Dirty French – the restaurant in The Ludlow Hotel that’s definitely a favorite of ours here at TNP, is from two of our favorite New York restaurateurs – Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi. With the holidays coming up, we sat down with the two for easy Italian recipes, New York must-visit restaurants and what’s on their Netflix right now…
From start to finish, what would be your ideal food day?
Rich Torrisi: Homemade kale and beet juice in the morning, then dim sum with lots of dumplings and high-end sushi for dinner.
Mario Carbone: Oatmeal in the morning – keep it healthy – then the rest of my ideal day would be spent with Rich doing those things.
What made you decide to open your first non-Italian concept, Dirty French?
RT: I have a French background and we wanted to mix it up and do something different.
What were your favorite childhood recipes?
RT: Chicken Francese
MC: My Mom’s meatballs
A trend in food/restaurants you’re loving, and a trend in food/restaurants you’re hating…
Both: We’re not into overwritten, confusing menus. We’re loving chefs who are cooking the food of their actual heritage.
Restaurants in NYC you love besides your own…
MC: Cafe Mogador, Marea, The Spotted Pig
How does NYC inspire what you do?
Both: It’s the heartbeat of our company.
What ingredient is overrated? Which makes everything better?
MC: Overrated: Fiddlehead ferns. Makes everything better: Calabrian chili oil.
RT: Overrated: Summer truffles. Makes everything better: Chives.
What’s on your playlist right now?
RT: David Bowie, Prince, and Billy Idol.
MC: Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Sam Cooke, and Shangri-La’s.
What’s on your Netflix right now?
MC: House of Cards
RT: Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey
A go-to easy Italian recipe in three steps…
Spaghetti Carbonara:
1. Cook the spaghetti.
2. Render bacon.
3. Toss together with black pepper, 1 egg, scallions and grated parmesan cheese.
A menu item favorite from each of your restaurants…
MC:
Carbone: Scampi alla Scampi
Parm: Eggplant Parm Platter with salad
Torrisi: Rich won’t let me answer that one.
ZZ’s: Beef Carpaccio
Dirty French: Lamb Boulangere
RT:
Carbone: Angel Hair AOP
Parm: Fried Calamari
Torrisi: Grilled Arancini
ZZ’s: Clam Ceviche
Dirty French: Duck a L’Orange
Would you ever consider competitive food TV? Why or why not?
MC: No; we don’t compete with food.
RT: It’s a company rule.
What food shows do you love and which do you hate?
MC: I love the original Mario Batali show, with the pull-down map. And I think all food TV is good for the industry.
RT: I love everything Bourdain and anything schticky.
Favorite places to travel for food and why…
MC: Hong Kong (because China Tang is there), Mexico City and Tuscany.
RT: France, Japan and Italy. For me, these are all places where food is one of the most important and revered aspects of the nation’s culture.
A chef you haven’t collaborated with yet that you’d like to…
MC: Victor Arguinzoniz
RT: Marco Pierre White
In the same vein as ‘what is the new black’ in fashion, what’s ‘the new potato’ in the food world?
Both: Fine Dining that is actually fun.
*Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi, photographed at Dirty French in New York, NY by Danielle Kosann.
