amazing. I never crave pizza the way she does but if I did, it would be this type of pizza. I like the saltiness of the prosciutto, freshness of the arugula and the crust was perfectly crisp and could standup to the ingredients on top.  

Lastly, Darla ordered the Filet Mignon Sandwisch special and it was filled with steak, arugula, horseradish creme and served on focaccia. It was a tasty sandwich as Darla sliced off a bite for me. I appreciated that they left the steak medium rare, usually sandwiches are filled with meat that had maybe been over cooked. Great sandwich.

I loved this day at Cafe Firenze. It is perfect for lunch and also romantic enough for a date night out. I look forward to coupling up and inviting a possee to share an evening out with our husbands... They deserve the great food of Cafe Firenze as well!

Cafe Firenze - Moorpark, CA

I watch Bravo TV, a lot. So I am a super fan of all things Top Chef, Housewives and pretty much whatever is on any given day. I have a few favorite chefs and Fabio is one of them. I like that he is an outstanding chef, is suave with the ladies and has really great hair. So when I found out he had a restaurant in Moorpark, only about 30 minutes from my house, I just knew I had to visit it. Scott surprised me with a last minute trip to the valley so away we went...

Complimentary bread to the table. It was delicious, I tried not to fill up on it.

Scott ordered the Crispy Duck Salad to start. It was full of roasted mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, shaved parmesan and pine nuts. It was dressed beautifully and just a really fantastic start to the meal.

When I saw the Burrata and Pancetta Crostino on the starter menu I knew I just had to have it. Imported Burrata, crispy pancetta, fried sage, browned butter, balsamic all on a grilled slice of bread. OMG. This was probably my favorite thing of 2012. I am not kidding at all. This was just so my favorite flavors of everything. I could have ordered a second order for my entree. If you go here, please try this in honor of Melissa Good Taste. You will not be disappointed.

Scott had the special pasta of the evening. I was basking the flavors of my starter so I missed the description and the name. Scott loved no matter, and he ate every last bite. The pasta was fresh and the sauce rich, very comforting!

I ordered the Tortellacci de Zucca, or for non-Italian speakers, Butternut Squash Ravioli. The filling reminded me of Fall and was cut with a creamy ricotta. The sauce was a brown butter sage cream sauce, also known as heaven on Earth.  

Well, well, well... Look who we have here: Mr. Fabio himself. He asked to have his picture taken with "The Melissa Good Taste". No, but he really is a cool guy, great chef and has a wonderful restaurant.

You can catch him on Bravo TV, his current show is on now: Life After Top Chef.

Just one more thing. Shout out to my husband for such a fun date night. Outstanding food, great atmosphere, lovely wine and a great dessert that we picked up through the Froster's Freeze drive-thru. Have you had a Twister lately? They are amazing!

Cafe Firenze - Moorpark, CA

Do you remember Fabio from Top Chef? He did an outstanding job and I longed to eat his food since watching the show. I had a dentist appointment in Thousand Oaks so I would blow through Moorpark around lunch time and I was so excited to try his food.

I had to try the Creamy Lobster Bisque at least once because I am gaga for the stuff. It was tasty but it was too much, I wish it was served in a smaller portion. I filled up on it and wish that I had more self control!

I went specifically for the Burrata Cheese! Imported with arugula with sun-dried tomato, basil, 25 year aged balsamic vinegar, shaved parmesan. Holy moley, plate of goodness. This is my new version of heaven, Melissa Good Taste has finally gone green!

I want to return to this restaurant and share a meal with my husband. He always brings great insight to my meals. It is lonely eating by myself!