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Andrea Ferrero's True Taste of Italy - Where the Locals Eat: Café Torino

Serving the community authentic northern Italian dishes for nine years, Andrea and Amber Ferrero at Café Torino set up a family style restaurant that actively engages each customer in Torino energy.  Rarely can you find a restaurant that encourages an open atmosphere and sharing conversations among separate tables.  “We introduce people to other people,” laughed Amber.  This encouragement helps make relationships among customers, creating a Torino Family.

The Ferreros Originally from Torino, Italy, Andrea studied at culinary school to be a chef; with a change of mind after graduating, he pursued training as a pastry chef. Coming to the U.S. in 1991, Andrea began working in Warrenton as the pastry chef for Fantastico’s Restaurant, where he met his wife, Amber.  The two brought Café Torino to our community in June of 2001.  Located in the front corner of the Waterloo Shopping Center near Carousel Ice Cream, they provide an eclectic menu featuring hot dishes, sandwiches, pasta, salads and specials to satisfy any taste.

“We enjoying being innovative in the kitchen,” Amber explained, often collaborating with her husband.

Café Torino is open for breakfast, serving (in our opinion) the best scrambled eggs in town.  With only one breakfast dish, scrambled eggs, bacon, and fresh bread this simple dish will surely not disappoint. Fresh croissants, aromatic coffee and espresso are also available.

A hot spot for lunch, grab a seat and dine in or choose to carry out. Lunch provides a variety of filling items, their most popular are Penne with Chicken and Asparagus and the Bolognese Sauce, made from fillet trimmings.  They serve sandwiches, salads and hot dishes including fish.  Sweets like raspberry or chocolate mousse, traditional cannolis, tiramisu, fruit tarts, and cookies are tantalizingly set on display and are the perfect complement to any lunch.

“We serve dinner in a casual atmosphere, but we like to dress up the plates,” Andrea said.

White tablecloths, table service, candle light and flavorful dinner entrees transform this café into a dinner destination.  Open for dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, offering quite a different menu that features fresh salmon, tilapia, steak and recently added flounder.  Updating the menu with seven newly created entrees, all items are served fresh from that morning, including basil, sage and rosemary  grown from their garden.

“Cooking is like reading music; if you know the notes you can make your own symphony,” Andrea explained.

Warrenton has thoroughly enjoyed the “symphony” from Andrea and Amber Ferrero for almost a decade.  Reservations for dinner are suggested but certainly not required.  They also cater private parties Italian style and create classic wedding cakes.

This article copyright 2010 Warrenton Lifestyle Magazine; reprinted with permission.