 |
 |
| J & M Café 17284 Foothill Blvd. Fontana, 92335 (909) 854-1800 Price Range: $7.50 to $12.50 Kid Friendly Disabled Accessible No alcoholic beverages are served Major credit cards are accepted Rating: 5 stars |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
About 4 weeks ago, a friend of mine who is part of a corporation that owns two
major upscale restaurants in the Inland Empire called me from a small restaurant
in Fontana raving about how great the food was and that I just had to try it. With
each breath, his voice was full of excitement and seemed overjoyed with culinary
happiness. As he talked, I could sense tears of joy gently running down his face.
After speaking to him, I just had to see for myself what all of the excitement was
about.
Located in a small shopping center across the street from a Wal-mart, the
exterior of the restaurant seems plain and quite boring, but once inside, tables
with white table cloths and candles welcome you in with open arms. I was greeted
by a gracious man who was wearing a sparkling white chef’s coat named Gil
Morales and a friendly woman named Maria. I later found out that Gil is the
owner/chef while Maria is his wife. Once seated, I was handed a menu attached
to a clip board. Strange way to present the menu I thought but it’s the food that
counts, not what the menu looks like.
The menu was filled with impressive sounding sandwiches and salads with a few
daily specials, homemade desserts and soups thrown into the mix. The first round
of dishes that I ordered were the Tuna Decker $8.50 and the Poached Chicken
Salad $7.50. The Tuna Decker featured three crispy fried won ton skins layered
with slices of fresh seared Ahi tuna with avocado, atop a bed of julienne strips of
green papaya, daikon, mango, cucumbers and carrots and drizzled with a light
wasabi dressing. The presentation was picture perfect and the combination of the
silky smooth texture and taste of the Ahi tuna, the crispy won tons and the other
raw vegetables was sensational, while the price was a steal! The Poached
Chicken Salad consisted of tender poached chicken salad with 2 kinds of organic
grapes, diced celery, walnuts, green apples, tomatoes, and lettuce with a delicate
tasting creamy lemon dressing. Each bite was filled with textural and palate
pleasing surprises. Although simple, this delicious salad was just a glimpse of
what was to come.
The Smoked & Roasted Duck “Pressed’which $8.25 and the Pesto, Goat Cheese
& Grilled Chicken Pressed’which sandwich $8.00 were the next two items to
sample. The duck sandwich consisted of slices of smoked & roasted duck,
Monterey jack cheese & jalapeno butter pickles were place on a rustic roll and
pressed a la Panini style. The sandwich was absolutely marvelous and was
served with a small mixed green salad. As good as this sandwich was, nothing
could come close to the next amazing sandwich! Imagine two slices of bread
spread with a garlic butter spread on one side and filled with a robust pesto, goat
cheese and a moist and tender grilled chicken breast and pressed beneath a
Panini machine and toasted until the exterior of the bread was crisp and toasty
and the inside was hot and creamy, This sandwich was “Perfect” in every sense
and one the best, if not the best sandwich I have ever devoured.
Other items that were also fantastic included the Marinated Grilled Ahi Tuna
Salad $8.50, a large bed of mixed greens with avocado, cucumbers, daikon,
carrots, with a robust sesame soy ginger dressing and a daily special, Jumbo
Shrimp with tri colored cauliflower, bok choy, sautéed julienne vegetables with a
exciting tasting tomato lemon sauce. The dish was only $12.50 and was another
fantastic dish.
Since the owner/chef only uses organic products whenever possible, the food is
fresh and full of flavors. He is a master creating healthy and very tasty dishes,
sauces and dressings usually found in upscale restaurants only. I really admire
his willingness to show the Inland Empire just how good organic vegetables and
fruits are.
For dessert, I recommend their Tiramisu, a rich and creamy N.Y Cheesecake and
their Chocolate Marquis Mousse. All are made on the premises and were
heavenly!
