I have to be careful here, because I want to be fair to Ferré. Let me start by saying that I do believe that it is a good restaurant, and I do really recommend trying it, especially as an après Bass Hall treat. Location and atmosphere are second to none. The SoHo inspired interior is chic and smart, though the décor probably fits Uptown Dallas better than downtown Ft Worth (Ferré’s other location is in trendy West Village). There’s also great patio seating where patrons can admire Bass Hall and observe pedestrians giving their dinner a furtive and jealous glance.
Everything on the Tuscan-style Italian menu looks good. I mean everything. See if this brief list sounds tempting: Chopped Caprese Salad, Tuna Carpaccio with truffle-soy vinaigrette, Bruschetta with fresh tomatoes, Alfredo Orechiette, Margherita pizza, Risotto, Sea Bass, Tonno y Gnochhi (Tuna steak with potato dumplings), Tiramisu, Vanilla Brulee, Sorbet, Gelato… and so on. Ferré also serves delicious Illy coffees and their signature coffee drinks are creative and tempting.
On a recent visit to Ferré my husband and I decided to split the Ravioli (green garlic ravioli with oven dried tomatoes, fresh basil, and olive oil) and Olive’s pizza (a white pizza with garlic spread, mushrooms, and olive tapenade). The food was good and certainly a huge step up from the typical American-Italian restaurant with its vats of tomato sauce and ridiculously sized portions. I suppose, though, that the spectacular-looking menu set my expectations too high. Ferré boasts of fresh pasta made in-house, but the Ravioli tasted like it had been frozen and was very over-salted. While the simplicity of the dish seemed so appealing at first, I couldn’t help but think that I could have easily made it at home. The pizza was much better. For an olive and mushroom lover, it induces cravings. Even writing about it makes me want a slice!
Despite a few minor misgivings about the food itself, I could be much more generous with my praise for Ferré if it had not been for the utterly lackluster service. It was truly disappointing. I felt as though our waiter viewed us as unwelcomed intruders upon his otherwise serene and pleasant evening. He brought the food out without a word spoken to us except for an unenthusiastic offering of pepper (which came about fifteen minutes later). It would have been a frustrating experience had we been dining at Olive Garden; at a place like Ferré it was unacceptable.
Again, I want to be fair here. The patrons at the table behind us were having a vastly different experience. We eavesdropped to learn all about the homemade foccacia bread served with olive oil and tomato puree from their friendly and competent waiter (ours had served us the same, but had quickly walked away to let us figure it out on our own). We enjoyed living vicariously through their experience, but were slightly resentful that we had to.
Would my Ravioli have tasted better if our waiter had served it enthusiastically with pepper in hand? I don’t know, but I’m starting to believe that it would. I know for certain that you would be reading a vastly different review had we been sitting one table over. For any restaurant owner who may be reading, never underestimate the influence that your wait staff has on the dining experience, maybe even the taste of the food itself. I’m certainly willing to give Ferré the benefit of the doubt and try again. It has all the elements to be more than fine, but for now I have to leave it with a review of fairly fair. $$ for pasta and pizza, $$$ for most entrees.
Everything on the Tuscan-style Italian menu looks good. I mean everything. See if this brief list sounds tempting: Chopped Caprese Salad, Tuna Carpaccio with truffle-soy vinaigrette, Bruschetta with fresh tomatoes, Alfredo Orechiette, Margherita pizza, Risotto, Sea Bass, Tonno y Gnochhi (Tuna steak with potato dumplings), Tiramisu, Vanilla Brulee, Sorbet, Gelato… and so on. Ferré also serves delicious Illy coffees and their signature coffee drinks are creative and tempting.
On a recent visit to Ferré my husband and I decided to split the Ravioli (green garlic ravioli with oven dried tomatoes, fresh basil, and olive oil) and Olive’s pizza (a white pizza with garlic spread, mushrooms, and olive tapenade). The food was good and certainly a huge step up from the typical American-Italian restaurant with its vats of tomato sauce and ridiculously sized portions. I suppose, though, that the spectacular-looking menu set my expectations too high. Ferré boasts of fresh pasta made in-house, but the Ravioli tasted like it had been frozen and was very over-salted. While the simplicity of the dish seemed so appealing at first, I couldn’t help but think that I could have easily made it at home. The pizza was much better. For an olive and mushroom lover, it induces cravings. Even writing about it makes me want a slice!
Despite a few minor misgivings about the food itself, I could be much more generous with my praise for Ferré if it had not been for the utterly lackluster service. It was truly disappointing. I felt as though our waiter viewed us as unwelcomed intruders upon his otherwise serene and pleasant evening. He brought the food out without a word spoken to us except for an unenthusiastic offering of pepper (which came about fifteen minutes later). It would have been a frustrating experience had we been dining at Olive Garden; at a place like Ferré it was unacceptable.
Again, I want to be fair here. The patrons at the table behind us were having a vastly different experience. We eavesdropped to learn all about the homemade foccacia bread served with olive oil and tomato puree from their friendly and competent waiter (ours had served us the same, but had quickly walked away to let us figure it out on our own). We enjoyed living vicariously through their experience, but were slightly resentful that we had to.
Would my Ravioli have tasted better if our waiter had served it enthusiastically with pepper in hand? I don’t know, but I’m starting to believe that it would. I know for certain that you would be reading a vastly different review had we been sitting one table over. For any restaurant owner who may be reading, never underestimate the influence that your wait staff has on the dining experience, maybe even the taste of the food itself. I’m certainly willing to give Ferré the benefit of the doubt and try again. It has all the elements to be more than fine, but for now I have to leave it with a review of fairly fair. $$ for pasta and pizza, $$$ for most entrees.
1 comment:
Good information on places to eat in Ft.Worth. Thanks!
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