Verona Italian Restaurant, Alexandria, Louisiana

Описание: Verona Italian Restaurant

Verona Italian Restaurant, 3805 Halsey Street, Alexandria, Louisiana

According to an informative piece by Leigh Flynn Doty in the Rapides Parish Journal, Tony Ferati opened Verona Italian Restaurant in 2010. Ferati – who cooks with heart – “was born and raised in Calabria, Sicily, learned to cook from his mamma, and those are the recipes he uses in his restaurant to this day.” Calabria, Italy's southern "toe," is a rugged region of mountains, coastlines, and citrus groves, with a peasant-rooted cuisine known for its bold, spicy flavors especially from the ubiquitous chili pepper (pepperoncino), and reliance on local produce such as eggplant, sweet Tropea onions, fresh seafood, and pork, highlighted by iconic ingredients like fiery 'nduja sausage and fileja pasta. Fileja pasta has a curious twisted, elongated tube shape, traditionally hand-rolled from simple flour and water dough (no eggs), allowing it to perfectly trap rich Calabrian sauces like spicy 'nduja or meat ragù, offering a chewy texture distinct from mass-produced pastas like fusilli or penne.

“Verona is a unique restaurant, tucked away on a side street off MacArthur Drive. But that does not stop patrons from frequently visiting. In fact, Ferati said the majority of his patrons are regular, recurring patrons. With nearly 150 restaurants in the area, Ferati knows how important it is to strive for excellence. ‘We have to work hard to survive,” quotes Doty. Apparently, Ferati lived in New York where residents take their Italian restaurants, and food in general, very seriously, before settling in the boot state. “I love it here,” Ferati told the journalist. “The people are so nice and friendly, and they love good food! This is my home. It’s nice to visit Sicily, but this is my home.”

Sicily has long been favorite of filmmakers and is, indeed, a favorite holiday destination for some of our best buds, who rave about the food, landscape, and people. Famous films set in or shot in Sicily include The Godfather (1972), directed by Francis Ford Coppola and based on the novel by Mario Puzo, Malèna (2000), directed by Giuseppe Tornatore and set in 1940s Sicily, and Cinema Paradiso (1988), which tells the story of a young boy’s love for cinema in a small Sicilian town. Other iconic films set in Sicily include The Leopard (1963), directed by Luchino Visconti and based on the novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, and Il Postino (1994), a tender coming-of-age story set against the stunning backdrop of the Aeolian Islands. These films and many others have helped to showcase the beauty and diversity of Sicily as Verona Italian Restaurant provides a taste of that fabulous cuisine for local eaters. Verona Italian Restaurant, 3805 Halsey Street, Alexandria, Louisiana.

DOCTOR LEISURE: Brooms & Hammers, LLC. 107 South Drive, #126, Natchitoches, Louisiana, 71457 Jon Griffin “Dr. Leisure” Donlon enjoys and/or has studied leisure in many of its varied forms, but especially the more controversial sorts. He is a practicing artist working in drawing, painting, and photography, a published writer, and life-long boulevardier. Although he and his partner travel widely, currently they call the American Gulf Coast area home. A website for Doctor Leisure prints and related products is in development.

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