Small place, short menu, big heart [restaurant review]
Sicilians Fabio and Patricia Giambanco with their Fabio’s special pizza. Photo
It’s surprisingly difficult to find statistics about what take-out food is most popular. A study done a few years ago was widely quoted by people who failed to notice that it was using data from food delivery services, so none of the restaurants that have their own delivery were counted.
My guess is pizza, despite the fact that even a great one suffers if eaten very long after it leaves the oven. I adore a pizza with a crisp crust so much that I’ll go out in the rain and cold for it rather than sit at home in my robe and slippers with a tip for the delivery person in hand. There are days when that’s a tough choice, but perfection of pizza nearly always wins out.
My favorite find in this category is Fabio’s, located in the former Wildflour Pizza space at the corner of Artesia Boulevard and Pacific Coast Hwy. in Hermosa. It’s owned and operated by a charming family who recently moved here from Sicily, and what they lack in English grammar they make up for with smiles and warmth. The space has been renovated with dramatic vintage pictures of Italy against the white walls, giving the boxlike room a certain charm.
The menu is short: four each of salads, sandwiches, and pastas, plus five house pizzas and the option to build your own. I ran my own unscientific poll in three dining-in visits and saw people ordering lots of pizzas and salads, few pastas, and no sandwiches, though since I was usually there in the evening my data may have been skewed.
I have tried the house salad (iceberg, tomato, mozzarella, croutons, and the housemade dressing), and it’s pretty standard except for a hint of nutty spiciness in the dressing. This is from ground sesame, an item rarely found in mainland Italian cooking but common in Sicily thanks to a thousand years of trade with the Arab world. The salad is topped with what are called croutons but are actually pungent and tasty garlic toast rounds.
Another salad served here is a holdover from the previous establishment, the famed spinach salad that was the most popular item at Wildflour. It still has the mix of avocado, mushrooms, and artichoke hearts topped with abundant mozzarella. A seven dollar portion is still enough for one very hungry person or two light eaters.
We’ve tried two of the pastas, a Sicilian vegetarian lasagna and the meaty classic, and I have to say that I preferred the veggie version. The meat lasagna was what I expected, the noodles tender but not mushy and the sauce tangy, but the vegetarian lasagna was superior. The grape tomatoes, zucchini, green squash, onion, celery, and carrots were rough chopped so there were bursts of flavor and varying textures from beginning to end.
I have tried two of the pizzas, the vegetable garden and the artichoke heart with spinach, mozzarella, and parmesan (and some sausage for a slight extra charge, because sausage and artichoke are so good together). The default pizzas here have a medium crust, and they’re crisp on the bottom with a slight chewiness to the dough. There’s enough sauce for flavor but not so much that it quickly goes soggy, and the toppings are applied generously. The bread, cheese, sauce, and toppings are all in balance, and that’s what you look for in a pizza. They offer a thin crust version too, and also a whole-wheat crust that I plan to try next time.
My wife and I enjoyed our pizza and salad with a shared carafe of wine while watching the action as people came and went with take out orders. We were almost the only people to dine in, which was a shame since the environment and people are so pleasant. I might get the lasagna to go because it travels well, but prefer to enjoy hospitable service from a friendly family who run this place just like they did their café near Palermo. I hope they’ll eventually add more Sicilian specialties to the menu, but whether or not they do I’ll be back.
Fabio’s is at 2512 PCH in Hermosa. Open daily at 11 a.m., close 9 p.m. Sun.-Wed., 9:30 p.m. Thur-Sat. Parking lot, wheelchair access OK. Delivery offered, wine and beer or soft drinks. Menu at pizzabyfabio.com. (310) 372-8421. ER