Between slices of bread crumb-dusted square pizza and plates of saucy meatballs with ricotta, you might notice that Flemington’s best new pizzeria stands out from the rest. Ferrari Pizza & Italian Kitchen serves everything you’d expect from a New Jersey pizzeria plus some Sicilian staples from the old world for good measure.
It’s a classic NJ story. A family with generations of pizzeria experience putting forth a menu that maps it out like a storybook. The culinary mastermind here is Chef Joe, whose big personality complements the big flavors you’ll see throughout the menu. Whether he’s stretching pizzas or urging you to try his newest creation, you’ll soon discover why Ferrari is so damn good. It’s a culmination of his experiences—a distinguished career in culinary arts and a love for his Sicilian roots.
That’s why, at Ferrari, you’ll find authentic bites alongside Americanized Italian treats. It’s indicative of the journey—from ancestral beginnings in Sicily to modern-day takes on pizza, pasta and more. Ferrari Pizza & Italian Kitchen has carved out its story in Flemington, and you’d be remiss to pass it by.
The first thing I noticed upon walking into Ferrari was the slice case. Like a moth to a flame, I can never get over the beauty of a New Jersey slice shop with a packed display. And Ferrari’s case is loaded: plain pie, pan pizzas, chicken francaise slices, pepperoni, garlic knots, buffalo chicken and so on.
As I scanned the case, my eyes stopped when I saw the sfincione. One of my favorites, this Sicilian-style pizza boasts an airy square crust, bright plum tomato sauce, a light amount of cheese and the most crucial element of all—the toasted breadcrumbs scattered over the top.
The result is a pizza that’s vibrant with a hint of an intoxicating toasty aroma. There’s also a pleasant textural contrast—the breadcrumbs offer a slight crunch on top that’s absent in other styles. It creates layers of both flavor and texture, offering something a bit more alluring than your average square slice. Sfincione isn’t easy to find, so I was delighted to discover it at Ferrari.
I also tried a round slice topped with sausage, pepperoni cups and Mike’s Hot Honey. I sometimes find myself tired of the hot honey craze, but Ferrari’s slice was excellent, and the addition of sliced sausage set this one apart from versions I’ve had elsewhere.
One of my favorite details at Ferrari is the house-baked semolina bread, which you’ll find with dinners and sandwiches. I enjoyed both a chicken parm and a meatball parm—each one stuffed with zesty tomato sauce and melty mozzarella cheese. To my surprise, I preferred the meatball parm, which is almost never my go-to option.
I liked the meatballs so much that I ordered an extra dish just to savor a few more bites. Covered in tomato sauce and dollops of ricotta, they tasted like my grandfather’s—if you’re a fellow Jersey Italian, then you know how high that praise is.
Chef Joe then came over with another treat—fried cauliflower. With flavorful breading, a tender interior and a healthy dusting of grated Parmigiano, these make a great appetizer. Plus, they’re vegetarian.
Check out the rest of the menu and you’ll see a similar theme. Battered and fried calamari, baked clams, veal piccata and chicken Florentine are just some of the Italian and Italian-American dishes you’ll find at Ferrari.
Right as I was about to leave—and too stuffed to think about more food—Chef Joe grabbed me by the arm and said, “I’ve got one more thing.” Two minutes later he slid a mountain of fried zeppole in front of me. The smell instantly brought me back to the carnival as a kid. Powdered sugar cascaded over the golden morsels of fried dough—one of my all-time favorite desserts for its simplicity. Good fried dough with tons of developed yeasty flavor. It doesn’t get more comforting than that.
Ferrari Pizza & Italian Kitchen may be new to Flemington, but it already feels like it’s been there forever. With its mix of old-world Sicilian roots and Jersey-style Italian classics, it’s a welcome addition to the local dining scene and one worth going out of your way for.
Peter Candia is the Food + Drink Editor at New Jersey Digest. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Peter found a passion for writing midway through school and never looked back. He is a former line cook, server and bartender at top-rated restaurants in the tri-state area. In addition to food, Peter enjoys politics, music, sports and anything New Jersey.
