FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Lisa Liotta, Deputy Director
City of Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency-
Downtown District
Office: (954) 921-3016
lliotta@hollywoodfl.org

Downtown Hollywood Rainbo Cafe Turns up the Heat and
Turns Back the Clock

HOLLYWOOD, FL – October 28, 2009 – When South Florida Chef and restaurateur Jim Fantasia acquired the Rainbo Cafe in Downtown Hollywood a year and a half ago, he knew he had his work cut out for him. The former gem of Hollywood Boulevard had suffered from both an economy run amok and years of inattention. While still a popular neighborhood noshery, other than the name, the Rainbo Cafe didn’t offer much to remind its patrons of the glamorous Al Capone-era dining and nightlife hotspot that it was in the late 1930’s. During the heyday of that era, legend has it that the name, Rainbo, was intentionally spelled without the last letter ‘w’ to tip off patrons that gambling was taking place on the premises!

Now, after over a year of planning and renovation work, the newly finished Grille Room at Rainbo Cafe is once again open for business.

According to Jim, the project has been a personal achievement. Drawing upon his 25 years of experience at Fantasia’s of Boston and the Riverside Hotel, he feels the restaurant has connected him personally and with the community.

"I grew up in the restaurant business. Many years and many projects behind me, I now feel that coming to Downtown Hollywood and the Rainbo, with its rich history and loyal customer base, is like coming home," he states from the Downtown kitchen were he prepares breakfast, lunch and now gourmet dinners.

This latest chapter in the life of the restaurant is a logical progression, building on a tradition of fine dining established in its early days as a high-ticket nightclub and gambling casino, and continuing to its last major reincarnation in the late 1980’s as a family diner. It was featured as such in the 1991 classic film Cape Fear, starring Robert De Niro.

The Grille Room at Rainbo Cafe is now open for dinner Wednesday through Saturday and features a warm, intimate atmosphere with both indoor and outdoor seating. Chef Jim proudly offers signature dishes including Lobster cheesecake, pistachio crusted rack of lamb, garlic studded filet mignon, Chilean sea bass, pepper crusted ahi tuna, and potato crusted Salmon, to name a few. The menu is complimented by a selection of fine wine, sparkling wine, Champagne and imported and domestic beer.

The Rainbo Cafe is located at 1909 Hollywood Boulevard in Historic Downtown Hollywood and is open for breakfast and lunch from 7:30am-4pm seven days a week. The Grille Room at Rainbo Cafe is open from 6:30pm-11:00pm Wednesday through Saturday. For more information about the Rainbo Cafe and The Grille Room at Rainbo Cafe, please contact Jim Fantasia at 954-922-9767, or e-mail at RainboCafe@aol.com.

For more information about businesses and events in Downtown Hollywood, please contact 954-921-3016 or visit www.downtownhollywood.com.

The Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) was created under the authority of Florida’s Community Redevelopment Act of 1969. The CRA’s mission is to encourage economic development through the use of tax increment financing by funding development, special projects and enhanced services that address areas of community concern. The Downtown District was established in 1979 to promote Hollywood’s central business district including Historic Hollywood Boulevard, Young Circle and nearby residential neighborhoods. The Downtown District is approximately 580 acres and extends from 22nd Avenue on the west to generally 17th Avenue on the east, Johnson Street on the north and Washington Street on the south.

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