Let's Eat

By SUZANNE MARINO
Staff Writer
June 04, 2008

At Fedeli’s, special recipe sauce is their bread and butter

MARGATE – Fedeli’s the Original Ferraro’s on Ventnor Avenue here is the kind of place diners can come back to again and again – and many have, some for decades. In fact, many followed the restaurant here when it moved from Atlantic City, where it was called Ferraro’s.
The 80-seat restaurant owned and operated by three generations of the Fedeli family moved to Margate in 1984 from South Missouri Avenue, where it had been a favorite of locals and a mecca for celebrities since 1935, according to chef owner Dan Fideli.
Back then it was called Ferraro’s, he said, after family on his mother’s side.
Because it was just a block from the 500 Club, some of the rising stars of the 1950s and ’60s made Ferraro’s a stop when they were in town.
“Martin and Lewis ate at our place before they were even a pair, before their careers took off,” Fedeli said.
Pictures of Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra, Mario Lanza and Bobby Rydel grace the walls in the friendly Italian eatery. Fideli said his mother, Jean Fedeli, was very involved with the restaurant back then. In 1999 she was interviewed, and Ferraro’s was featured in an Arts and Entertainment special on “The Rat Pack.”
So what’s the big attraction??
“We use the best products available, and we go with recipes that work, that are tried and true,” Dan Fideli said.
Most of those recipes are straight from his mother, who was a chef for many years.
In an Italian restaurant, a lot depends on the tomato sauce. Fedeli swears by his.
“I use only fresh-pack tomatoes from California, Stanislaus Tomatoes, and that is what makes the big difference. They cost more, but they are the best,” he said.
He said the difference between sauce made from the fresh-pack tomatoes and that made from concentrated crushed tomatoes is like the difference between fresh-squeezed orange juice and that made from frozen concentrate.
“Which one are you going to pick?” he asked. And he cooks it just till done.
“Never more than 30 minutes. Any longer, and you are going to kill the sauce.”
He said he uses only extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic and basil and an additional ingredient that will remain his secret.
What do customers order again and again?
Fedeli said his eggplant parmesan and eggplant supreme are very popular dishes, always made with fresh eggplant. Menu items made from his tender veal are also favorites, he said.
Recent specials that customers have asked to try again include a scallop dish with pignoli nuts and herbs in a balsamic vinegar reduction and a tilapia francaise – dredged in flour, egg and grated cheese, and cooked in butter and white wine.
In the summer months Fedeli said he sticks pretty much with the menu because the restaurant is so busy, but in the off months, the cooking is trattoria style – simple, peasant-style Italian.
“When you eat here it is like you are coming to my home and I am making something special just for you,” he said.
Fedeli is “The Peasant Chef” on a WIBG Ocean City talk show, where he expounds on making simple recipes with the best products
Dessert at Fedeli’s is a choice between two Italian favorites, cannoli and cheesecake, that Fedeli makes himself.

Customer Favorites:
Appetizers

Cheese and Soppressato ($11.95) Authentic imported Italian cheese and cured salami
Roasted Peppers ($7.95) Fresh peppers, roasted on the grill
Fresh Mozzarella and Tomatoes ($11.95) A taste of summer

Entrees

Eggplant Supreme ($22.95) Breaded with seasoned breadcrumbs and topped with marinara, tri-colored peppers, mozzarella cheese and baked.
Salmon Ferraro ($19.95) Broiled and topped with homemade roasted peppers and garlic.
Veal Marsala ($24.95) Tender veal dipped in flour and sautéed with sweet onions, mushrooms and Marsala wine.
All dinners are served with a choice of homemade soup or garden salad.

Desserts

Cheesecake ($5.95) Homemade ricotta cheesecake served with cherries or pineapple.
Cannoli ($4.50) Made with a rich yet light, sweet filling.



If You Go:
Fedeli’s the Original Ferraro’s Restaurant
9403 Ventnor Ave.
Margate
(609) 822-1293

Dinner only; Open 5 p.m. to 9:30 seven days a week in summer; winter hours 6 to 9 p.m. four days a week
Specials daily
BYOB
Visa, Master Card and American Express accepted