On May 2nd, 2009, my wife and I celebrated our 11th Anniversary. We decided to go to Cafe Firenze in Moorpark, California, recently made famous by it’s owner Chef Fabio Viviani who made it to the finals of Top Chef on Bravo Network.
From the outside, you see a restaurant in a strip Mall, Cafe Firenze doesn’t look much different than most eateries in Southern California, but when you walk in…Well, we discovered a true gem.
The energy and ambiance are a big part about what makes this restaurant so enjoyable. There was so much laughter and conversation from other tables it was impossible not to enjoy yourself. Some of the staff spoke Italian and it was nice to hear their broken English. The food was excellent, all their wine comes from Italy, it really reminded us of being in a restaurant in Florence. Cafe Firenze is the closest thing I have found to the true taste and flare of Italy. For a couple of hours we escaped the noise of Los Angeles and returned to our honeymoon all over again.
The flavors were amazing, we started with a huge bowl Calamari with lemon and a wonderful marinara sauce, then worked our way to our entrees which were even better. We both had steaks cooked to perfection. For dessert we each had a canolli, they were some of the best I’ve ever had (sorry Grandma!). I could swear we were in Italy.
As a Los Angeles DJ and someone who has worked in the special event industry for many years, I continued to think of Cafe Fireze as a place that our clients should go. This is truly a wonderful place to share an evening with your loved one, or for an engagement or rehearsal dinner with family and friends, and frankly it would be a nice location for a simple wedding reception. They offer Brunch at times and this would be fantastic for the Wedding Brunch, which many families do the day after the wedding. There is a tented back patio with a gorgeous fountain, which could seat about 50 people for a private event. I am not certain they rent this space but it’s definitely worth asking about.
Moorpark is a small family community and like any town it has it’s strip malls, big box stores, and corporate giant restaurants , but you’ll find this restaurant to be different, a breath of fresh air. Their motto is “we treat everyone like family”, and being from an Italian family hearing my mother stressing about family all the time, I understand their motto and I truly felt that Cafe Firenze achieves this. You do feel like you’re part of this family.