"Fontina is a long time Pleasanton mainstay, but for some reason I 'd never dined there. After a wonderful work lunch a couple of days ago, it is now on my list of go to restaurants for a classy and tasty meal. Fontina is in a tall red brick building off the small plaza at the intersection of Main and Angela, in the heart of Pleasanton 's charming downtown. The restaurant has several small shady tables outdoors, but there were ten people in our party, so they seated us inside. I was the first to order. For my appetizer I selected a bowl of their soup du jour, which was lentil with prosciutto. And for my entrée, one of my all time favorites lamb shank. Soon after they took our orders, they brought out several loaves of freshly made bread warm from the oven, soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside along with plates of minced garlic to dip it in. It was mmmm mmmm good! My soup arrived the lentil was flavorful, the prosciutto decent but superfluous I was hungry and finished it off in next to no time. Then the entrées started arriving a pork chop here, a salad there and then I spied my lamb shank making its way over I could hardly wait! The shank lay on a bed of mashed potatoes and steamed veggies all swimming in a delicious looking broth. I tentatively dipped a piece of bread in it it was divine, full of hearty flavor. Then I picked up the lamb, and the meat just fell off the bone! It was cooked perfectly, and I ate my meal in silence, savoring every morsel, oblivious to the conversation around me. This was one of the best lamb shanks I 've ever had, which is saying something, because there was a time in my twenties when I ate a lamb shank every Friday for five years running! Everyone at our table that day enjoyed their food, which is a testament to Fontina 's quality. It may have been the first time I dined at this Pleasanton mainstay, but it certainly won 't be the last. Because as I slowly made my way back to my car, I had one single thought in mind when can I go back for that lamb shank?!"
