Cafe Fontana

It is with a heavy heart that I write this final review for my favorite Memphis restaurant, Café Fontana, as they are closing after this weekend. Café Fontana was an authentic Italian neighborhood restaurant. Every meal that I ever had there was absolutely wonderful. The pasta with clams in white wine & butter was MY DISH, although I did stray a few times for items like the chicken piccata or the veal saltimbocca.
The staff was just lovely; there was such a great vibe in the restaurant. I wish everyone there only the best in any future endeavors they have! And Chef, if you ever want to share your recipe for the Spaghetti e Vongole with me, I would keep it under lock & key; I promise!!!
Café Fontana will leave a huge void in Cordova. It really was the best food and it was just nice not to have to travel so far to go to a restaurant that isn’t a chain. We are pouting tonight, to say the least!!!

This restaurant is a very enjoyable place to dine. You can sit outside by the small pond or eat inside. The wait staff is very attentive and don’t miss a thing. The food is cooked to perfection and the portion size is what it should be, not too small or too much. We started out with the Bruscetta Misto, which is grilled Italian bread, marinated tomatoes, olive salad & Tuscan white beans. The appetizer was mouth watering and the combination of the toppings paired beautifully with the perfectly grilled bread. I ordered the Veal Scaloppine Saltimboca that was cooked with prosciutto, sage & madeira wine, which came with a side order of pasta. The veal was so tender and the addition of prosciutto was amazing! If you want a special place to surprise your special someone, this is it!

My Unilocal account had been inactive for so long, I created a new one specifically for this restaurant. My experience there was so memorable that I have been compelled to put this out for anyone interested in Café Fontana.
My wife and I moved to Cordova from the DC area (the Navy made it happen), and have each expressed curiosity about this quaint, former home with a patio and fountain housing a restaurant. Only recently did we get a chance to check it out. My parents decided to drive all the way to TN for Mother’s Day weekend, and i was abrubtly faced with the need to seek out reservations for my (most often picky) Mom. After calling around to places I wasn’t exactly thrilled about, i remembered the place I often drive past coming home from work. The woman on the other end of the phoneline was polite and receptive, immediately confirming that yes, there was an open reservation, and no, there was not a limiting «special holiday» menu or ticket price.
Skip to Mother’s Day. The weather was amazing, but we were taken inside. Eh. Just as well, this area has an extensive and diverse spider population. Not mad at all. My Mom and wife immediately fell in love with the look and feel of the place. We were met by a young lady (later found out to be the owner’s daughter, i think) who greeted us and opened the door. The hostess took our name and immediately sat us. Our drink orders were quickly taken and our server was immediately friendly. So, service was what you’d expect it to be.
The menu was well edited, while still diverse, offering both standard (but well executed) and more developed, more adventurous brunch fare. My Mom was excited to see quiche on the menu, which is a favorite of hers, and Dad found a brunch steak dish. All were happy. In addition to the menus, they featured some specials for the day, which all sounded incredible. I opted for one of those: Seafood crepes with a parmesan cream sauce. My wife and my Mom were pretty stoked about the Mimosas too. And only $ 5! The prices for food and drinks were all really fair, considering the quality of food, especially after the constant sticker shock of pretty much everything in the DC area!
My Mom loved the quiche, saying it was hands down the best she’s ever had. Our meals came with the choice of a salad or breakfast potatoes. The salad was simple, but came dressed with an incredibly simple vinagarette. Dad got the steak and breakfast potatoes. He said it was good, cooked to temp (medium rare for him) but lacked seasoning. I tried a bite of the beef and the potatoes. I agreed. Both of them could’ve benefited from some salt and pepper. My wife had the chicken and waffles, which came with an incredible honey mustard gravy. It was a perfectly executed version of the southern staple, with great, down home tasting waffles, and crisp, juicy, flavorful pieces of fried chicken that weren’t far off from the ones her grandmother serves most Sundays at their farm in Ohio. Damn good. I went for the seafood crepes with the parmesean cream sauce, and it was absolutely, without a doubt, the best thing I’ve eaten since we moved to the Mid-​South 6 months ago, even better than the BBQ! It was fresh, well seasoned, perfectly done, and like every other dish, it was a generous portion of some amazing food!
We left, full, happy, ready to go explore and let the subtle buzz that comes with brunch-​time alcohol carry us along. The owner greeted us as we exited the restaurant, and her daughter (I believe) presented my Mom with a flower. 4 people left who totally enjoyed an incredible meal and drinks, in a unique setting, with great service for just about $ 80. Pretty awesome value after last year’s brunch in DC!
Before the Navy, I worked various jobs in food service, mainly bartending, but also banquet work at a resort, and work as a head cook at a brewery. Café Fontana far surpassed my expectations, formed over lots of experience, and my wife and I have agreed that we will return with friends and family again and again! Highly suggest that you give this place a try if you’re considering it!

