Review: Ferrari's Little Italy & Bakery

My aunt Deb and I decided to go out to dinner on a recent Tuesday night, and we were racking our brains for a restaurant with a nice outdoor patio to try. I did a search on Urbanspoon to help give us ideas, and Ferrari's Little Italy and Bakery was one of the places the website suggested for outdoor seating. I'd been to Ferrari's in downtown Madeira before but had never sat outside, so we decided this would be the perfect spot.

We were definitely not disappointed with our decision. They have a wonderful, quaint little patio to the side of the restaurant. It's quite a hidden gem! We arrived at about 6:15 p.m., and the patio was already filling up.

Our server didn't hesitate to tell us about the half price wine deal they have on Tuesday and Wednesday evening...which I quickly took her up on. We ordered a nice bottle of red wine (it was a really good blend) for only $14! What a bargain!

Next, we decided to share a small Ferrari's salad. Check out the pic below...that is half of the salad! We were definitely glad we split it. The Ferrari's salad is one of my favorites. It comes with dried cranberries, Gorgonzola cheese, mixed greens, pine nuts and balsamic vinaigrette. Everything tasted fresh and delicious!

For my entree, I decided to splurge and get the eggplant parmesan. This was the best decision I made all day! This was the best eggplant parmesan I've ever had. It was fantastic! There marinara sauce is full of fresh basil (which they grow in a front garden at the restaurant) and has a sweet taste to it. The eggplant was layered - I believe there were 3 layers - and it was cooked perfectly. Soft (but not mushy) on the inside, with the perfect crispy, crunchy exterior. If you're going to Ferrari's anytime soon, I'd highly suggest this dish! My only complaint: the pasta was a little too soft for me. I prefer mine to be cooked al dente (means cooked firm but not hard in Italian), and this was not firm enough for me. I wasn't really upset though...it just meant I had more room for the eggplant, which I still couldn't finish. 

Deb decided to get the chicken piccata. This came with a chicken breast, topped with a lemon-butter caper sauce (typical for a piccata dish) and tuscan vegetables.This was pretty standard; however the vegetables were a little too crunchy for me. I think they could have cooked another couple minutes - but there flavors were really good. The dish itself was good, but not nearly as good as the eggplant parmesan. Deb seemed to be enjoying it until she tried my eggplant....then the disappointment set in when she realized what she could be having. Don't worry - I shared. J

Before the summer's over, I would definitely recommend trying the outdoor patio at Ferrari's. It's very relaxing and intimate out there, and the service doesn't lack even though you're outdoors, which I have found at other restaurants to be the case. If you're going to go sit outside, why not go on a Tuesday or Wednesday and take advantage of the half price wine deal?  No matter what day of the week you go, I'd suggest the eggplant parmesan anytime.  J

~Kris 

Food: 4

Service: 4  

Overall: 4