Before I launch into anything negative relating to my experience at Bravo Fono, let me say this much: the food was incredible. More on that later.

Conveniently located at the Stanford Shopping Center, Bravo Fono claims to feature “classic Mediterranean cuisine served in a relaxing elegant setting.” Now, cut out everything but “Mediterranean cuisine.” Bravo Fono’s food is indeed French and Italian in origin, and mostly revolves around seafood. However, the unique hybrid entrées are hardly what I would describe as “classic,” and the setting came off as more “sterile upscale hotel lobby” than “relaxing elegant.”

I think that its biggest obstacle is its “convenient location.” Sure, I’m not from Palo Alto, so high-end outdoor malls are somewhat of an oxymoron for me. I have a hard time, though, imagining myself going from a sale at the Gap (or Louis Vuitton, whatever) to a restaurant where the entrées range from $17-30, starter salads go for around $10, and normal appetizers can be as much as $20.

That said, the food might be worth the price. Our server was eager to help my friend with a sprained ankle get into her side of the booth, and was quiet but attentive throughout the evening. We happily munched on the deliciously salty breadsticks while perusing the menu. The appetizers looked fantastic - with everything ranging from their specialty crab cakes to escargot to smoked salmon. My friend and I decided to start with Gorgonzola and Pear salads, which were beautifully prepared, well-portioned and tasty.

Entrées focused on fish but also included chicken and red meat options. I was surprised to see such a wide variety of seafood pastas, cooked with linguine, risotto, ravioli, or angel hair. My friend went with a seafood puffed pastry, cooked in a rich white wine sauce with and filled with scallops, shrimp, mushrooms and other shellfish. I picked the seafood ravioli, stuffed with deliciousness and cooked in red pepper sauce, with mussels and scallop pieces simmered alongside the seafood ravioli. Presentation was impeccable, and even though I wanted to save some for leftovers, I ended up eating the whole thing.

I was so full and had gone way over budget at this point, so I didn’t even tempt myself with the dessert menu. However, I’ve heard that there’s a berry-vanilla cream concoction that’ll knock your socks off.

On a day-to-day basis, though, I have a hard time envisioning why I’d go to this restaurant. If I wanted to find an elegant date spot, I think I’d avoid the shopping center atmosphere. If I wanted to con my parents into paying for an expensive meal, I’d go somewhere less sterile-feeling. Bravo Fono would be perfect for meeting a job interviewer, though, because the Stanford Mall is easy to find and still almost on your turf - especially if they’d paying for it.

Bottom line: pricey and oddly situated, but really great food. I’d definitely go back, if I could only find a good reason to do so.