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Ferraro’s ‘faboo’

Four Seasons Resort Maui’s oceanfront and al fresco bar e ristorante unparalleled

Carrot Gazpacho • The Maui News / CARLA TRACY photo

Ferraro’s Bar e Ristorante is simply “faboo,” or “fabulous.” I say, run, don’t walk to this award-winning Italian restaurant perched on an oceanfront bluff above Wailea Beach.

Every single bite on a recent visit was off the charts in taste, presentation, texture and aroma — and although I dined there a few weeks ago — I can’t quit raving about it to every food lover out there.

In fact, the majority of the dishes that we savored were from the wellness menu and vegan or vegetarian. If I had the expertise or if someone could prepare dishes such as these for me, I would quit eating meat for the rest of my life.

We were particularly fond of the carrot gazpacho with macadamia-nut “ricotta” and sourdough bread; and the asparagus and mushroom risotto with scent of lemon and  one-year-aged Carnaroli rice.

But Ferraro’s caters to all Italian tastes and desires from fresh Hawaiian snapper alla ghiotta to pappardelle with braised lamb shank ragu.

Caprese salad with Haiku vine-ripened tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella • The Maui News / CARLA TRACY photo

Credit goes to the resort’s Executive Sous Chef Marco Calenzo, who pulses with the  art of cuisine in his blood.

Raised in Florence, an Italian city with a rich cultural and artistic heritage, Calenzo found expression as a young man with his spaghetti with tomato and basil and perfectly prepared rabbit risotto that he made for his Tuscan family’s dinner table.

“My father is from Puglia and my mother is from near Napoli,” he says with a warm and soft-spoken Italian accent.

An ex-sailor, his dad taught him all about the bounty of the sea, how to catch fish and squid, how to tell the various nuances of meat, and soon he decided to become a chef of a high caliber.

“I set my sights on excellence,” explains Calenzo. “Knowing that I wanted to do things well.”

Seared Snake River Farm wagyu flat-iron steak • The Maui News / CARLA TRACY photo

And well, he did. Calenzo has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants in Rome and London, and honed his culinary craft under world-famous masters at famous restaurants from Beijing to Tokyo.

But let’s get to the meat, er, vegetables of the matter. We were presented with a bread at the get-go that jumped off the plate with its  incredible flavor. I am not making this up when I say that I never in my life tasted a bread so tempting.

“Schiacciata is my favorite bread, my grandmother Assunta was a farmer (she is still alive) and she was doing amazing bread that still today I dream about,” he enthuses. “I love the idea to take her recipes on for the next generation.

“I think the secret of a good bread is to  proof it for long time at room temperature. It  is important to never force this process. Two days is the time I need to prep it. The bread is not on the menu, but is something that we give to some lucky guests . . .by word of mouth.”

Our server, Brendan O’Leary, told us that  Calenzo prepared this bread along with 14 other courses in the hiring process for Four Seasons Resort Maui management to test sample, and it was in large part what landed  him the job.

Warm beetroot antipasti salad • The Maui News / CARLA TRACY photo

As for his wellness menu, Calenzo says, “Wellness is a lifestyle. Yes, our wellness menu is vegan and vegetarian. We do offer a large range of gluten-free options and we do take seriously all kind of allergies. The goal is that a guest with any kind of intolerance or allergies will be never uncomfortable in front our menus.”

The top-selling appetizer, or antipasti, on the wellness menu is warm beetroot salad with walnut and miso paste and Sparrow Lane raspberry gastrique with beetroot chips and sorrell leaf.

The most sought-after entree, or primi, is the asparagus and mushroom risotto that I am still craving for more.

“It’s beautiful, the idea to have a risotto without butter and parmesan cheese,” he says. “But still have something really nice to eat and enjoy.”

Yes, it was so nice to enjoy it and not even miss the dairy at all.

Four Seasons Pastry Chef Bruce Trouyet with a light and refreshing lime granite with fresh raspberries, coconut and vanilla emulsion. The Maui News / CARLA TRACY photo

Most of the pastas are made in house.

“We do use a Trafila machine directly imported from Italy to make our spaghetti, pappardelle, conchiglie and other pastas. Our pastas are made with semolina flour and water (no eggs, no wine, no oil, no sea salt) like in the south of Italy. Pasta like we do is healthier, lighter and also easier to digest. My origins are from the south of Italy and I believe there is where you can have the most tasty and healthy pasta (in Italy),” Calenzo exults.

We also were thrilled with the thinly sliced and poached octopus appetizer with parsley potato, celery heart, arugula and sweet lemon.

Aquerello risotto with Hawaiian ahi; and  Hawaiian snapper with Castelvetrano green olives, potato, capers and tomato coulis are also flying out the door.

“I personally prefer seafood and lighter dishes, with higher acidity and the food must be fresh,” adds the chef, who loves Hawaii and says it reminds him of Italy, the way things are organized here.

As for desserts, French-born Pastry Chef Bruce Trouyet most recently arrived from Four Seasons Bora Bora and strutted his stuff at Taste of Chocolate in June. Rumor had it that he locked himself into the resort’s chocolate room for hours.

But he also excels with Maui pineapple tartlet, lime granite and tiramisu moderno of Kona coffee cream, whipped mascarpone mousse and Amaretto gelee. His desserts will be featured at Noble Chef benefit on Saturday at Fairmont Kea Lani (see story – Noble Chef on Page 19).

Before or after, I say “run, don’t walk” to Ferraro’s Bar e Ristorante.

 

* Restaurant at a glance:

• What: Award-winning Ferraro’s Bar e Ristorante.

• Where: Located oceanfront and poolside at the Four Seasons Resort Maui in Wailea with stellar  sunset views from its perch above Wailea Beach of Kahoolawe and  Lanai Neighbor Islands.

• Hours: Open daily for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; light lunch from 4 to 5:30 p.m.; dinner  from 5:30 to 9 p.m.

Wine promo: 8 Until Late flows nightly from 8 p.m. to closing with half off fine bottles from Moet et Chandon Dom Perignon to Gaia Contesia Barolo to Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva.

• Sommelier: Charles Seibert will assist with his expertise.

• Chefs: Marco Calenzo is the restaurant chef as well executive sous chef for the resort; and Bruce Trouyet is pastry chef.

• How much: Lunch as well as dinner antipasti items range from $12 to $38; dinner entrees range from $26 to $49.

• For reservations: Call Four Seasons at 874-8000.

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