Ab Fab

Variety is the spice of life, and the Fabiolus Café is a garden of delights.

By Joseph S. Amster

If you appreciate the difference the freshest and highest quality ingredients can make in cuisine, a visit to the Fabiolus Café is a must. With many of their ingredients like tomatoes and cheeses imported from Italy, as well as pastas like gnocchi, a wide variety of ravioli, and others prepared on the premises, this is a restaurant that literally puts their money where their mouth is. Speaking of money, I was amazed at the prices at Fabiolus -- most pastas were well under $15, and most entrées were under $20. Be sure to check out their daily specials, which are also a bargain. Although the regular menu features dishes from all over Italy, the specials are from the owners' home region of Verona. The specials change daily and can be found on their Web site (www.fabiolus.org); you can also sign up there to have them automatically e-mailed to you.

Begin your meal with their homemade tapenade, a savory mélange of black olives, capers, parsley, chili, and olive oil, made for spreading on their light and airy sourdough bread from Melrose Baking Company. Their list of appetizers is daunting, but I was pleased with the calamaretti fritti. As the name implies, these are small and tender squid, fried in a tempura-like batter laced with black pepper, and served with a spicy marinara sauce. First up for the homemade pastas was the radicchio ravioli served in a Gorgonzola sauce with chopped walnuts. Not for the uninitiated, the natural bitterness of the radicchio combined with the slightly sour and richly creamy Gorgonzola sauce and the texture and flavor of the walnuts to create a sensory sensation on many levels. Next up was eggplant pecorino walnut ravioli, served in a traditional marinara sauce. These were like little eggplant Parmesan, but far healthier and with a more complex flavor and texture. I've rarely been to a restaurant that uses nuts as effectively as Fabiolus does. The last (and best) entrée was the grilled baby lamb chops, which were thin, tender, lean, rare, and smoky. The roasted garlic sauce that accompanies this dish was a good complement, as it didn't overpower the slightly gamy flavor of the lamb. This entrée also comes with spinach served with fried slivers of garlic (Italians seem to have a special way with spinach), and light-as-air grilled polenta, perfect for soaking up the last bit of the roasted garlic sauce. A traditional favorite for dessert is the semifreddo amarette, a rich and dense combination of cookies and ground almonds, served with a chocolate sauce, and loaded with flavor.

One visit to Fabiolus and you'll be hooked, plus with their extensive menu, you'll be coming back for more just to sample their flavorful cuisine.

Fabiolus Café Melrose is located at 5255 Melrose Ave., Hollywood. Hours: Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.; Thursday-Sunday, 6-10 p.m. For reservations, call (323) 464-5857. Fabiolus Café Sunset is located at 6270 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.