Ferrrari’s has a circular bar area just to the right as you enter.  To the right of that is an area that looks like it is reserved for larger dining parties, just the way you would imagine large Italian families eating dinner.

We were sat to the left in the main dining area at a table in the middle of the floor.  Everything about the restaurant is done in a classy way, yet not in a snooty fashion.  Ferrari’s manages to be very elegantly comfortable which is a hard dynamic to maintain, but they do it very well.

The music and lighting were just right.  This restaurant is one where you get the right vibe just by being there.

When we were seated we were brought two glasses of water and some garlic bread with a marinara sauce.  We could have just eaten the garlic bread and been satisfied because it was so good.  It had a little bit of a spicy kick that we’ve never had before.

Before dinner, we enjoyed a Ceasar salad which was light and fresh.  It was perfectly done.

For dinner we ordered the Salmone Bella Donna (salmon, shrimp, vodka cream) and Pollo Valdostana (sautéed chicken breast, ham, mozzarella, mushroom cream) to go along with a half bottle of wine.  Both meals came with creamy mashed potatoes and spinach. 

Both meals were excellent.  It would be very difficult to choose which was the  better choice.  We believe the sauce on both dinners were extremely good and helped make the meals.

After dinner, we ordered a slice of cheesecake.  We were stuffed at this point so this was probably a mistake.  This was the only part of the meal that was a bit of a let down.  It is possible that we were let down because we were full, but the cheesecake did not seem to have the light fluffy flavorful taste that we expect.  It also did not have a crust on bottom which sometimes is the best part.

The service all night was very good.  We could tell the waiter was very busy as it was a Friday night and you would expect this.  He did manage to bring us an extra glass of wine because he thought dinner took too long to get to the table.  We did not think it took particularly long, but certainly did not turn down the extra glass.

We look forward to visiting Ferrari’s again and trying more of the traditional pasta dishes next time.  We had a wonderful experience on our first visit.

Pricing here is above average at roughly $18-$25 per plate, but the food and the experience are worth it.

Located at:

1200 William D Tate Ave
Grapevine, TX 76051
(817) 251-2525

Ferrari’s Italian Villa website

Anyone that lives and drives here knows what a nightmare this interchange can be especially during rush hour. Construction could start sometime in 2010 and be completed in 2014. We are looking forward to 4 or 5 great years of construction in this area.

Fort Worth Star-Telegram: After decades of talk, state officials are close to breaking ground on a $1 billion Grapevine freeway makeover.

On Tuesday, the Texas Department of Transportation executed a comprehensive development agreement with NorthGate Constructors J.V., a team of private developers led by Kiewit Texas Construction L.P. of Fort Worth.

By inking the agreement, state officials are on course to begin the reconstruction of Texas 114, Texas 121 and five other highways sometime next year — possibly early in the year. The work, which includes the addition of toll express lanes, is expected to take four years.

Link to Full Article

“A loss is always tough and a win is always precious,” Witten said because of all the work that they put in. He also went on to say that he trusts the coaching staff in crucial situations.

When questioned about why he was held back to block on the last play of the game, Witten replied that he does his job no matter what play is called.

Love and War in Texas was crowded with Jason Witten fans and autograph seekers. Witten was very well spoken and could easily be in the broadcast booth someday.

Hall’s Pumpkin Farm is open now through October 31st providing fun for kids of all ages. In addition to the hayrides and corn maze there is face painting, mini tractor rides, and a mini hay maze for the really little ones. There are also hundreds and hundreds of pumpkins set up for viewing, picture taking, and purchasing.

Hall’s farm has been around for 80 years and is one of the last working farms in the area. The pumpkin patch is a great way to get out and be on the farm and pick out a pumpkin to take home.

General admission is free, but the corn maze costs five dollars and the hayrides are two dollars. We believe that most all of the pumpkins are for sale. This is really a fun way for kids and parents to get out and enjoy October here in Grapevine.

We hope to see you there!

Hall’s Pumpkin Farm hours are:

Monday thru Thursday 3pm-8pm
Friday 3pm-10pm
Saturday 10am-10pm
Sunday 1pm-8pm

The address is 3420 Hall Johnson Road, Grapevine, Texas.

And they have a really cool website for any other information you need.

Pumpkin Patch

This will hopefully bring more top names in Texas country music to the Grapevine location. Love and War in Texas Plano has for years brought in bigger names to its location because it already has an outdoor stage. It regularly hosts “Shiner Sunday’s” where well known country music acts play on Sunday on the outdoor stage.

I wonder how long it will take to add the outdoor stage. The sooner they build it the better in my opinion.

Bartley’s has a special each day of the week and Tuesday’s was any sandwich and two vegetables for $5.99. This seemed reasonable enough so I ordered a sliced beef brisket sandwich and the spicy ranch style beans and potato salad. One of the first things I noticed about the meal was the sauce, which comes on the side, and was excellent. The brisket was also just as tender and flavorful as you would want. You could cut through the brisket very easily with just a fork. The spicy ranch style beans were as good as any as I’ve ever had. The potato salad was also good, but not in the class of “best ever.”

While I didn’t order the sausage, I really wanted to because it just looked so tempting. I definitely will be back to just sample the sausage and get some more of what I would consider excellent brisket. The vibe in Bartley’s is good if you are looking for an old-fashioned barbeque place. The people there seemed nice in a down home sort of way. It is the kind of establishment I like. It has the kind of feel you would expect from a place in or around downtown Grapevine.