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Fab's Italian Cucina Goes From Drab to Fab
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by Crystal A. Johnson
The Sherman Oaks favorite restaurant underwent an extreme makeover last year. The once dreary white walled establishment with touches of forest green has taken on a modern stylish look. We were seated in a booth against a back wall. At 7:30 PM the room is dimly lit and perfect for a romantic atmosphere. Our booth had a tall velvet backs to the seats and lovely painting were in each booth. The seating area style varies through the restaurant although the look of the restaurant are strung together by the colors burgandy and yellow. More distinct than, any restaurant that I have visited is the poignant yet pleasant aroma of garlic. I notice that pizza seems to be a popular choice for many of the tables. This night I don't opt for pizza, instead I choose pasta comfort food favorites as the main course and classic Italian dessert.
Before dinner, we are served rolls that are so hot steam pipes outs in addition to our chosen two appetizers. Halved artichoke with the hearts removed is not exactly comfort food but we go for it. In fact, it was out of our comfort zone as we fumble through the layers of artichoke with a fork. The truth is artichoke served this way can be eaten as a finger food. Suck the meat off each of the inner most layers. Fab's serves this with a garlic caper aioli sauce. Customarily, artichoke is served with a mayo base sauce. Next up is calamari, served with rings and tentacles. My friend Leonardo, has never tried fried calamari, though he thinks it is pretty good. Conversely, I love calamari and I find it to be quite good. It is is a little chewier than I prefer but an acceptable preparation. When ordering the calamari marina or a diavolo sauce is available. Sebastian, the owner describes the diavolo as a spicier sauce but my guest and I find it to be rather mild.
The are multiple salad options but the Fab's salad is extremely flavorful. It consists of gorganzola, tomatoes, and mushroom. Despite being incredibly tasty, there is too much gorganzola in the salad blend.
For the main course, we explore two rather similar dishes and one more unique dish. My guest goes for the pasta free special of the night, vinegar chicken which is cooked with various peppers. It is not a spicy dish. It comes across as having a more Chinese flavor. I opt for a rigatoni dish with beef, sausage and tomato sauce. I also try the beef version of bolognese. Both are very good but the rigatoni edges out with it fennel flavor. I also enjoyed a smooth glass of the Merlot McManis.
The surprise winner of the night is one of the three dessert sampled. Both Leonardo and I have a scoop of gelato. He goes for vanilla and I try the pistachio gelato. We are also served a caramel topped cheesecake which at first glance looked like flan. A flan lover , my guest seems to be a fan of the cheesecake considering that before I knew it there was not much left to try. Although, I am a caramel lover, the layer didn't impress me. The cheesecake was good but not magnificent. However, the pistachio gelato will be on the best desserts list part II. It puts the fab in the Fab's name, absolutely scrumptuous. The vanilla gelato for me is a standard vanilla experience. Gelato is an an Italian variant of ice cream. However, it is creamier and more dense. Gelato in Italian means frozen.
Fab's ranges from a great date night spot to family friendly. The spot is charming and the ambiance is warm. It also has a bar with flat screens for a dinner after work type of experience. There is also outdoor seating available. Fab's is located one block south of Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks.
