Ferraro’s Ristorante in Las Vegas is recognized worldwide for its Italian-focused wine list and award-winning Italian cuisine. The team at Ferraro’s also creates cocktails that go just as well with Chef Mimmo Ferraro’s dishes, on their own at the bar or with a cigar on the recently updated patio.
The world’s most exquisite and rare wine can look awfully similar to a selection from Casa de Sutter in photos (“no disrespect” he says in his best Sopranos tone) when poured in identical glasses. Sure, you can include the bottle to show the quality, but what makes wine spectacular doesn’t usually come through with even the best Instagram filter. Maybe someday they’ll build a “scratch-n-sniff” or a “scratch-n-taste” feature. Cocktails, though? So many different colors, liquors, garnishes and so on. It encourages the imagination to run wild. In today’s scrolling world, the right cocktail can stop you in your tracks and have you book a meal for later that night just to try what you’ve seen.
At Ferraro’s Ristorante, the cocktail list changes regularly – often with the seasons – providing fresh takes on classics and also unique concoctions. “We have always had a pretty good specialty cocktail list but we always chose to focus on other aspects,” says Executive Chef Mimmo Ferraro. “As we see the trends of the business shifting with the younger generation and social media, it’s more cocktail-driven and that’s what gains a lot of attention.” While Ferraro’s will never lose its passion for having “one of the best Italian wine selections in all of Las Vegas” according to Ferraro (and according to the numerous recognitions bestowed upon them), its cocktails are gaining new fans daily and giving non-wine drinkers a menu they can fawn over.
The Paper Plane is a 21st-century bourbon-based cocktail. At Ferraro’s Ristorante, they use Angel’s Envy bourbon, Aperol and Amaro Montenegro with fresh lemon juice. It’s spirit-forward with a touch of tartness and pairs wonderfully with fried antipasti selections or heavier dishes. Also, if you’re on the recently-remodeled patio, it goes great with one of the premium cigar selections Ferraro’s now offers guests.
The Symphony #1 is a unique, refreshing cocktail using Barr Hill Gin, Contratto aperitif, a dash of absinthe and grapefruit juice. It is garnished with a dehydrated lemon wheel. This cocktail is wonderful as a first drink before ordering wine with dinner. It also is an excellent complement to either the carpaccio di Manza or Vitello tonnato from the antipasti menu.
The Italian Daiquiri is a refreshing rum cocktail that adds Amaro del Capo, simple syrup, fruit juices and is garnished with orange zest. You can taste the familiar components of a traditional daiquiri; however, the Amaro adds complexity and a bit of darkness to the usually light cocktail. It is offset ever-so-slightly by the combination of fruit juices.
Other cocktails that are featured are a blood orange Cosmopolitan, a Meletti Amaro sour and a Mediterranean Mule that uses Figenza Fig vodka to create a floral, robust flavor. These selections may change by the time you visit, but the wonderful bar staff often has all the ingredients available to make your favorite selection from menus in the past.
Ferraro’s Ristorante is open for lunch on weekdays, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; nightly for dinner, from 5 to 10:30 p.m.; and happy hour is every day between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
For more information, visit ferraroslasvegas.com.
4480 Paradise Rd.
Las Vegas, NV 89169