Farina means flour in Italian, and from the get-go, the restaurant, located in North Raleigh’s Lafayette Village, shows it knows its identity: a cozy neighborhood joint for comforting Italian American fare. The menu features wood-fired pizza and pastas — bolognese, carbonara, baked rigatoni, and yes, a version of Sunday Gravy — all staples of Italian American cuisine, including, as well, iconic dishes like chicken and eggplant parmesan, chicken marsala, and shrimp scampi.
Farina covers all the classics, but it doesn’t stop there, adding in seasonal specials, which can stray into new fusion territories, like a “French Dip” sandwich made from short rib that feels like it comes straight from some heavenly Nonna’s pot roast. Served with au jus, the sandwich proved so popular that Ian Moore, Farina’s co-owner and operating partner, added it to the main menu.
The eggplant parmesan retains its crispiness despite the addition of fresh mozzarella and marinara.
“I make it and print it out here, so whenever I want to make a change, it’s easy,” he says. “It allows flexibility, and like the menu, this place is very homemade — it’s far from perfect, and that’s what gives it character.”
The specials, like the rest of the menu, rely largely on local purveyors. Ian visits Raleigh’s State Farmers Market twice a week for fresh produce and also has a host of vendors who secure locally sourced ingredients. “When people go to Italy, they think the food is so good. The produce is why — the dishes are all basic, they’re just using stuff that’s in season,” says Ian, who credits Ronnie Moore’s Farm in Meadow for Farina’s fresh tomatoes.
It’s not just the tomatoes that are first-rate: Lacking the physical space for bread-making, Farina’s bread all comes from Oxford’s Strong Arm Baking Company; the coffee and espresso come from Black & White Coffee in Wake Forest; and the shrimp in the scampi arrives fresh from the NC coast courtesy of Locals Seafood.
The quality of ingredients certainly shows in the final dishes, especially when prepared by deft hands of Farina’s two chefs — brothers Martin and Manuel Bermudez — who work alongside Ian on menu development.
Don’t let the friendly vibe fool you: These dishes are well executed with thoughtful details that make a big difference. The antipasti are for sharing — with wood-fired wings, grandma’s meatballs, even mussels. For me, the goat cheese stuffed peppers in a balsamic reduction stands out, the unexpected addition of golden raisins among the pine nuts and capers highlighting the sweetness of both peppers and basil. It’s a nice opening act along with an arugula salad that changes with the seasons. Adding shrimp, which are well seasoned, gives the salad even more textural contrasts and flavors and also transforms it into a proper lunch.
As far as entrees go, the eggplant parmesan is a dark horse — I’ve had too many oily, soggy, and bland parms in my lifetime to approach the dish with anything but caution. But at Farina, the paper-thin slices of eggplant remain crisp despite the mozzarella and marinara atop.
The goat cheese stuffed peppers make a bright and bold antipasti option.
How is such a feat of sorcery (should we call it saucery?) even possible? Ian reveals the secret: beef tallow, which explains both the crispy, golden-brown texture and the flavor boost. “So it’s not vegetarian,” he offers apologetically, “but my sister’s a vegetarian and she eats it.”
Pescatarians can delight in the delicate seared salmon, served atop a sweet pea lemon risotto that I truly could not get enough of. Neither, it seems, can Ian, who confesses that he often scrapes off the bottom of the risotto pans for a snack. Similar to the eggplant parm, the shrimp scampi exceeded my expectations — it is light and lemony rather than the usual garlic-forward version, and this change allows the sweetness of the fresh shrimp to dominate. For those looking for a crème sauce, the Tuscan chicken pasta offers a flavor-packed one of sundried tomatoes, combined with blackened chicken for even more punch.
The wood-fired pizza topped with fresh stracciatella cheese is fantastic, and while there are other possibilities on the menu, I can’t imagine not ordering tiramisu for dessert. These feel like the type of things that go without saying — and by the time one arrives at dessert, you may feel significantly at home enough to offer the folks at the table next to you a forkful of whatever dessert you choose.
You certainly don’t have to, but it is a possibility — that’s how comfortable and full of good cheer the food and the atmosphere of Farina feel. This sentiment, I imagine, is only stronger during the monthly jazz night, when Ian invites a three-piece jazz band of students from Enloe to provide live music. Along with great food, Farina also features a full bar and a broad selection of Italian wines, so sip along to some smooth music.
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