Chef Andrew Carmellini finally adds his name to restaurant empire

Andrew Carmellini has risen to the top of the culinary world, opening a bevy of restaurants in New York City over the past two decades. Now, his newest restaurant, Café Carmellini, is the first one that has his name on it. Jeff Glor has more.

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on the dish this morning Cafe carolini
Andrew carolini has risen to the top of
the cooking world opening a bevy of
restaurants in New York City over the
past two decades including Londa Verde
with Robert dairo but he’s never opened
a restaurant with his name on it this
one may be his crowning
achievement it’s one thing opening a
restaurant multiple restaurants that you
have it’s another opening at one with
your name it’s a big difference uh just
emotionally for myself Andrew carolini
grew up in Cleveland and wanted to be a
musician or a chef this is back when
chefs weren’t So Glamorous when they
weren’t considered celebrities I hate
that term you do uh even though you’re
one of them I don’t know there’s a bad
connotation to it I think um I’m a
working Chef I’m a restaurant tour I
think it’s waning a little bit the idea
of celebrity chefs um I I don’t think
that’s a bad thing after honing his
skills in Italy and France carolini
worked at lerk under Danielle balud then
at Cafe balud in 2009 carolini opened
Londa Verde with Robert dairo then the
Dutch Lafayette bar primi and carne Mar
now Cafe carolini which is getting out
of this world reviews why do you think
that is is it is it not just the food
the space is it the moment you know
there’s no recipe for success in the
restaurant business or as a chef I
really wish it was like making a great
song you could just go in the studio and
you work really hard on it and you make
everything super perfect and you play it
for the next hundred years and it’s the
same it’s a Broadway show it’s very
organic the the fish changes the
customer changes the weather changes and
every day is a production Cafe carolini
is glittered out in gold with soaring
ceilings and two large artificial trees
hovering over diners I feel like I
should see like women in like flapper
dresses like up over the gold bars
sipping on I don’t know Jin in a in a
coffee cup or something uh some nights
it’s like that yeah some nights it’s
like
that how would you describe the space
you’ve tried to create I would say it’s
definitely Grand it’s definitely a night
out I think it’s fun and unique so fine
dining is back that article comes out
every 5 years right uh you’re probably
right yeah it’s uh F night’s been dead
and back probably like 10 times in my
career so stop saying that in articles
and reviews it’s cyclical right for
carolini it’s less about the labels and
more about the journey that each dish is
meant to take you on like his duck duck
duck
torini so picture like I don’t know it’s
beautiful day in the Italian Countryside
it’s a little foggy out you’re having a
beautiful glass of barnello or Baro the
sun’s going down and that’s what this
dish is all about beautiful so it’s duck
on the inside of the torini glazed in a
sauce of duck made with the bones a
little sauce on top made with the liver
of the duck and then we finish this with
a cherry blossom moo Coto oh this
delicious a lot of different layers of
flavor still Savory that was just a
tease we were ready for the full dish
presentation it’s the coolest bread
sticks I’ve ever had or ever seen
immediately day one everyone’s starting
to have sword fights with these bread
service starts with handmade crini
sticks and pan Bruno I think bread is
important way to start a meal why is
bread so key for you it just sets the
tone that’s one of the best breads I’ve
ever had in my life my job is done here
oyster alapalm oysters from northern
Maine with green apple wow
this is kind of being in Normandy France
we have amazing oysters and then you
have apple orchards white asparagus was
served with a multe blood orange sauce
wild shrimp with Lardo and Caper leaves
beet ravioli came with caviar and
masarone and scallop cardo with cafir
lime curry sauce squash basmati rice
lemongrass chili and ginger how do you
figure out figure out how to put all
these together you know I think about
food a lot getting there is a little bit
the is the fun process for me fun it’s
not it’s not painful it’s fun oh it’s
like any creative process it’s a ton of
pain yeah it’s it’s a ton of self-doubt
and pain okay good it feels like every
dish you serve is a chapter in a book oh
I like that I might steal that I mean
everything is so it’s you there’s a lot
of places that you can get the same
meaning the same
like you can find a good steak at places
like I love to go great steakouse I have
a great steak house um and I think it’s
important to have a point of view
especially if you’re going to do a
restaurant like this no restaurant that
you’ve ever done represents your point
of view more than this one I would say
so yeah for desserts carolini gave us
grapefruit sorbetto with vermouth and
Fior de latte gelato topped with hard to
get wild strawberries from France
drizzled with balsamic vinegar from Mod
this is what dreams are made of the
simple
stuff
wow that is
exquisite do you want to top this place
with something else at some point or is
this I don’t think so I think uh I tend
to you know be here for a long time um
and concentrate on it okay um I guess
what I’m asking is do you have Ambitions
to do other you know open a place that’s
bigger grander no I think uh there’s a
lot to explore here and a lot to do here
so we’re just getting
started I I cannot say enough about the
food at Cafe caralina I can I just say
this bread is so worth it and the bread
and the sticks oh come on Jeffy oops hey
did you break your sword attempt to
swipe me with a and you br here it’s
broken
broken I get that oh
oh see this is the childish stuff then I
end up doing or we end up
seriously tastes so cra it really is it
is worth every bite it is um great job
thank you for oh with chicken here too
sorry what kind of chicken is it a
chicken with garlic yes a garlic chicken
try it go to Cafe caralin you can get a
reservation I’m going try it right now
Michelle’s grabbing talk to Michelle
she’ll get one for
you no the dish is sponsored by oceanana
cruises your world your way