New York City is a place known for notoriously difficult reservations. Mario Carbone's original, iconic, eponymous Italian American restaurant Carbone is one of the hardest to get. There are threads and articles online devoted to this topic, with titles like "[t]he hardest reservations to get in NYC right now", "is there ANYWAY to get into Carbone" and "is Carbone just outright rejecting normal people?".
Many eventually get a taste of Carbone at one of its other locations, such as Miami, Las Vegas, or overseas. We've dined many times at the Carbone in Hong Kong, and we've always enjoyed it. Although it's reasonably bookable, you still have to book at least a week in advance, especially for prime weekend spots.
But we've always been mildly curious what it would be like to go to the ORIGINAL location in New York. We think the one in Hong Kong is actually already quite good. Yet we also knew the crazy hype surrounding the NYC location. Would it be different? Better? Would it feel exclusive? Why is it so hard to book?
We finally found out during our most recent trip to New York City this past spring! It certainly wasn't easy to get the reservation. In fact, we had to go through the Hong Kong Carbone - who connected us with the New York City Carbone - to finally get a booking. It was certainly a huge favor, and we're quite thankful to Carbone HK (where we are kinda regulars) for helping us in this way.
The Vibe
First, the space at this original Carbone is quite special. There's a long history behind the space, where originally Rocco Restaurant stood for many years. The inside has a 1950's vibe, with dark wood paneling, lots of velvet, and waitstaff wearing bowties.
The original New York location is a smaller, tighter space. The alleys are narrow, and there isn't much space between tables. You almost feel like you're in a cave!
Bread, Soprasetta, and Cheese!
The meal started out very similar to what we see in Hong Kong, a delicious overflowing breadbasket full of three types of bread: garlic, seeded, and a tomato foccacia. There's pickled caulifower and soprasetta.
To us, the quality was pretty comparable to Hong Kong, and not noticeably different.
But the cheese . . .
On interesting difference was the cheese! In Hong Kong there is a dramatic presentation where the server wheels out a whole cheese wheel (on a cart) and scoops out pieces of Italian grana padano for each diner. It's a dramatic presentation, and everyone always loves it.
Perhaps due to space constraints in the New York City location, the server just brought over a much smaller cheese round (no cart), and scooped out some cheese for each of us. The cheese was still delicious, but it was different!
Another fun fact. In Hong Kong we had Italian grana padano cheese. In New York, the cheese is actually from the US! It's made by an Italian immigrant who moved to Wisconsin! He took old world techniques and made an American versions of Parmesan, which they call "American Grana."
Appetizers
We also tried an eggplant & zuchini scapece ($32), a dish that we'd never seen in Hong Kong. The bright tart vinegar and fresh vegetables added a nice contrast to the thinly sliced roasted vegetables underneath. I especially liked the touch of chili.
Pasta
The pricy Lobster Ravioli ($56 for 5 pieces!) was nicely al dente, with a thick chewy, jet black squid ink pasta exterior. The ravioli was cheesy on the inside, and served alongside generous chunks of lobster meat in a creamy sauce.
But you MUST order a side of meatballs to go with this dish. The combination of the rigatoni with the meatballs is divine, and the sum is truly greater than the parts.
Main Dishes (Good to Share!)
The Veal Parmesan ($96) is shaped like a pizza (except with a "crust" of pounded flat veal!). We often like to order this dish in Hong Kong. The New York version was just as good. This dish is great for sharing.
We also had the Dover Piccata (MP), seared in butter and topped with large amounts of cappers and tomatoes. It was quite good, though perhaps it did not stand out as much as other dishes.
The Pork Chop & Peppers ($52) was also solid. They use high quality pork, and the dish is just quite satisfying to eat.
Sides
We ordered several sides that we'd never tried in Hong Kong before.
Artichoke Hearts ($19)
The presentation of Squash Agrodolce was kind of fun. The server first brought out the whole (peeled) squash with the separate flavoring ingredients for us to see. Then, he split the squash into quarters and slathered the "agrodolce" (sweet and sour) sauce on top.
In fact, we were so stuffed at that point (we packed quite a bit of leftovers!) that we just didn't have room for dessert. Yes, we had to say no to dessert.
General Thoughts - Carbone New York City
It was a bit surreal to finally be able to visit a place that is so notoriously hard to book. Yet, at the same time, it felt so normal and so familiar. I think I have to say kudos to the Hong Kong team, who have really captured the feeling and quality of the original New York location. The food is tasty, and service was good, and the whole vibe of the place is pretty special. You do feel like you are being transported by into the 1950's, and it's fun for fans of the movie The Godfather (it's one of Bryan's favorite movies!).
It's still pretty impossible to book the Carbone in New York. If you're willing to travel, at least the Hong Kong location is much easier to book, and I think the overall experience is similar. Sure, the New York location is a bit cozier, tighter quarters, darker spaces . . . but I still think the Hong Kong location captures the overall feel pretty authentically.
Must order dishes: Spicy Rigatoni Vodka with a side of Meatballs, Caesar Salad, and maybe the Veal Parmesan. I personally really loved the angel hair pasta as well.
Carbone New York
181 Thompson Street
New York, NY 10012
Related Posts
Carbone Hong Kong: It's amazing how impeccably Carbone Hong Kong execute the "red velvet and leather" old-world Italian-American aesthetic, everything from the spicy rigatoni to the massive veal parmesan.
Torrisi Italian Specialties: Before Carbone became the global sensation it is today, chefs Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi were making waves in NYC at Torrisi Italian Specialties. This post from 2012 (!) covers a visit from back when the duo was serving highly creative, affordable tasting menus out of a tiny New York storefront.
Contessa Ristorante – Great Italian in Boston Opened by the same team behind Carbone, Contessa is has distinct "Carbone vibes", but is a bit lighter, brighter, and Northern-Italian leaning.
