The Milstein family's fortune comes in large part from banking and real estate ventures in New York City. Then in Seattle. But he ended up having to call Bouluds assistant every day before he got a spot to trail on the line. Major Food Group and its founders Mario Carbone, Rich Torrisi and Jeff Zalaznick has made a big impact in South Florida since opening Carbone in Miami Beach during the height of the pandemic,. Spaghetti and meatballs was invented here by Italians who saw their jobs eliminated as the Industrial Revolution spread down the boot, forcing them to come to America in droves until the National Origins Act of 1924 limited immigration. Then in Seattle. Its a rocket ship. Its going to be a very hedonistic experience.. After postshift drinks late one night at the Sullivan Street chef hangout Blue Ribbon, Torrisi told his bud he needed a place to crash. The whole thing bordered on a work of performance art, with Carbone as a backdrop, seen on phone screens the world over. Carbone Beach. Carbone was made for Miami, said Jeff Zalaznick, as we chat outside on the patio of the newly opened restaurant. But if you wouldve told me and Rich in our late 20s, you guys were going to be fucking big, youre going to be huge, we wouldve been like, Yeah, you bet your ass. . In 2009, then president Barack Obama caused a stir by eating at Il Mulino with former president Bill Clinton, but theres no indication Obama ever went back. Aside from their ritzy new zip code, they successfully opened their doors at the peak of New York to Miami migration. Since then, they have opened outposts of Carbone in Hong Kong and in Las Vegas. Its a reality of how the majority of palates and pocketbooks in this city roll.. By the time COVID-19 broke out in 2020, the restaurant group had already expanded its book of businesses, adding a range of playful, glamorous and extravagant eateries, including seafood bar ZZs, brunch spot Sadelles, and steakhouse Dirty French. The walls are accented with Venetian glass mirrors and artwork curated by long-time collaborator and gallerist, Vito Schnabel, who selected artists like Robert Nava, Gus Van Sant and Harmony Korine. What is the present address for Jeffrey C Zalaznick? And my grandmother was his consummate doting sous chef. He was there every night. Soon it was nine cases, then 14. I was spending so much time with restaurateurs, around restaurants, inside of restaurants, writing about restaurants, talking about restaurants, he said. At the center of it all is Mario Carbone, a perpetual kid from Queens now approaching middle age, who opened his namesake restaurant in 2013 at the age of 33. We believed it was missing from the fabric of New York., When I asked Carbone to explain the X factor that brings in boldface names more reliably than any eatery on earththis is based on inexact science, to be sure, but its believed to be true by many experts of A-lister rubberneckinghe slipped into a pose that was maybe knowingly clueless, trying not to sound disingenuous while also protecting the discretion of his clientele. We dont have to be those guys, were these guys now. I was like, I dont shine shoes no more. . Tonights a little bit abnormal, but an opening nonetheless. Since its opening, ZZ's Clam Bar has received three stars from GQ Magazine and Bloomberg. Get regular updates from NYT Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. But this very often tends to be Italian Italian food, which means the food the wealthy eat in Milan or Genoa, not Italian American food. They were drawn to the namesake restaurant opened by Rocco Stanziano in 1922, steps away from some of the first churches for Italian immigrants in the country, which served locals and the occasional Italian-descended royaltyJoe DiMaggio is said to have come along with Marilyn Monroe in the 1950s, and De Niro dropped in as late as the 2000s. Part of the appeal is that after decades of putting up with mediocre Italian food just because its still homey and comforting to tuck into a plate of sauce-and-cheese-slathered carbs, New Yorkers were ready for a concept that understood what makes those kinds of restaurants so appealing while upping the food quality. In 2010, Jeff met his match in visionary chefs Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi at Torrisi Italian Specialties. Someones got to do it. They had some funds from their families and a few investors, they just needed a place, preferably somewhere downtown. Read the latest edition of the Commercial Observer online! Torrisi and Carbone were intrigued. Follow NYT Food on Twitter and NYT Cooking on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest. It started as an ordinary work trip. Out comes the lobster fra diavolo but also that famous veal Parm, cut tableside. In addition, Jeff and his partners believe strongly in giving back, and have pioneered an exciting charity partnership with the Robin Hood Foundation. Everything else is an interpretation through the Major Food Group lens. We knew we could tell the Carbone story the way we wanted to tell it in that space, Zalaznick said. These are not my people. So I walk up to him. Ray said that, to his knowledge, no one had seriously tried to elevate this cuisine to the peaks of gastronomy and hospitality until restaurants like Carbone did. Rosen knew there would be backlash about telling the masters of the universe their $49 single crab cake would be made by guys in their 30s that food blog commentators loved to call douchebags. So we would watch all things Bobby Flay and just talk about shit, Carbone says. The Zalaznicks declared the home their