Cafe Firenze and the Balsamic Martini

After watching Fabio on top chef, my husband and I have been thinking for quite some time that we need to go eat at his restaurant. Well, it finally worked out for us to go on Saturday night. Even though we called fairly early in the afternoon, we couldn't secure a reservation for 3 until 9:30pm. Note that this restaurant is NOT in downtown LA, or Santa Monica, or Beverly Hills. Rather, it's in Moorpark. That's nearly 45 miles away from the main parts of Los Angeles.

When we got there, the place was packed! They have a very popular bar, full of young locals, ready to drink, chat and be merry. We were seated at a cute booth towards the end of the restaurant, and had full visibility to the kitchen. They have an extensive martini menu, so my husband and I ordered martinis (a balsamic martini for me, and a ginger serenity for him). Yummy! See below for recipe for my martini.

They put freshly made foccacia on our table, along with a delicious tomato, garlic, and olive tapanade. We were least impressed with our main entrees (lobster ravioli for him, and butternut squash ravioli for me), they were OK, but nothing particularly different or worth writing home about. However, the dessert was an absolute shinning star. I'm not a huge fan of panna cotta, but this one was truly out of this world.

Looking for the perfect evening out in the 'burbs? One balsamic martini and a panna cotta, please!

Balsamic Martini

Yes it sounds funky, but it's oh-so delicious, and even has a few hints of chocolate.
2 tablespoons muddles strawberries (or a little more for good measure, if you so please)
1 oz simple syrup
1 shot light rum
mint leaf
splash good quality balsamic vinegar

Shake the strawberries, simple syrup, and rum with ice in a martini shaker. Strain and add a small splash of balsamic vinegar. Top with mint leaf for garnish and aroma.

Enjoy!