by Jan B. Jacobson

If you’re seeking a relaxing neighborhood environment that’s not only chic but also features a South American flair, Bomberos Café and Wine Bar should be on the top of your list.

    This café in the heart of Sunnyslope is distinctive. You won’t find traditional heavy entreés and a large assortment of menu choices, but what you will find is a nice selection of finger foods like bruschetta, olives, five paninis including a vegetarian, several salads, artisan cheese and meat platters. Future plans call for the addition of breakfast paninis. There also are specialty desserts of the day made fresh at local bakeries to tempt you.

Oscar and Kristi Mastrantuono, owners of Bomberos Café and Wine Bar in Sunnyslope, have brought the community a chic café with a South-American flair (photo by Teri Carnicelli).

    Creating and opening a wine café had been a long-time dream of the owners, Oscar and Kristi Mastrantuono. Oscar grew up in Uruguay and came to the United States via New York at the age of 5. He lived and went to college there, studying criminal justice.  Though Oscar says he had no formal education in the restaurant business, he learned a great deal growing up around and working at his dad’s ethnic grocery store in New York and from being a server at restaurants while in high school and college.

    Oscar worked in sales during the past 10 years, in the hospitality industry for such notable local properties as the Carefree Resort, Royal Palms Hotel and Pointe South Mountain.

    The Mastrantuonos reside in Sunnyslope. When they heard of the availability of a unique location in their own neighborhood, they jumped at the chance to turn their dream into reality in November 2007.

    “It took a year to remodel this older building and bring it up to code. We wanted to create a South American experience that you can’t find anywhere else in the Valley,” Oscar explained.

    Oscar and Kristi transformed the building into an attractive contemporary space, with a cozy and rich feel, both inside and out on the patio. It is located adjacent to the Nielsen Galleries Design Center on Central Avenue, just south of Dunlap Avenue. There’s only one physical drawback to the facility: it has a very small kitchen, with little to no space to grow. Still, the owners both say the space is working out well for them.

    “My wife and I come from the hospitality industry and are all about customer service … we live it, breathe it and instill it in our employees,” Oscar says.

    The café’s wait staff has diverse backgrounds, hailing from places like El Salvador, Cuba and Venezuela, and are both well traveled and have an appreciation for the South American culture. The restaurant’s name couldn’t be more fitting, as “bomberos” means firemen in Spanish, and this was the former site of a fire department complex.

    In the early morning, Bomberos is a neighborhood South American coffee house that serves fresh pastries, blended coffee beans (Illy) and yogurt. You can sit and sip on a cup of coffee on one of the cozy and comfortable sofas or bring your laptop and retreat at the community table and check your messages on line thanks to the free Wi-Fi. The inside seats about 45.

    In the evening, it becomes a wine and beer café and the shaded garden patio beckons you outside to wet your whistle and sip on a comprehensive list of imported South American wines and beers. Many of the wines are exclusive to Bomberos, brought in from Uruguay. Yerba Mate, a special tea that is the national drink of Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina is also a favorite here. The patio is pet-friendly. You’ll find they have dog dishes and treats on hand for customers’ furry friends.

    Weekend nightlife here is bustling and inviting. Brazilian music is performed here from 8:30-11:30 p.m. on Saturday evenings and there’s plenty of space on the patio to unwind and dance the night away under the stars. South American music is also played throughout the interior of the café.

    Bomberos draws a neighborhood crowd of professionals like lawyers, doctors and architects, general business people, as well as neighborhood regulars.  You can eat here or carry out. It has become a popular site for small parties and gatherings, such as Mayor Phil Gordon’s birthday party, for political fundraisers and school gatherings.

    “We have full-time baristas who get to know most of our guests by their first names. We want them to feel welcome.  It’s sort of like Cheers, where we get to know their drinks and favorite menu items,” Oscar related.

    The owners are committed to their  community and sponsor some soccer and baseball teams.

    Want to make the experience more unique and leave the car at home?  Bomberos offers a complimentary Pedi cab service, within two miles of the café. Call ahead to book this bamboo customized ride. Then eat and drink to your hearts desire, and then they’ll take you home. Not only is it stress-free, many find it down right romantic.

     Bomberos is located at 8801 N. Central Ave., in Suite 104. Hours are

Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reservations are encouraged for groups of six or more. For more information, call 602-687-8466 or visit www.bomberoswinebar.com.