This is a a great place to find off the beaten path! It is hidden in old town Cordova, which is good for me since It has never been too busy when I have gone. The food, wine, and service has always been amazing! Sunrise your special one on a date to this place!

I went to this café with a friend for lunch. I thought it had a cute atmosphere since this café is in a house. However, since it was a beautiful day we decided to eat outside by the beautiful little pond they have. I will admit I was a little disappointed by their menu as the waitress said they were out of the panini and burger choices so I decided to order the chicken and rigatoni pasta. Overall, I enjoyed my pasta dish. The chicken was tender and the pasta wasn’t overcooked.

The boyfriend and I go out to dinner a lot but we hadn’t been on a «date night» in a while so we decided to upgrade our Italian craving into coming here on a Friday night. We called on the way and luckily they had an open table.
The restaurant is full of charm, it’s in an old house (it was once fresh slices but its been fancied up a bit) and has the cutest patio with a water fountain, it was too chilly for that the night we went but its on my must do list! The interior is cozy not stuffy but its quiet and the perfect place for a date.
We started off with bread and this amazing bean spread and garlic — yum! I noticed they had an appetizer that’s like a savory cheese cake I have had elsewhere so I insisted we get it, I could have eaten the whole thing by myself but begrudgingly shared. For the entrée I had the chicken rigatoni — loved the creamy tomato sauce! I didn’t have any problems with the chicken a previous reviewer noted and there was no skin on the chicken, which was nicely blended into the dish. To finish we split a cheesecake, it’s a little different than other cheesecakes and while not bad I think I would try something else next time. I also got coffee with dessert and was delighted it came with hazelnut cream — nice touch!
We spent about $ 80 for two with no alcohol but 3 courses. It was a lovely evening and we never felt rushed. This place seems to cater mostly to couples so some dimmer lights and a candle on every table would be nice but we did see at least one family (with college aged kids) there so I understand if they’re not trying to be overly romantic.
Everything is made to order so it does take a little more time than your average restaurant for the food to arrive, perfectly fine for us looking to have a leisurely evening.

This place is a fresh face in the Italian food genre of restaurants. Really good, fresh food. The wine list is also extensive.

