"Carbone's - Doing it right since 1938"
- Joan Gordon for The Norwich Bulletin
It was Restaurant Week in the greater Hartford area. Researching the various menus on the Web, we zeroed in on Carbone’s, at least in part because they offered six different entrée choices as part of the specials. The restaurant has been operating in Hartford since 1938, with the Carbone family still minding the store. There are several large dining rooms, including some used mostly for private parties. Smaller eating areas are off the main dining room, including a “library” to the right of the entry and the bar. Lighting is moderate. Tables are draped in ricotta white linen with Chianti-colored toppers. Walls are painted a rich coffee color. Autographed photos of celebrities are everywhere. A colorful, contemporary mural in the main dining room sits like a frieze along the top of the walls. The whole place is well designed, spacious and inviting. We were seated in the wood trimmed library, next to the shelves holding books about wines, photographs of Hartford and celebrities — and a little dust. Our waiter, Grimoz, “call me G,” was fantastic. Service was timely but never rushed, allowing conversation to flow gently between courses. Cupcake and I ordered the Restaurant Week special, three courses for $20.09, while Michael and Shirley, Mrs. Cake, hit the mother lode with a seven-course tasting menu at the bargain price of $35. Sharing was mandatory.
Breads were all house made and wonderful. Rolls were crispy and oversized. Breadsticks, my favorite, came coated in Parmesan granules with a touch of anise. Olive oil accented with sundried tomatoes was both fruity and pungent. An antipasto held thick slices of sharp Parmesan and creamy mozzarella cheeses, superb Genoa salami and an eggplant relish/ ratatouille. Calamari rings and sliced cherry peppers, both lightly crumb battered, were paired with a bright, flavorful marinara sauce. Caesar salad was made tableside, but Carbone’s departed from tradition by using a raw egg instead of a coddled one. If you are averse to this, consider yourself warned; I’m sure it can be eliminated. We were just fine with it, and the salad was very good. Other salads were all on point: mozzarella, tomato and radicchio, and arugula drizzled with a light red wine vinaigrette. The risotto was one of the best I’ve ever had, anywhere. Every grain was infused with rich stock, and the whole dish was topped with a huge, grilled shrimp.
The kitchen, under the tutelage of Chef Paul Rafala, turns out classics packed with bold, assertive flavors. An elegant lemon and white wine sauce over veal sparkled with capers; baby spinach and roasted red peppers produced “yums.” Another veal entrée, pounded and breaded, was enriched with a nicely balanced Marsala sauce and loads of fresh mushrooms surrounding a rich, soft polenta. Michael’s fork tender steak was bathed in a Marsala wine and mushroom stock — basically, a rich Sorrentino sauce. There are variations of this sauce, but this version was a favorite I had used over and over again at home (getting the recipe from Carbone’s Cookbook by Jane and Michael Stern). Over the years, the restaurant has developed several signature dishes. One, beef tips in Gorgonzola sauce, was so over the top delicious that all of us decided it would be our first choice on our next visit. The sauce itself was creamy and divine, truly fit for a special occasion.
Desserts were excellent. Deep purple, fresh berries were transformed into a refreshing gelato. Ricotta was whipped with orange zest and topped with fresh fruit. Carbone’s takes license with the traditional tubular, stuffed cannoli. Theirs is a crunchy, house-made cannoli wafer, highlighted by a ricotta filling replete with toasted hazelnuts and chopped, candied almonds.
In nutshell: Classic Italian food, beautiful setting and great service. Outstanding risotto, calamari, steaks, veal, etc. Beef tips in Gorgonzola are a must. Finish with gelato or an unusual flat cannoli.
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