The tagline for the weightlifting-themed Fitness Café, an eleven-year-old eatery on the southwest corner of Scottsdale Road and Thunderbird, states: “we believe in healthy eating not dieting.” To that end, nutritional content (calorie, protein, carbohydrate, fat and fiber counts) is listed for each menu item. While the onus is on the restaurant for providing accurate counts, the concept appears to be popular as regulars stroll through the door in a steady stream.
The narrow space is flanked on one side with a long, wall-size photo of Muscle Beach, Venice, with buff owner Anthony Angelini, standing in front of the famous bodybuilding mecca. On the opposite side, framed photos of celebrated bodybuilders adorn the wall just before the order counter and open kitchen. It can either be inspiring or intimidating, depending upon the size of your biceps. Silver tables in between are filled with patrons who probably think of their gym as home away from home.
Breakfast is either hearty oatmeal ($2.99, or $3.99 with fruit) or a short list of egg whites
, scrambled and wrapped in a tomato basil tortilla or folded into an omelet ($7.99) with a choice of a protein and tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, onion and cheddar cheese. The Arnold breakfast wrap ($6.99) is no less than eight egg whites with chopped chicken, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes and low-fat cheddar cheese.
Fitness Café serves up a handful of smoothies, too, like the push up ($4.99), a creamy blend of berries, cranberry juice and yogurt, or the motivator ($5.99), a whopping 40 grams of vanilla protein powder blended with fat-free milk, vanilla yogurt and peanut butter.
The rest of the menu is dominated by sandwiches and salads, with pumped-up monikers like bench press, weight stack and the crunch. There are a few pasta options as well. Curiously, the pasta is not whole grain pasta, but instead, egg and spinach fusilli.
Of all the dishes we sample, the pasta is the weakest link. The Ferrigno pasta platter ($9.50) is ample enough, just not very flavorful, despite the addition of a pink vodka cream sauce that actually perks up the Ferrigno ($7.99) chicken sandwich. The pasta platter features slightly overcooked pasta, chunks of cooked chicken breast and a smattering of roasted red pepper slices and mushrooms, all doused with commercial grade finely grated parmesan cheese.
The salads are bright and flavorful; a less heavy hand with the dressings would elevate them to terrific. The Pilates salad ($9.50) is a mixture of baby spinach, diced chicken, walnuts, cranberries and goat cheese, heavily bathed in a creamy raspberry dressing. The kung fu ($9.50) is also spinach based, with chicken, mandarin orange segments, sliced almonds and a few crunchy chow mein noodles, tossed in a zingy ginger dressing.
The crosstrainer ($9.50) is a knockout - a mix of crisp romaine garnished with black beans and corn, low-fat Monterey jack, diced tomatoes and tossed with a sweet, tangy barbecue flavored ranch dressing and topped with diced chicken. I’d easily return for this punchy salad.
There are enough sandwich options to dine at Fitness Café for more than two weeks and not eat the same one twice. The firm ($7.69) is tasty - a flattened chicken breast stacked with mozzarella, roasted red pepper, portabello mushroom slices and a splash of balsamic on a crusty French bread roll.
The Venice Beach chicken ($7.69) layers the same thin chicken with a smear of avocado, sprouts, tomato, lettuce, and a slice of low-fat Swiss cheese. The homerun ($7.99) is even better with strips of gyros-style pressed chicken, lettuce, tomatoes and red onions in a folded pita with a dollop of tangy tzatziki on the side.
Chicken isn’t the only protein, although it does tend to dominate most of the menu. Other sandwiches feature deli turkey, roast beef, and tuna or chicken salads and in addition to the French roll, other breads include sourdough, multi-grain, pita and tomato-basil tortilla wraps. Vegetarians have a couple of sandwich choices, including the tall free style ($7.50) which stacks cucumber rounds, avocado slices, red onion, tomatoes and mushrooms on the French roll, along with a choice of cheese.
All sandwiches come with either a small side of garden salad or mayonnaise slathered pasta salad. On one visit, sweet potato fries ($1.99) pop up on the specials menu board, and while not spectacular, they’re crisp and lightly seasoned with a little salt - and disappear quickly.
The sandwiches are filling and the salads are fresh, yet I can’t say that any of them induce a “wow” factor. However, thrilling foodies isn’t Fitness Café’s mission. Instead, the café is aiming for relatively healthful, balanced meals, and if you’re into bodybuilding, it’s a place to dine with other like-minded iron pumpers.
