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reviewed on May 9, 2008

How often have I sat in a restaurant, looked around me, and pondered the many times I’ve been in this same exact place before—the same room, sitting at a similar table, enjoying similar food. Yogi Berra called it déjà vu all over again, and people laughed, but in the restaurant business that’s exactly what it is. Sometimes, seated in a restaurant, I tax my brain to remember all the restaurants that have existed in this same spot, and it’s often impossible to remember them all.

I didn’t have to work too hard this week. The space at South Wadsworth and Yale that is now home to Fantastic Bistro & Catering was Cappuccino’s Italian restaurant for many years. Then, in a heartbeat it seemed, it changed to Two Guys Pizza and then Mangia Bev before closing about a year and a half ago. Despite being a bit difficult to find, practically hidden among the other shops in an attractive strip center, its longevity as a restaurant made it a favorite among neighborhood folk. So, when it reopened a few weeks back, immediately the calls began coming my way from people curious about what fate had dealt them this time.

The first order of business for the new owners was a facelift, which is still underway, so you’ll have to forgive the uncompleted feel of the space. A new hardwood floor is partially laid, new tables to replace the old wobbly ones have not yet arrived, and expanses of wall wait expectantly for artwork to break them up and provided a splash of color. However, gone are the dark green walls, covered with a bright new coat of paint that immediately lightens the feel of the room.

Fantastic Bistro & Catering was, for years, simply Fantastic Catering at a different address. The large kitchen at the new space was perfect for catering, but it came with a dining room so, overnight, Fantastic Catering became Fantastic Bistro & Catering, with a modest-sized menu that features dishes that have become catering favorites through the years.

Which means you’ll find items like spaghetti and meatballs, roasted chicken, ravioli with shrimp in a wine sauce, fajitas and an array of sandwiches on a menu that is also still in the evolutionary stage.

From the anytime-of-day breakfast menu, we selected a breakfast burrito loaded with potatoes, eggs and sausage, and smothered in a tasty green chile, priced at $5. From the dinner menu we chose the Italian sausage with onions and peppers. What arrived at the table was a large platter with two perfectly grilled sausage links on a bed of sautéed peppers and onions and a nice side of fettucine with marinara sauce. But wait, as they say on those lousy TV commercials, there’s more. All dinners come with a beautiful tossed salad with homemade dressing—we chose bleu cheese—and chewy homemade bread and butter. The salad alone would have cost an extra three or four dollars at most restaurants, but here the whole meal costs just $8.95. In fact, nothing on the current menu costs more than $10. We were told that they’re adding two additional entrees this weekend—trout amandine and a pork tenderloin with an apricot-brandy glaze—that will hit the $12 mark, but that’s still ridiculously low for food this good and this plentiful.

I suppose you could wait until the remodeling is done and the menu is totally firmed up before visiting, but you’d be missing out on a lot of good eating in the meantime. Plus you’re not going to find value like this anywhere else in town. 

Fantastic Bistro & Catering
2740 S. Wadsworth Blvd. (S. Wadsworth and Yale)
720-974-0556