Pepe Nero In Migliarino

07/05/2026: As a couple touring Emelia Romagna guided by the recommendations in New Yorker Fred Plotkin’s fantastic gourmet food guide to Italy (latest edition now 12 years old), this was a disappointing experience after eating in Firenze, Siena, and Bologna. In terms of service, this restaurant lacks the warmth and personality we’ve come to expect. The ladies serving were cordial but stiff and were not helpful paring wines with the Ferrarese multi-course dishes we ordered. We chose a red wine, Vigna del Pruno 2021, from the Ravenna region that was quite good after airing in a carafe. The cured meat appetizers were the highlight of the meal including the mild, spreadable cheese and pickled onions. The onions were a wonderful palette cleanser between meats. The next dish came in two parts. First the Cappellacci di Zucca all’ Antico Ragù surprised us as the butternut squash grown in the Ferrara region is the Violina, a sweet variety. We are learning that dishes like this which contrasts the sweet with the savory is a local tradition going back to Renaissance times. For us it is a taste needing to be acquired as we think the savory pork based ragu and pasta competes with the sweet squash filling. Also on this plate was Pasticcio all’ uso di Ferrara in crosta di Pasta frolla. Again, this is a sweet/savory combination that we’ll need to learn to appreciate. It’s a slightly sweet pastry shell filled with a good mix of pasta, ragu, nutmeg, and cheese. To our taste it would have been better served sans sugar. We were prepared to enjoy the next dish of a special salami which is highly spiced, savory, and rich in aromas as part of the Salama da Sugo con Puré di patate. We could not finish it as the sausage was over-the-top salty. No other spicy flavor was discernible as a result and the mashed potatoes soaking in the broth of the sausage was sweetened. Once more, unnecessarily to our tastes. We would have enjoyed the desserts had the salt from the previous dish not wiped out our taste buds. We can’t penalize this restaurant too much as we think the Ferrara style of contrasting the sweet with savory is not to our liking. But the unpalatable, overly salty salami was unacceptable and the service uninspiring.

04/05/2026: Excellent dinner in an elegant setting. Prompt and attentive service, very good food. We enjoyed the macaroni pie and the veal cheek. The traditional pinzini appetizer was exceptional. Highly recommended.