By Leigh Flynn Doty, Rapides Parish Journal
Owning and operating a restaurant in central Louisiana takes just the right ingredients, and Tony Ferati knows the recipe by heart.
Ferati, who opened Verona Italian Restaurant in 2010, says the only way to cook is “with heart.” Ferati, who 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.
“We serve my mamma’s dishes,” he said. “Nothing we serve is anything my mamma did not cook.”
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.
He has local customers who visit every week, while some people from out of town come for dinner every time they are in the area.
And for those who are new to the restaurant, he said that often changes. “People who have never been here, once they taste our food, they will come back!”
“We offer them something different,” he said. “We make sure we are giving them good food, and we work hard to give them a great experience.”
With nearly 150 restaurants in the area, Ferati knows how important it is to strive for excellence. “We have to work hard to survive.”
Ferati said every dish is prepared fresh. “Nothing is pre-cooked,” he said. “You order it, we make it.”
Patrons who are not accustomed to true Italian cuisine sometimes question how dishes are prepared, but Ferati said they ultimately need to trust the authenticity of the recipe and the abilities of the chef. “You cannot judge a dish by looking at it, you have to taste it.”
He said he advises his staff to treat every aspect of their job as if they were doing it for themselves. “When I cook, I cook for myself. I cook the way I know it should be. I cook with heart.”
Ferati also is meticulous about the cleanliness of the restaurant, possibly due to his military training which originally brought him to the United States. There is no door to the kitchen in the restaurant, allowing anyone to see into the spotless kitchen at any given time.
Prior to moving to Louisiana, Ferati lived in New York, where residents take their Italian restaurants very seriously. Ferati said the move to Louisiana was a “big change,” but he learned, though, that Louisiana residents also feel the same way about their food.
“I love it here,” he said. “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.”
Ferati said there is more to the restaurant than the food. He wants everyone who walks through the door to feel welcome, to feel comfortable, and to feel appreciated. “I love to greet people. I love to visit with them, and nobody leaves here without a ‘thank you,’ or a ‘good night,’ or maybe a hug.”
As for the future of Verona, Ferati said he plans to keep it going as long as he is able. “As long as my feet and my eyes work,” he said, “I will be here.”
You can find Verona Italian Restaurant at 3805 Halsey Street in Alexandria. They are open for lunch from 11 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., and for dinner from 4:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. They are closed on Mondays and for a period of time in the summer.