Ferrante's Marketplace Cafe — Restaurant in Spokane

Title: This Is Not Italian. It’s an Offense to the Family.

Let me be clear — not a single Italian was present in this establishment, and it showed. Italian cuisine is not just about food — it’s about atmosphere, respect, and soul. It’s about sitting down with a glass of deep red wine, arguing lovingly about the merits of Ligurian vs. Tuscan olive oil, and feeling like you’re part of something bigger than just a meal.

Instead, we were greeted like strangers at a bus stop — handed a menu without warmth, and told to sit outside. “Out of kindness,” they’d bring our food, as if this were a favor and not a transaction. Che vergogna. That’s not hospitality. That’s a cold plate of baloney served with a smile.

The panini? Passable, but only because we begged for marinara sauce — which was the only thing keeping it from falling apart like a Fiat on an American freeway. I’ve had better sandwiches in gas stations off the Autostrada.

And then — mamma mia — they have the audacity to request a tip. For what, exactly? That is not gratuity, that is extortion, and in my culture, that’s considered defacing the family name.

But the real slap in the face came in the form of their “fettuccine Alfredo.” A $35 take-home disaster that promised comfort and delivered betrayal. We followed their instructions. We did what they said. And yet what emerged from the oven was not a meal, but a crime scene: broken sauce, clumpy noodles, and an oily mess that could’ve lubed a Vespa chain. And no — it wasn’t olive oil. Don’t insult me.

I was raised in an Italian family. Food was sacred. And after this experience… I almost wished I’d been raised British. At least then I would’ve expected this level of culinary despair.

I won’t be back. And if you care about Italian food, neither should you. This place isn’t a ristorante. It’s a front for...

Decore is super cute inside and out. Everything is clean from the floors to the tables, and behind the counter. The little gift shop is adorable. I loved seeing what I thought was the owners, husband and wife working together. Seeing owners in their businesses is super important, and I am a huge advocate and supporter of small businesses. First time trying Gelato, and I was a huge fan.

We ordered a salad and white pizza. The Basil chicken salad and the white sauce pizza with jalapeños, pepperoncinni, and sausage. Presentation of the food for the most part is nice. We saw some calzones coming from the kitchen that were blackened burnt on top. We were a little nervous seeing the geriatric atmosphere, and then seeing the burnt bread really made us nervous. Especially paying the prices listed. We almost left before ordering our food, but we thought we would give this place a shot. Again we love locally owned small businesses.

Our salad was very good. We enjoyed the salad dressing and fresh salad leaves and tomatoes. The side bread served with it was excellent to dip in some dressing. We wondered if the dressing was home made. Our pizza was tasteless. There was no transition in flavor from the crust to the cheesy center. Before I could say a word, my spouse beat me too it. I took our pizza home, but it will most likely end up in the garbage. I noticed the cooks looked really young. I don’t know if it’s a salt issue, crust issue, or seasoning issue. But the pizza had NO flavor. It was disappointing not feeling like my dinner “hit the spot” and was worth paying $45.00 for.

I appreciated not being asked to tip while this was 100 percent a self service place to eat.

This 2 star is simply because of the food. And nothing else. The people and atmosphere is great, but the food needs tasted and revised for...

We went here myself, fiance and our daughter. Never again. They were short staffed perhaps the only day but it was our first time there. We had to wait a long g time for our drinks only to realize we needed to get them at the front desk. Also had to ask about a color mat and crayons for the younger one. We also had to get our silverware and napkins and all the stuff to eat including our plates. I understand if you want clientele to get there own stuff but this should make the food prices cheaper. Now to the food. We ordered a kids pizza. Honestly looked and tasted like a frozen pizza. Even our daughter said so and didnt want to eat it but a few bites. My fiance's dish was a ravioli dish but tasted like a dish you could get at safeway or a local store. Finally my dish. I love to cook, I know my foods and ingredients. It's nice to not have to cook sometimes as we went here for a lunch. I got the chicken alfredo calzone. Honestly it was terrible. The chicken in which I bit into it by itself was way too watery and tasteless which only meant one thing. It was canned chicken. Sorry but i can not cook with canned chicken anymore as this is why. It taste terrible. The sauce was good and the other ingredients however could not season this tasteless mess of chicken. I've used canned chicken before when i was in a scramble or desperate. But c'mon....a actual Italian restaraunt.? They can not tell me it was not canned chicken that I ate unless they want to say they boiled a chicken for a couple of hours. Even then. The texture and the way it "crumbled" told me it was canned. Too bad people dont really know what they eat nor complain. Now I know how annoying it can be to...