I really want to like this place. I really, really do. But, our first visit made it difficult. We will give it another shot, because my husband’s experience was somewhat better than mine. Plus, it’s a neighborhood place for us. On a good day, we could walk. And it’s certainly cozy and beautifully decorated. But…
First, the good… the bread was wonderful. Served alongside roasted garlic and a bean spread, we enjoyed every morsel. We were wanting more! I began with a salad that is not on the online menu, and I can’t remember its name, unfortunately. It consisted of assorted, crisp greens with a touch of goat cheese and almonds. The dressing was a memorable lemon-​thyme blend that tasted as if it had been mixed just prior to serving. Perhaps it was. So fresh and bright! My husband had the Caesar salad and pronounced it one of the best he’s had.
For our entrees, he chose the shrimp and grits, and I went with the chicken rigatoni. Here’s where things started going downhill. First, he was not offered fresh grated parmesan. I was. It was a little awkward. I see in the photos this morning that parmesan is indeed offered for the grits and shrimp. He was so taken with his entrée that he didn’t seem to miss the added cheese. In fact, he is still raving about his dinner.
My dinner, however, was bordering on disaster. With the first bite, I knew the chicken had been sitting in the fridge for days before being added to the pasta. It had an old, tired taste that I just couldn’t push through. But, the worst was when I took a forkful, not realizing that it consisted mostly of chicken skin. Soft, squishy chicken skin! I literally gagged. I hate gagging in a restaurant. I don’t think my husband noticed, and I’m sure other diners didn’t. I was able to remove the offending mass gracefully with my napkin, but dinner was ruined for me. I picked around, avoiding the chicken and made a meal of the pasta and sauce. It was GOOD! Cooked to perfection, with a rich, creamy tomato sauce. It was served piping hot, which is a big plus in my book. But, they should have thrown that chicken out maybe three or four days prior!
I am not a wine expert. Not at all. But, I do enjoy a glass or two with a special meal. I don’t know much about wines, and I look to restaurants to help me explore the world of wine. I really wanted to try something Italian. I was surprised that the majority of wines on the wine list were NOT Italian. I chose an Italian red that, unfortunately, is not on the web version of the wine list, so I can’t tell you what it was. It came close to matching the wine list description, and for that I am appreciative.
We had dessert, which was a mixture of OK and great. I went with the Apple Butter Cake. I was expecting a cake made with apple butter. Rich and dark and spicy, perhaps. What I got was a slice of buttery yellow cake with apples baked into the top. A bit of caramel sauce finished it quite nicely. It was OK. But, not what I was expecting. Perhaps they should rename it something like «Butter Cake with Apples.» My husband had the evening’s special dessert — bread pudding. The generous portion was topped with the same caramel sauce served with my apple cake. It’s a very nice sauce. We both enjoyed the leftover bread pudding for breakfast this morning.
Service was extremely slow. We were out for an evening of dining, so it didn’t really matter to us. Diners all around us were complaining, however. We overheard that there were «problems» in the kitchen that evening. We won’t hold that against them. Every kitchen can have a problem night now and then. Based on the successes of our dinner, we will overlook the negatives and will give this lovely little restaurant another chance.

I loved our meal and visit.
The quant atmosphere and person attention was a joy.
The food was amazing.
Good Italian food is hard to find in Memphis, I think this is the best I have had so far.
I will be going back. My wife and I had a great time.

This was our first visit to this charming restaurant, and honestly probably wouldn’t have gone if it wasn’t for the fact that so many of Memphis’ good restaurants are closed on Sunday night. I’m very glad that Café Fontana was open on Sunday night for us to try it because we will definitely go back during the week. However, I’m not sure how much longer Café Fontana will be able to stay open on Sunday nights as we were pretty much the only table occupied!
As many others have noted the food was very authentic Italian, and the menu is very extensive. They had several specials, and we opted to try the Old World Salad, which was lettuce, pickled cucumbers, onions, feta cheese, olives, salami, and pepperoni. For dinner my wife got the chicken piccata, and found it very well prepared. I got the spaghetti della nonna, and it was full of meat (pork, sausage, and meatballs). Also, for many dishes they offered a small plate in addition to the regular portion.
For dessert we got the chocolate gelato, which was creamy and very chocolately!
The service was excellent and the prices were very reasonable. We will certainly return to Café Fontana and recommend it to others.

Usually I have the scallop salad but last night I tried the Shrimp and Grits. They were the best I have had anywhere. Not to spicy and the sausage that was served with them was a nice treat. Great place to hang out with friends in front of a fire. Cozy like having friends at your home for dinner without cooking and cleaning. Great place.

