Carbone will finally open its doors to Dallas and Texans to bring a grander and more sophisticated over the top dining that is inspired from the Italian-American dining from 1958 according to a Dallas Morning News article from March 30. They say,
“The most anticipated restaurant this year — maybe in the past several years — officially opens Thursday, March 31, 2022. And sitting in a coveted seat at this Italian restaurant will surely feel like a show.
“The idea is that it’s all done in sort of an exaggerated manner, so you can’t help but notice it,” Carbone says about the style of service. “It’s all a bit over the top.”
Carbone was created to preserve the idea of the Italian-American restaurant precisely from the year 1958.
“This is a functioning museum,” Carbone says, gesturing to the restaurant around him.
“The whole experience is not to create something new. It’s to preserve something old.”
To make the experience more wonderful, Major Food Group went lengths to create an Italian theme that pulls out an atmosphere that is similar to those in Northern Italy according to a Papercity Magazine article from April 7. In it they say,
“Both spaces were designed by Major Food Group go-to Ken Fulk. “Ken visits a space and has an idea immediately,” Carbone says. “We start over in each new city. We want each location to be its own thing.”
For Vino, the team drew inspiration from favorite Northern Italy restaurants and hotels. There is a strong regal feel. Elaborate chandeliers, pharmacy cabinets, and gold-rimmed mirrors make up the decor. Chef Carbone’s favorite design elements include oil paintings dating back to the late 1800s on the walls of Vino, and at Carbone, black-and-white photographs taken by William Klein in Rome in the late 1950s.
Modeled after the grand wine drinking restaurants of Italy, the space is lavish to meet the level of wine that is being offered.”
But the experience is not enough with just the atmosphere and the designs and so, they will be bringing Italian specialties to Dallas according to a Dallas Eater article from April 8 which reports,
“Menu-wise, Vino is “very much a child of Carbone,” serving the top three most popular Carbone dishes: the Caesar a la ZZ, spicy rigatoni vodka, and veal parm. Otherwise, the Vino menu is completely unique, with much more flexibility than the more assertive menu next door. Guests of Vino can look forward to seasonal menu changes, raviolis and pizzas of the day, and other specials. According to Carbone, “This style of dining, it’s moving. It’s not stagnant.”
The Vino menu features antipasti, which range from $18 for whipped ricotta with grilled bread, to $32 for spicy Manhattan clams. Salads, pizza and unique shareable platters AKA “Misti, Mista, Misto” in varieties of salumi, vegetables and seafood crudos range from $22 to $36. As far as main dishes, highlights include that famous rigatoni; a 12-oz., thin-sliced Ribeye Tagliata with balsamic, parmesan and artichoke; and a rosemary-garlic Bisteca Fiorentina, also known as a a 48-oz. porterhouse or “the official steak of Florence.”
A whole steamed lobster “Mulberry Style” is topped with Chinese-spiced Italian sausage, paying homage to New York’s famous Mulberry Street, which bridges Manhattan’s Little Italy and Chinatown.
And for dessert? “We do a lot of gelato here,” Carbone explains. “The one I’d like everyone to have is a vanilla bean sundae.” As theatrical as one might expect at a Major Food Group concept, the dessert starts with an intimidating portion of vanilla soft serve, with crushed almonds and Italian maraschino cherries in syrup served on top, delivered via trolley.
While the Carbone is highly sophisticated with its Italian features, it shares a similar name to another restaurant in Dallas called Carbone’s. The latter is owned by Julian Barsotti and has no direct relation or affiliation with Chef and owner Mario Carbone.
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