Bomberos is the bomb

New Latino wine bar offers eclectic crowd and menu

The Valley of the Sun lacks for authentic restaurants and bars owned by South Americans with South American themes, drinks and cuisines.

Whenever one pops up, it quickly becomes a magnet for transplanted South and Central Americans.

Bomberos Café & Wine Bar 8801 N. Central Ave. (south of Dunlap), Phoenix. Open 7 a.m. - midnight, Monday - Thursday; 7 a.m. - 1 a.m., Friday and Saturday; 7 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sunday. (602) 687-8466.

There’s Inza Coffee in Scottsdale, a coffee house owned by a Colombian with specialty empanadas and international coffees. These kinds of places become hot spots for Americans from the planet’s southern hemisphere.

Bomberos Café & Wine Bar opened on far north Central Avenue near Sunnyslope in late   November. It features a Latin-themed menu with South American wines, Latin American beers, specialty coffees and teas, and a light but eclectic food menu.

Owned by Oscar and Kristi Mastrantuono, bomberos is Spanish for “firemen” and is located in what used to be a Sunnyslope fire station on Central Avenue just north of Northern. The renovations include an outside patio and dining. 

Oscar is from Uruguay and comes from a long line of entrepreneurs in that country. Opening a wine café in Phoenix that specializes in his Latin heritage has long been a dream of the Mastrantuonos, and when this unique location opened in their own neighborhood, they knew that this was the time to fulfill that dream.

“I grew up in my family’s bodega in Uruguay and New York and I always knew that this was what I wanted to do,” Oscar says. “I’m thrilled to offer a flavor of my heritage and fill a niche in the Valley for those in search of a lively local hangout that mixes an old-world theme with a hip and modern touch.”

The Mastrantuonos’ have designed Bombero’s to be a neighbor friendly. Oscar lives a few minutes away, and can be seen riding to and from his shifts on a bright red, ’74 Vespa scooter. Soon Bomberos will offer pedicab rides to all locals within a mile radius, he adds.

The restaurant opens at 7 a.m. in the morning for early drop-bys, and is so kid-friendly they put cartoons on the TV Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Artist and literary types are attracted by the free Wi Fi with coffee or wine. There is live, Brazilian music performed on Saturday nights. The café stays opens until midnight on weekdays and until 1 p.m. on Saturday.

As an added bonus, Oscar says, soccer fanatics can get their fixes on TVs in the bar – even at odd hours.

“If there is a World Cup game at 4 a.m. in the morning, then I’ll come and open at 4 a.m.,” he promises.