Carbone's Cookbook

While Italian restaurants are popular throughout the United States, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut make up the part of the country most associated with the great ones. And one of the best is Carbone's in Hartford, Connecticut.

Founded sixty-five years ago, Carbone's is Hartford's oldest and best-reviewed restaurant. The founder, Charlie Carbone, learned some of his best recipes from New York restaurants by going into their kitchens, posing as a health inspector, and watching their chefs. In the 1960's, chef Gaetano Carbone created a weekly special and many of these recipes by "the master" are in the book. Vinnie Carbone continues the family tradition and has a unique way of catering special events.

Carbone's Cookbook not only contains the creative recipes of Executive Chef Paul Rafella and Michael McDowell, but also takes you inside a real family-owned Italian restaurant. Well into its second half-century, Carbone's is famous for its Veal All Bergamo, Roasted Mushrooms, Scampi Popalardo, Filetto do Manzo and Salmone Alla Senape.

In keeping with the tradition of celebrating the finest regional restaurants in the United States, Carbone's is the sixth restaurant in the United States to be chosen to be a Roadfood cookbook by authors Jane and Michael Stern.

Jane Stern was raised in New York City and southern Arizona, learning to love both hot pastrami sandwiches and bordertown chimichangas. She met Michael Stern when they were graduate students at Yale University, at which point the couple set out on a lifelong quest to find the best American food and to write about it.

Michael Stern was raised at a Heartland table of square meals. The Sterns ’ monthly “Roadfood” column in Gourmet magazine has earned them three James Beard Awards for journalism. They are heard weekly on Public Radio's The Splendid Table.