Carbone’s is a stalwart of Hartford’s Little Italy and has been feeding hearty Italian food to locals since 1938. Guy Carbone is the latest proprietor. The restaurant doesn’t look like much from the outside, especially on such a gloomy day, but the food’s certainly worth a stop.
We arrived after lunch, and sat near the bar in the library-themed room, shelves filled with books, statues and photos.
The bar and library feature photos (some signed) of local celebrities, including leading sports figures. The wall next to our table sported photos from former Knicks coach Pat Riley, former St. John’s basketball coach Lou Carnasecca, former Villanova basketball coach Rollie Massamino, and former Eagles coach Buddy Ryan, who was infamous for putting out bounties on opposing players.
We started with Calamari Fritto ($9), fluffy squid rings tossed with spicy red and green Italian cherry peppers, served with a dish of zesty marinara sauce for dipping.
Pollo Ravioli Fritta ($9) offered an unusual ravioli preparation. Dumpling-like fried ravioli contained chicken and came drizzled with Dijon mustard. The plate featured honey sweet chili sauce. The spicy-sweet contrast worked well.
This was the unusual Grilled Margarita pizza a la Kevin ($10). The crispy thin-crust pie was topped with fresh tomato slices, fresh mozzarella and basil pesto. The crust was a little too dry, but flavor was good.
I finished my meal with Saltimbocco alla Romano ($16), veal scaloppini topped with crispy prosciutto, sage, and sharp Italian cheese. Silky meat hosted tangy lemon-sherry sauce, a perfect polenta scoop, and snap-fresh green beans.
Blog Comments
Alfred Hammer
March 21, 2009 at 4:52 PM
This is one of the most pleasant restaurants anywhere. The service is excellent and the food is very well prepared.
The staff is congenial and most accommodating.