Carbone’s is a stalwart of Hartford’s Little Italy and has been feeding hearty Italian food to locals for 70 years. The latest proprietor is Guy Carbone. The restaurant doesn’t look like much from the outside, especially on such a gloomy day, but it’s certainly worth a stop.
We arrived after lunch, and sat near the bar in the library-themed room, the shelves filled with books, statues and photos.
The bar and library feature signed (and some unsigned) photos of local celebrities, including plenty of 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. The dumpling-like fried ravioli were filled with chicken and 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 the flavor was good.
I finished my meal with Saltimbocco alla Romano ($16), scaloppini of veal topped with crispy prosciutto, sage, and sharp Italian cheese. The silky meat was plated with a tangy lemon-sherry sauce, a perfect scoop of polenta, and snap-fresh green beans.
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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.