Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
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TASTE continued from page 54 line," he says. "Cooking was easy. It came so natural. It's hard to learn what really goes with what, what spices go with that sauce or this fish, but it was something I just understood. I had a big head start before I went to culinary school." Located for years at West Flamingo Road and Jones Boulevard—an inconvenient cab ride away from the Strip— Ferraro's was one of the rare restaurants to be considered a true locals' favorite while also succeeding in drawing hungry tourists away from Las Vegas Boulevard. In 2003, after completing his culinary education—which included several long trips to Italy—Mimmo took the reins in —GINO FERRARO the kitchen of Ferraro's, allowing his father to focus on tending to customers and building one of the most respected Italian-wine cellars in the country. Balancing chef Mimmo's enthusiastic energy with Gino's time-tested ways was sometimes challenging. "We did butt heads, many times," says Gino. "I'm a very traditional person and he's a new generation. But in the end we came up with a solution to do the best thing for the restaurant, which is a little bit of old and a little bit of new." The result of this new equation is an emphasis on maintaining Gino's high standards for service and cuisine while also incorporating some new dishes—including the brightly flavored Carpaccio Torcello, thin slices of raw beef rolled around a shaved Parmesan, arugula, and truffle oil salad, and Pappardelle Mimmo, wide pasta with fresh scallops, lobster, and asparagus in a butter/sage/truffle sauce. "People come here for consistency," says Mimmo. "They know they can order anything on the menu and it's going to be as good as what they had the last time. Today we're just "Julia Roberts has come many times and says ours is the best gnocchi she's had in her life." 56 Osso buco served with farro. OSSO GOOD! When the Vegas dining scene was in its infancy, Ferraro's quickly established itself as a standard-bearer. Its decadent osso buco, a thick veal shank braised in a bold red-wine reduction, became the go-to dish, a perfect complement to fresh, rustic house-made pastas. "We have one regular customer who's been coming for more than 20 years, and he's never had anything but the osso buco," Gino says. "I've asked him, 'Please, can you order something else?' He just looks at me and says, 'Why?'" PHOTOGRAPHY BY BEVERLY POPPE (DINING ROOM); ISAAC BREKKEN (PAPPARDELLE, OSSO BUCO) ABOVE: In addition to its homey main dining room, Ferraro's offers a full bar, a large patio, and live music five nights a week. LEFT: Pappardelle Mimmo as known for homemade pasta and bread, rabbit, and tripe as we are for the osso buco." Another new twist is the Chef Mimmo Experience, in which diners place their decisions in the chef's hands and he customizes a special menu for the table. "They leave very happy," he says. In 2010, the Ferraro's experience was further elevated when the restaurant moved from West Flamingo to Paradise Road, just east of the Strip. The new space is much larger—more room for live music, a bar and patio always packed for happy hour, and Gino's exquisite wine collection—and accommodates many more Vegas visitors. But some things will never change: Once you're a regular, you're always a regular. And Mimmo is particularly proud that Ferraro's is likely the only restaurant in town where the namesake is "both at the front door and in the kitchen, every night." That consistency translates into lots of visits from countless noteworthy city residents and guests. "We've had thousands of celebrities visit, and so many prominent locals," says Gino. "Julia Roberts has come many times and says ours is the best gnocchi Bolognese she's had in her life. Brad Pitt, Andy Garcia, all the performers who have been in Las Vegas for years, like Gordie Brown, Clint Holmes, Frank Marino, on and on." Gino's favorite? Probably Anthony Quinn, he says. "He had an aura about him that no one else could possess." "We don't relax," Gino adds. "We're hands-on, and that's important, that the people who originated this concept are the people who are staying on top of it. The food will never change from what it is. No one can come and change that. We don't change and we don't Americanize the food, and if people don't like it, we don't get insulted, because we understand that their palate is not up to our standard of food." 4480 Paradise Road, 702-364-5300; ferraroslasvegas.com V VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 054-056_V_Taste_Opener_Winter14.indd 56 1/10/14 4:29 PM