domicile in October, marking their official relocation from New York. By 2010, the 27-year-old Zalaznick had had enough of being on the sidelines. And he was going to preempt it. Jeffrey Zalaznick is 39. So we drove three hours, the younger man says, stuttering a bit, clearly nervous. A Carbone in the Mansard Riyadh, a Radisson-backed hotel in the capital of Saudi Arabia, will open later this year. And then we came out with $50 veal Parms and tuxedos and they were like, Wait a minute. Expansion of a global nature has, unsurprisingly, been an entire chapter of the Carbone playbook almost since day one. It was devouring Italy. I dont want to see what theyve done.. Youre not supposed to be doing that., Other attempts to take New Yorks Italian cuisine nationwide include Il Mulino, a go-to West Village upscale spot that was sold to investors in 2001 and expanded rapidly; its parent company declared bankruptcy for seven locations in 2020 amid the pandemic. Its a simple ribbed white tank for guys that has been called a wife-pleaser.. For Rich, its the lobster ravioli and octopus, for Mario its the Veal Milanese (which is not on the menu, but theyll make it for anyone who asks), and for Jeff, its the beef carpaccio and Lobster Fra Diavolo. Did this sort of thing happen all the time? Would you mind signing it?. The couple sold the property to Major Food Group co-founder and co-owner Jeffrey Zalaznick and his wife, Alison, who were renting the mansion prior to closing on it in mid-April, records show. Zalaznick knew his market. No idea what came next. I said, You know, my dream would be to do a building.. I owned the building, I loved the building, I didnt care for that attitude, he said. But entering real estate now is a natural extension of his vision of hospitality, not the other way around, he said. Jeremiah Moss, the proprietor of an online historical concern called Jeremiahs Vanishing New York, accused places like Carbone of turning the Big Apple into an Epcot Center Jurassic Park of a city. Eater did a one-paragraph post about Mosss rant. Legendary in the family for her cooking, the Brooklyn-born Cameron, serves as inspiration for the eaterys menu. He was born and raised in New York City and is a graduate of Cornell University. Youre there for a play; youre part of an act. He knew the food, and he loved the food, but he was there to make money.. Mr. Zalaznick joined them later. Alongside glossy write-ups in the Times and New York, though, there were early press pieces bemoaning Carbones maximalist approach as pastiche. Then there was the little issue of the cost. Jeff Zalaznick is a restaurateur and entrepreneur. Major Food Group is changing the Miami restaurant game and fast. We saw this jewel box restaurant turn into an overnight success, Kulp said. And hes sitting next to Jay-Z. The restaurateurs have another new place in the works, a version of ZZs Clam Bar, the tiny spot in Greenwich Village, which is to open in Miamis Design District. Major Food Groups Miami adventure is just getting started. I was the gofer. The outdoor patio feels more laidback, with rattan ceiling fans, eclectic furniture and lush greenery as a nod to Havana, bringing a distinct Miami flair to theCarbone experience. Shortly thereafter, a family feud ended in a split between the real estate and finance sides of the business. Estimated Net Worth: $770,000 Estimated Salary: $254,660. The roommates decided to join forces. After hearing the Torrisi buzz, Zalaznick went back for a second meal, then went out for a drink with Carbone, and they instantly connected over their shared philosophy on food and a vision for a possible future restaurant. The establishment opened its doors in March 2013 to much acclaim per. However, they dont blink at forking over $50 for an 8-ounce filet of beef. Major Food Group did just that at the Seagram Building, mixing an obsession with the past and a flamboyant twist on the future in their take on the space, which was divided into The Grill and The Pool Lounge. These are for yousticks just to commemorate, and they should be right up your alley because I kind of know your profile, the man says. (It already seems like its impossible to get a table at Carbone. Carbones gone-Hollywood version of cooking linguine with clams arrived right as Instagram began to take off. And were all listening to Frank. You may opt-out by. We handled the food and beverage, but we also did all the concepting around the hotel itself, Zalaznick said. The brick-and-mortar Carbone down the beach was booked from opening until closing. Torrisi and Carbone knew the guy, they had grappa after tasting-menu meals at the restaurant sometimes, so it wasnt all that strange. July 22, 2022. The star-studded Carbone Beach is returning for the 2023 Miami Grand Prix. In 2011, MFG opened Parm, a casual dining experience that celebrates classic Italian-American food. It was in California, New York, France. Art dealer Vito Schnabel curated the work in the space, commissioning a series of paintings by the critic and poet turned artists artist Rene Ricard. The idea to do what Carbone is, thats more acutely Marios particular dream as a young chef, says Torrisi, whose name graced their first restaurant, Torrisi Italian Specialties. I said, Not only is this gonna be Carbone, I know how were gonna get this open in the fastest time anyones ever opened a restaurant.. and Alex Von Bidder, the Four Seasons was a bastion of power in New York, where the whos who of media, finance and politics mingled, and regular guests could count on being courted. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers.