This Washington Italian Market Is A Paradise Of Fresh Pasta, Imported Goods, And Ready-To-Eat Favorites
My relationship with grocery shopping is usually pretty transactional: get in, grab the snacks, get out. But that all changed the afternoon I wandered into a certain magical Washington Italian market.
Instead of fluorescent lights and existential dread, I was greeted by towering displays of imported treats, shelves of gorgeous cheeses, and fresh pasta that looked like a Renaissance painting. Even better?
They have a counter of ready-to-eat favorites that completely rescued me from my complete lack of dinner plans. It’s the kind of place where you go in for a loaf of bread and leave with an entire trunk full of Italian delicacies and zero regrets.
Grab your reusable bags, my friends, because you are definitely going to want to taste everything this spot has to offer.
Fresh Pasta Made Daily, Rolled With Real Care
Dough gets mixed and rolled at Ferrante’s Marketplace Café on the daily, and honestly you can taste the difference the moment your fork lands. Fresh pasta has a softer bite, a little chew, and it soaks up sauce instead of just sitting under it.
Pappardelle with slow-cooked ragu is the one I keep thinking about weeks later. Wide ribbons, deep flavor, zero regrets. Linguini fans get plenty of love too, and the ravioli parcels are plump enough to make you slow down and pay attention.
Gnocchi shows up light rather than heavy, which is trickier than it sounds. Orecchiette and fettuccine round out the lineup, each built from recipes handed down through the family rather than pulled off a chart.
Nana’s meatballs deserve their own paragraph, and now they have one. Tender, seasoned right, and generous in size.
My tip: ask what pasta came off the roller that morning. The answer usually points you toward the best plate on the menu.
Five-Layer Lasagna Worth Planning Your Week Around
Five layers. Not three, not four, five. That stacked slice of baked lasagna at Ferrante’s Marketplace Café on Spokane’s South Hill has earned a following that borders on obsession, and after one visit I understood why.
Each layer holds its shape when the fork goes in, so you get sauce, cheese, and pasta in every bite rather than a puddle. The edges pick up those slightly crisp bits that everyone secretly fights over.
I brought my sister along on a rainy Tuesday, mostly because she claimed nobody makes lasagna like our grandmother did. She got quiet after the second bite, which in our family counts as a standing ovation.
Portions run generous, so a takeout box is a realistic outcome. Reheated the next day, it somehow tastes even better.
If you are ordering for a group, this is the crowd-pleaser that ends the debate before it starts.
Shelves Stacked With Imported Italian Treasures
Half market, half museum of delicious things, the shop side is where browsing turns into buying. Bottles of Italian olive oil line the shelves, alongside specialty labels like DiLallo and DiBruno Bros that are tough to track down elsewhere in town.
Cheeses here go well beyond the basics, with world-class wedges that make a simple snack board look fancy. Jars, tins, and pantry staples fill in the gaps, so a quick stop can turn into a full restock.
What I appreciate most is the curation. Nothing feels random. Every shelf seems chosen by someone who actually cooks and actually cares.
Prices stay reasonable for imported goods, which surprised me. I walked out with olive oil and a small block of cheese, then used both that same night on pasta I had absolutely no business improvising.
Give yourself ten extra minutes to wander before you sit down. The shopping is part of the experience.
Hand-Tossed Pizzas With A Northwest Twist
Pizza dough gets tossed by hand, and the crust shows it with a chewy edge and thin center. Classic Margherita keeps things simple: bright tomato, milky cheese, fresh basil.
Then there is the Cougar Gold pizza, a nod to Washington’s famous canned cheese, and it is the kind of local touch that makes a menu feel rooted in place. Sharp, nutty, and unlike anything you will find on a national chain menu.
Slices come out hot enough that patience becomes a virtue you may not possess. I did not. Worth it anyway.
Sizes work well for splitting, especially if you also want pasta on the table. Two people, one pizza, one pasta, and everybody leaves happy.
Order the Cougar Gold if you want a conversation starter. Order the Margherita if you want proof that the basics are done right. Getting both is a perfectly reasonable life choice.
Panini Pressed To Golden Perfection
Sandwiches can be boring. These are not. The Mela panini piles turkey with cranberry sauce, crisp green apple, and fontina, then presses it until the cheese surrenders.
Sweet, savory, tangy, melty, all in one handheld package. It tastes like the best parts of a holiday dinner without any of the family drama.
For a bolder route, the Italian sausage and pepper panini brings heat and richness in equal measure. Peppers stay soft, sausage stays juicy, bread stays sturdy.
Confession time: I ordered the Mela expecting a light lunch and ended up needing a walk around the neighborhood afterward. No complaints, just poor planning on my part.
Pair one with a fresh salad and you have a lunch that feels balanced without feeling like a compromise. The house-made dressings help enormously.
Panini also travel well, so grabbing one to eat at a park nearby is a solid move on a nice Spokane afternoon.
Calzones Big Enough To Share (Or Not)
Enormous is the honest word for these calzones. Golden, puffed, and bursting at the seams with filling, they arrive looking like a dare.
The dough bakes up crisp outside and tender inside, which keeps everything from turning soggy. Marinara on the side is there for dunking, and yes, you should dunk.
Splitting one between two people is very doable. Splitting one between four people is also mathematically defensible.
I once ordered a calzone for myself, ate half, and carried the other half home like treasure. It reheated beautifully in the oven the next morning, and breakfast calzone is now a tradition I refuse to explain to anyone.
If you are feeding a family and want maximum food for reasonable money, put a calzone on the order sheet. It anchors the table.
Just save room, because there is gelato coming later and you will want it.
Spokane’s Largest Gelato Bar Is Right There Waiting
Rows of gelato glisten behind the glass, and the flavor list rotates often enough that repeat visits stay interesting. Pistachio, Spumoni, Tahitian Vanilla, Dark Chocolate Chunk, Toasted Coconut Almond Fudge: the lineup reads like a wish list.
Made with real fruit and honest ingredients, the texture lands dense and silky rather than airy. That is the gelato difference, and it is very noticeable.
Samples are part of the ritual, and choosing takes longer than ordering dinner did. Fair warning.
My personal record is three flavors in one visit, and I stand by every scoop. The Toasted Coconut Almond Fudge nearly made me forget I had already eaten pasta.
Pints are available for the freezer at home, which is either a wonderful convenience or a serious threat to your willpower.
Bring kids and watch faces light up at the case. Bring adults and watch the exact same thing happen.
Grab-N-Go Meals That Rescue Busy Nights
Weeknight dinner emergencies have an answer here. The grab-n-go case holds take-and-bake lasagna, pre-packed family meals, and gelato pints, all ready to carry out the door.
Everything comes with clear instructions, so the oven does the work while you take credit. Guests never need to know.
I keep a take-and-bake lasagna in my freezer for the nights when cooking sounds impossible. It has saved me during a move, a snowstorm, and one very unexpected dinner guest.
Family meal packs are especially handy for busy stretches with sports practices and late meetings. Real food, minimal effort, no drive-through guilt.
The prices work out better than you might expect for this quality, particularly compared to sitting down somewhere else. Portions feed actual humans, not tiny sample sizes.
Call ahead if you want something specific set aside. Popular items move quickly, especially near the weekend, and showing up early is smart strategy.
Gifts, Candles, And Local Finds Beside The Pantry
Not everything on the shelves is edible, and that is part of the charm. A gift section mixes local artisan goods with home accessories, jewelry, and greeting cards.
Dandles Candles from local makers sit alongside small treasures that solve last-minute present problems. I have absolutely bought a birthday gift and dinner in the same trip.
Everything feels handpicked rather than bulk-ordered, which makes browsing genuinely fun. You spot things you did not know you wanted.
My favorite move is assembling a gift basket on the spot: olive oil, a wedge of cheese, a candle, done. It looks thoughtful because it actually is.
Holiday season here is a particular delight, with the displays getting extra festive and the shop buzzing with people picking up both dinner and presents.
Even if you only came for lunch, take a lap around. Something small usually follows you to the register.
A Neighborhood Gathering Spot That Feels Like Home
Walk in and the room does something rare: it relaxes you. Wooden tables, market shelves within arm’s reach, and soft lighting create a space that feels lived-in rather than designed.
Regulars greet each other across tables. Kids color while parents chat. Nobody rushes you out.
Family-owned since 2004, the place carries a sense of continuity that chains simply cannot fake. You feel the years in the best possible way.
The service style stays warm and unhurried, with real recommendations rather than a script. Ask a question and you get an honest answer.
On my first visit I came for a quick bite and stayed nearly two hours, half of it spent wandering the market and chatting. That kind of visit does not happen by accident.
South Hill locals treat it as a living room extension, and visitors quickly understand why. Casual, comfortable, and genuinely welcoming, it is the sort of neighborhood anchor every city deserves.