After an early career steeped in experimentation, this hawthorne chef now embraces the classics

by Jessica Jones-Gorman • Photos BY Robert Nuzzie

Carlo Carbonaro literally grew up in a pizzeria; his parents owned two of them, one in Lodi, the other in Saddle Brook, so by the time he was 12, he was already versed in the art of classic Italian food. The prep, the flavors, the organized chaos of the kitchen—they were simply in his blood, so even though he pursued and earned a degree in business, he opened his first restaurant at the age of 21.

“Growing up in the kitchen inspired me,” explained Carbonaro, an Italian chef with an impossibly ironic last name. “I earned my degree in business generally, but the restaurant business is what really called to me.”

So, the self-taught chef opened Café Arugula in South Orange, where he focused on providing only the freshest ingredients, handmade pastas, and cuts of meat.

“It was essentially a trattoria; we served simple, good quality food and fresh handmade gelato,” Carbonaro said. “It was my first foray into the this kind of operation, so it was difficult at times, especially being such a young owner. I felt as though I had to prove myself to a lot of people.”

Two years into the venture, Carbonaro scored a three-star review in the New York Times.

“The restaurant’s success was really propelled by that review,” Carbonaro said.

He owned and operated Café Arugula for 16 years and had a brief three-year run with Raw, an upscale sports bar in Secaucus, where he served specialty items like designer pizza, oysters, clams, and shrimp cocktails. He opened his current venture, Bottagra, with business partner Robert Vicari in 2008.

“Rob owned an Italian deli and I was hoping to open another restaurant because we had achieved success with Café Arugula,” said the owner. “We found this space in Hawthorne, renovated it from top to bottom, and focused on creating a simple Italian menu that we knew area residents would appreciate.”

The Bottagra menu is peppered with classic dishes— Francese, Marsala, and Parmigiano dominate—but other traditional plates also play a starring role. A Sicilian Rib-Eye is served with broccoli rabe, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, rosemary, and four-cheese macaroni. Black Squid Ink Linguine, meanwhile, is topped with shrimp, crab meat, asparagus, grape tomatoes, garlic, white wine, and basil.

“We string a lot of fresh specials together daily, too, and our Sunday brunch has become a can’t-miss social event,” Carbonaro said.

And even though the proprietor’s traditional cooking is peppered by bits of trendy flair, he still defines his style as classic Italian.

“At Café Arugula, we really mixed things up…offered a sort of fusion menu,” Carbonaro said. “But at Bottagra, we keep it very classic, blending both the new and old.”

The chef says he loves working with tuna and duck particularly, because both have so much versatility. And after 20 years of cooking, he still is thrilled by his profession.

“I still love it after all of these years,” he concluded. “But in this business, with all of the hours and hard work, you have to love it or you won’t last.”

Bottagra
80 Wagaraw Road, Hawthorne
973.423.4433 / bottagra.com