Café’ Fontana was recommended to us by friends who live in Cordova. The beauty and detriment of this place is that most Memphians would never pass it in traffic, or come across it on their own. Even if you did, the place is a converted home, or at least looks like one, so it is unsuspecting. The front room has a small host bar and a fireplace. The back room is white, bright, and airy, perfect for brunch or a group of gals on a moms’ night out.
Our first visit to Café’ Fontana was for my birthday dinner in 2013, and we had a wonderful experience and a skilled server for our party of 4. The last two visits, our servers have not been bad, just less charming than on our original visit. We have done the Valentine’s Day dinner as well, which had a pre-​set menu– a short list of appetizers, entrée, and dessert from which to choose.
The most memorable menu item here is their Torta di Formaggio, which used to come with grapes, but now is served with sun dried tomatoes and crostini, which brings me back to Maxwell’s (in Cooper Young in the 1990s) Crostini au Pistou.
Pasta is al dente and properly portioned (still a little more than at home, but not ridiculously so), and wine is affordable enough for couples to go ahead and order the bottle.
Definitely check this place out, but not on a busy night. The name of the game here is «intimate», and remember to make a reservation.

I’d wanted to come here for a while and having family in town was a good enough reason. Walking in in a Thursday night at 6.30 pm and finding the place mostly empty did not inspire trust, but the delicious crusty bread, served with a head of roasted garlic and wonderful white bean dip quickly assuaged any doubts. We shared two appetizers — eggplant rollatini and insalata caprese. The tomato sauce on the eggplant was very fresh and tasty, and the mozzarella was equally fabulous. We switched our main courses, from chicken to veal, and after ordering, were informed there would be an additional cost. The waiter apologized for the increased cost, but what really made me want to return was the owner coming over and not only apologizing but taking the charge off our bill.
I would absolutely return here!

I’ve been to Café Fontana a few times since they opened. I’ve entertained business guests there as well. The food is good and the atmosphere, a refurbished house, is quaint. Most of the dining rooms have less than 10 tables.
It’s hard to find really good Italian Food in Memphis. The food at Café Fontana is authentic Italian. Being a NY Yank, I’m critical when it comes to Italian food. Café Fontana knows Italian.
One notable feature I like is the two-​price wine list. I found a new red that I get every time I go, Hob Nob, it pairs well with the Chef’s style.
I’ve only had one bad experience. I ordered a special, Steak. I think they had run out a sent a server to the store. It took so long the sever was embarrassed! Finally, the Owner/​Chef served the entrée with an apology. They comp’d one dessert which seemed ‘light’.
The Italian food is really good. Salads are fresh, bread is like you expect crispy with a hint of oil

AMAZING Sunday Brunch today!!! I got the Harry’s Bellini and poached eggs Benedict. The eggs Benedict had pancetta, spinach, poached eggs and yummy dreamy hollandaise sauce! My husband had the Bloody Mary and Bene burger. His burger had sliced ham, fried egg and the creamy hollandaise sauce! Definitely recommend!

What a delightful little place! And I have to say, it was terribly unexpected given the location. I rarely go out this far but my girlfriend works in Cordova and needed to go somewhere nearby if we were going to have lunch.
I loooooooove love love that this restaurant is in an old house. The charm factor is through the roof and the little bar on your left as you walk in is romantic (? couldn’t find a better descriptive word and unfortunately I didn’t get to try in libations). I also greatly appreciated that they put us at a table in one of the back rooms so we could share some dirt in secret. Don’t want the other tables nearby snooping! Memphis is a small town after all.
I enjoyed my Caesar salad and while my pasta dish was good, I probably wouldn’t order it again. It was just too bland for my taste although I can see why others would like it. I’ll definitely be back though… especially if someone suggests we dine in Cordova.