As you can tell from this review, J & M Café is one of those small restaurants that
I love to find and dine at. In addition to Owen’s Bistro in Chino, this restaurant is
one of the most exciting and delicious restaurants in our area. It also proves a
point that one should not “judge the book by the cover”. You must dine here but
beware, they are closed Sundays and the restaurant is small. You will love this
place!!!
major upscale restaurants in the Inland Empire called me from a small restaurant
in Fontana raving about how great the food was and that I just had to try it. With
each breath, his voice was full of excitement and seemed overjoyed with culinary
happiness. As he talked, I could sense tears of joy gently running down his face.
After speaking to him, I just had to see for myself what all of the excitement was
about.
Located in a small shopping center across the street from a Wal-mart, the
exterior of the restaurant seems plain and quite boring, but once inside, tables
with white table cloths and candles welcome you in with open arms. I was greeted
by a gracious man who was wearing a sparkling white chef’s coat named Gil
Morales and a friendly woman named Maria. I later found out that Gil is the
owner/chef while Maria is his wife. Once seated, I was handed a menu attached
to a clip board. Strange way to present the menu I thought but it’s the food that
counts, not what the menu looks like.
The menu was filled with impressive sounding sandwiches and salads with a few
daily specials, homemade desserts and soups thrown into the mix. The first round
of dishes that I ordered were the Tuna Decker $8.50 and the Poached Chicken
Salad $7.50. The Tuna Decker featured three crispy fried won ton skins layered
with slices of fresh seared Ahi tuna with avocado, atop a bed of julienne strips of
green papaya, daikon, mango, cucumbers and carrots and drizzled with a light
wasabi dressing. The presentation was picture perfect and the combination of the
silky smooth texture and taste of the Ahi tuna, the crispy won tons and the other
raw vegetables was sensational, while the price was a steal! The Poached
Chicken Salad consisted of tender poached chicken salad with 2 kinds of organic
grapes, diced celery, walnuts, green apples, tomatoes, and lettuce with a delicate
tasting creamy lemon dressing. Each bite was filled with textural and palate
pleasing surprises. Although simple, this delicious salad was just a glimpse of
what was to come.
The Smoked & Roasted Duck “Pressed’which $8.25 and the Pesto, Goat Cheese
& Grilled Chicken Pressed’which sandwich $8.00 were the next two items to
sample. The duck sandwich consisted of slices of smoked & roasted duck,
Monterey jack cheese & jalapeno butter pickles were place on a rustic roll and
pressed a la Panini style. The sandwich was absolutely marvelous and was
served with a small mixed green salad. As good as this sandwich was, nothing
could come close to the next amazing sandwich! Imagine two slices of bread
spread with a garlic butter spread on one side and filled with a robust pesto, goat
cheese and a moist and tender grilled chicken breast and pressed beneath a
Panini machine and toasted until the exterior of the bread was crisp and toasty
and the inside was hot and creamy, This sandwich was “Perfect” in every sense
and one the best, if not the best sandwich I have ever devoured.
Other items that were also fantastic included the Marinated Grilled Ahi Tuna
Salad $8.50, a large bed of mixed greens with avocado, cucumbers, daikon,
carrots, with a robust sesame soy ginger dressing and a daily special, Jumbo
Shrimp with tri colored cauliflower, bok choy, sautéed julienne vegetables with a
exciting tasting tomato lemon sauce. The dish was only $12.50 and was another
fantastic dish.
Since the owner/chef only uses organic products whenever possible, the food is
fresh and full of flavors. He is a master creating healthy and very tasty dishes,
sauces and dressings usually found in upscale restaurants only. I really admire
his willingness to show the Inland Empire just how good organic vegetables and
fruits are.
For dessert, I recommend their Tiramisu, a rich and creamy N.Y Cheesecake and
their Chocolate Marquis Mousse. All are made on the premises and were
heavenly!
As you can tell from this review, J & M Café is one of those small restaurants that
I love to find and dine at. In addition to Owen’s Bistro in Chino, this restaurant is
one of the most exciting and delicious restaurants in our area. It also proves a
point that one should not “judge the book by the cover”. You must dine here but
beware, they are closed Sundays and the restaurant is small. You will love this
place!!!
