There seems to be an endless appetite for Major Food Group in Miami. Just try getting a table at Carbone, Contessa, or any of the seven other restaurants established by the hospitality industry behemoth in recent years. Now, there’s another to add to the list: Carbone Vino in Coconut Grove. In the tree-lined, upscale Miami neighborhood, the restaurant puts a cozy twist on Carbone, the celebrity-packed, Instagram-beloved outfit that made the group a household name.
"We’re creating something truly special for Coconut Grove: a restaurant that delivers the quintessential Carbone experience while sharing new, exciting ideas that draw on years of refinement and a deep passion for giving diners unparalleled versions of what they know and love” says Mario Carbone, who founded Major Food Group alongside fellow chef Rich Torrisi and entrepreneur Jeff Zalaznick.
Carbone Vino, which opens Dec. 20, takes cues from the wine-sipping culture of Italy, itself housing a collection of more than 3,000 bottles curated by MFG’s award-winning wine team, as well as rarely available wines by the glass. It is set to be one of the largest collections in Miami.
The menu, meanwhile, fuses comfort and style. Antipasti include Zuppa di Mussels with lamb sausage, tomato, and basil and Chef Carbone’s spin on shrimp toast (bruschetta with ruby red shrimp, Calabrian chili, and sesame). Pastas range from Pumpkin Agnolotti to Spaghettini Bambini, a high-end twist on the classic buttered noodles Italian children grow up eating. (Also available: Carbone’s famous spicy rigatoni and veal parmesan.) The star of the dessert menu is the Cannoli Sundae, featuring homemade cannoli-flavored soft serve with all the classic garnishes like candied fruit and fresh-fried cannoli-shell shards.
The art dealer Vito Schnabel, who developed the art program at Carbone, has returned to help select the art for Carbone Vino. On the walls are paintings by art-world mavericks Rene Ricard, Lola Montes, and Francesco Clemente. Designed by Bishop Design, the dining spaces feature warm lighting, velvet drapes, and gold-accented wallpaper. “We wanted to transport people on the journey through design, both physically and subliminally,” remarks Paul Bishop, founder of Bishop Design. “It’s a place where everyone can experience the escapism of everyday life in Miami.”
The launch of Carbone Vino, just blocks from the water on Biscayne Bay, adds another point in favor of Miami’s growing reputation as a fine dining mecca. And it shows that Major Food Group can curate an intimate neighborhood vibe as well as it does flashy destination dining. "It’s a thrill to unveil a new restaurant that will share all the iconic dishes, along with a collection of new signatures that will become tomorrow’s classics and one of the finest wine programs in the country," said Carbone. "We look forward to introducing everyone in Coconut Grove and beyond to their new favorite restaurant."