Memphis has a lot of outstanding italian restaurants but so far there is one place my family and I that love to come back to every time we feel like a great meal, service, and could be comfortable. This place is Café Fontana.
From antipasto to dessert, this place would make you feel that the meal you have eaten is the best you ever had. Like there seafood pasta, Pasta Italia had more seafood but the sauce in «Café Fontana» is better due to spicier, sauce was thicker and tastier and the linguine is perfect «al dente».
When I used to hear «al dente», it was a fancy word for a perfectly cooked pasta. Which it was, but the chef proved it. When I used to live in Sicily and Naples, I though pasta was pasta; it all taste and felt the same.
No, I had to thank Chef Shranz for letting me taste the best «Frutta de Mare» I ever had, even better in Italy.
But if you like meat in your pasta, Get the «Nonna», it has two huge meat balls, sausages, pulled pork and marinara sauce. Wow! This stuff was too good to be true.
They also have great antipasto’s, good selection of wine that will not make break the piggy bank, very reasonable, and the desserts are to good to be true.
Like I said earlier, this is the best italian restaurant Memphis. The service is always on the spot and no need to break a piggy bank, because the prices are reasonable. Give it a try and you will love those pasta’s at a first bite.

Great night! Had a salad with pine nuts, figs (who has figs?), mozzarella cheese… so good. Had the rigatoni and substituted shrimp for the chicken… they had no problem with me substituting. Prompt, courteous service… great food… great night!

I really wanted to like this place. I really did. However, this was probably the worst dining experience I have had in a LONG time.
I’m pretty certain this charming building was once a family home long ago. Parking is limited to the curb of nearby streets in this quaint area of Cordova. Outside stages a cozy arrangement of seating on the front patio, complete with babbling fountain. That is were the charm ceased.
We arrived early for a birthday party so we decided to have a drink while we waited. The «bar» is inconveniently located two feet from the front door, blocking the flow of incoming traffic. The said «bar» also serves as the reception area. Talk about a traffic jam!
Once a few more people in our party arrived we were escorted to our table. We were led to a semi-​private room in the back. I couldn’t help but notice the cheap plastic tables they used, and the corny (also cheep) décor on the walls.
Our server arrived and seemed totally overwhelmed, inexperienced, and in need of a hug. He remained in that state the entire evening. It took way too long to get our drinks… our second drink, our food order, our appetizers, our meals… I could go on, but theme here is that every thing was SLOW! We were there 4.5 hours before it was all said and done.
The food… the brushetta was a weird deconstruction of stuff piled around a plate with bread. The capress salad was NOT a caprese salad. It was a salad with cherry tomatoes and hunks of mozzarella cheese. HUH??? My Casar salad was eatable after lots of salt and pepper. Never in my life have I salted a Cesar salad! The dressing was creamy but lacked any other dressing-​like qualities. By the time I finally got my salad, I was so damn hungry I didn’t even care. I just salted it, peppered it, and ate it. There was something wrong with the burger I ordered. It was grey in color and reminded me of the patties they tried pass off as meat when I was in high school. Only, those patties I could eat, this one I ate about two bites. The texture was strange, the color was odd, and the flavor was off. Still hungry, I ate the part of my boyfriend’s NY Strip which wasn’t bad. We were told early on that bread was being prepared fresh for our table. I completely forgot about the bread when it finally arrived at the end of our meal.
No one in our party was happy. Several people complained to management who offered to discount the meal. Turns out, management removed the automatic gratuity in response to our complaints about the slow service, bad food, and higher than desirable dining room temperature. That’s right, management thought stiffing the server was a good way to make unhappy customers happy. Wrong. He was tipped above and beyond what he would have received prior to the adjustment.

On our first visit here we were not impressed but some good friends convinced us to give it a second try. I’m glad we did. Stopped in after church for Sunday Brunch. Food and service was excellent. The wine list is unique and quite reasonable compared to other area restaurants. We sat outside and the atmosphere was fantastic. We will be back.
6÷19÷2013 — had a grouper sandwich — would highly recommend — on of the best I’ve had in the memphis area.