An ode to the red sauce relics of the past exists at Carbone. The glitzy Godfather-like hangout remains hot a decade plus after its doors swung open, likely due to its darling status with the A-list crowd. (The Kardashians and Rihanna alike have been known to get cozy in its many dark banquettes.) Red curtains tied in perfect bows still shroud the dining room in some level of secrecy, but by now, it is hard to keep things hush-hush as Carbone's hype is tied to its array of fancy Italian food, paired with even fancier prices.
The vibe: When Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone took over the historic red-sauce joint Rocco's, the idea was to bring the space back to life while preserving its history. The moody, blue dining room, with its black-and-white tiled floors, nods to an era bygone with vintage photography and fire-burning candelabras, while old-school crooners such as Aaron Neville and Bobby Darin float through its halls. Burgundy suit jacketed servers still make a show of it all, whisking anchovies and freshly grated cheeses for tableside salads and hauling a gargantuan-sized dessert display to each table post-entrees, a cheeky way to get you to tack on something sweet. It all reads like a better red sauced joint, only snappier. The only thing missing is those telltale red-and-white checkered cloths.
The food: To this day, Carbone is a hefty spend even with oversized portions. Slightly helping with the sticker shock is the selection of freebies that arrive at the table. Hard-broiled, crispy-edged hunks of garlic bread come to the table, donned in red checkered napkins, as do plates of salami curled into cones and warm bowls of mozzarella cut at the table for the show of it all. Sadly, if you are dining for one, that may be the only show you get as choosing the Caesar alla ZZ during lunchtime shows up sans the ritz. Despite that, the Caesar still shines with a crown of shaved Parmesan and thumb-sized breadcrumbs that are likely from the leftover garlic bread. Full strips of anchovies that seemingly swam through an ocean of lemon crowns the whole thing.
Yet perhaps the most iconic dish goes to the Spicy Rigatoni Vodka. A long-time fixture of any Italian restaurant, Carbone doesn't do anything particularly revolutionary with this dish. But perhaps that is the point, as the creamy and orange-tinged sauce is as velvety as they come, making it quite easy to slam by the forktul. If anything, it was a bit underhanded in the spice category, but I figured it would likely please any West Village girly who "doesn't do spice." Could you easily remake this at home without spending $30? Yes. But is it also the dish to split with a friend and yap? Also, we admit, yes. A good marriage to make it a meal would be an order of the meatballs, as three slightly dense balls come to the table, burbling in a nicely sweetened tomato sauce.
Will the food here change your life for the better? No. But will you leave feeling incredibly taken care of and incredibly full of carbs? All signs point to yes.
The drinks: Just before you brush past the velvet curtain to get to even more booths in the back, you'll come across the curve of the hand-carved walnut bar. The bar sticks to classic cocktail route with solid Negronis, Vespers and the likes, all priced at $24. Naturally, Italian wines and French Champagnes get their play here as well.
Time Out tip: A quick glance over on Resy shows a sea of red as tables are snapped up with efficiency here. Still one of New York's most desirable restaurants, Carbone's reservations open 30 days in advance at 10am sharp. I admit, I was able to snag a lunchtime reservation with surprising ease by setting up Resy Notify and waiting for the eventuality that someone would drop. But if you'd rather a scene-y spot with chances of a celebrity sighting, then yes, set your calendars and godspeed for a late-night table.