Mike’s Food for Thought – Fabio’s Italian Restaurant

One of my favorite places to eat is Fabios Italian Restaurant at 179 Homer Ave in Cortland.

It’s across the street from the old P and C supermarket. It is very delicious Italian food. Fabio uses the finest ingredients and freshest produce. I have eaten there many, many times and I’ve tried something different everytime. Believe me, I’ve never been disappointed. It is all tasty. Fabio has a great menu. Some of my favorites include chicken siciliano, a grilled marinated chicken breast topped with fresh tomato,basil sauce. Pasta alla Bolognese, which is your choice of pasta topped with hearty meatsauce made with beef, veal, and pork. This is truly the best sauce I have ever tasted. Penne alla carbonara is penne pasta sauteed with cream, egg, pecorino cheese and prosciutto. Four cheese gnocchi are  potato dumplings tossed with 4 cheeses and baked in a marinara sauce, delicious. Fabio has a nice assortment of appetizers too. I had the cordon bleu pizza. This isn’t just good, it’s great.

A pizza crust topped with ham, swiss cheese, marinated chicken breast and a ranch sauce. It’s big enough for two to share.

The last time I ate at Fabios, I had the chicken cacciatore, chicken breast sauteed with roasted red peppers, onions, capers, black olives, mushrooms in a homemade marinara sauce topped with melted cheese. I highly recommend this dish. It was absolutely delicious. The chicken was so tender and the sauce had such depth of flavor. Great.

Fabio also has a heart healthy menu. What a great idea. The dishes on this menu are prepared using the finest extra virgin olive oil and they supply a lean source of protein. Some of the items on that menu are,chicken siciliano, sauteed seafood platter, italian style grilled tuna steak, spaghetti and clams, linguini marinara, linguini pesto and more.

Dinners are served with a loaf of hot homemade bread and a wonderful tossed salad. The salad comes on a chilled plate and includes lettuce, chopped tomatoes and cucumbers, onion, sprouts, artichoke hearts, olives and provolone cheese. I love Fabios attention to detail. I like the fact the plate is chilled and the tomatoes and cucumcers are diced. His homemade balsamic dressing is perfect with this salad. Save room for dessert. Fabio makes his desserts and they are good. I had the best tiramisu I have ever had. I’ve also had very good gelato and cheesecake.

Another great thing about Fabio’s is the fact that he honors requests, such as whole grain pasta and breads, low fat dressings and cooking items with extra virgin olive oil instead of butter. They also have custom made pasta and sauces. Gluten free meals are available  upon request. Fabio’s has an extensive wine list and offers wine by the bottle or glass. Beer is also available.

The menu also offers at least 10 different open faced sandwiches, all very delicious.

The restaurant itself is very pleasing. Soft music and subdued lighting along with many tanks of tropical fish. It is a wonderful atmosphere to enjoy a dinner. The restaurant is open Tuesday -Sunday, the phone number is 607 753 6969.

Fabio is truly a great chef, his food is homemade and it’s very delicious. If you have never been, I urge you to go. Food is made to order, so relax, have some wine, enjoy the ambiance. Patience will be rewarded. Check out the website to see all that Fabios has to offer. www.fabiositaliankitchen.com