I’ve been out with COVID this week as my recent excursions in Las Vegas infected me with my first-ever bout of the virus. Not that I wasn’t expecting it; if anything I was hoping to get it out of the way so I could enjoy the rest of the summer without worry. Since I’m working from home (feeling fine) on the computer today, I thought I’d tell you about a recent discovery from this last trip: Ferraro’s, a classic Italian restaurant off the strip that absolutely wowed me from top to bottom, front to back.

Some of you know that I owned a house in Vegas for a few years, so I’ve spent plenty of time out in the desert. How I missed out on Ferraro’s until this past weekend is still a mystery to me, but the important thing is I know about it now! Located on the east side of Las Vegas Boulevard, in a strip mall at the corner of Paradise and Harmon, it’s my new favorite restaurant in Sin City and my top recommendation for anyone headed in that direction. Even if you just hit the bar for happy hour, the drinks and the appetizers are top notch and the bartenders are fantastic. My wife and I spent an hour at the counter, munching on arancini and nibbling on veal-stuffed ravioli before sitting down to a formal prix-fixe dinner.

We were already buzzing from the incredible hour we spent at the bar, but when I saw the wine list my head started spinning; especially after noticing that Emidio Pepe Pecorino was marked down to cost. For those of you who don’t drink fancy Italian wine, imagine getting a discount on Weller 12 or Blanton’s, let alone a fair market price. Crazy! I wasn’t about to pass up on that. Eight years old, fresh as a daisy, and so intense on the nose, this was my wife’s first glass of the Pepe and her eyes lit up like a pinball machine. Always extremely allocated and hard to find, I would go back to Ferraro’s just based on the access to Emidio Pepe, let alone the food.

The prix-fixe menu had the choice of soup or salad, and two soups to choose from: tomato bread and white bean. We did one of each with the white wine and it was a dynamite pairing. I love hearty soups and I love them even more with a great bottle of vino.

Neither me nor my wife are ever going to turn down fresh black truffles with sage and butter if they’re on the menu. And they were. Tossed in a delicious home-made fettuccine, we were savoring every bite. Dessert was a plate of house-baked cookies with a glass of sweet Vin Santo, which we took our time savoring. While the food and drink was outstanding, the service at Ferraro’s is what really stood out to both of us. It’s an old school atmosphere with 60+ year old Italian guys in suits coming by to check on you, talking about their families, and making sure you have plenty of pepper and parmesan on everything. If you’re in the mood for a long, slow, decadent meal without the hassle of the strip, or the rushed atmosphere of the casino hotspots, Ferraro’s is the place for you.

I can’t wait to go back. As soon as I get over COVID!

-David Driscoll