Chef Andrew Carmellini and his partners in the NoHo Hospitality Group have opened 18 restaurants over a span of roughly three decades. It wasn’t until now that the chef chose to append his name to one of those eating establishments.
I don’t know whether modesty prevented the chef from opening a Café Carmellini sooner, but the space in which the newest restaurant makes its home is a grand one with lofty celings and much in the way of wood, mirrors, and bronze. Tables are generously spaced. The menu is a blend of new and old as evidenced in dishes such as a fall squash involtini, cannelloni of lobster and golden Osetra, Dover sole Normand, and squab en croûte.
Your beverage needs are seen to by a trio of sommeliers.
Café Carmellini, 250 Fifth Avenue (28th St.), 212) 231-9200.