A brief history of Carbone’s Ristorante.

One family, three generations, seventy years. That, for the Carbone family, is the mathematics of success.

Back in 1938, Charlie and Anthony Carbone went into the restaurant business. But their first venture had nothing to do with Italian cuisine. It was called Southern Plantation and it specialized not in Fettuccini Alfredo or even spaghetti and meatballs, but in Southern-fried “chicken in the rough.”

In 1961, with “the kids”, Gaetano and Carl Carbone home from school (their degrees were in culinary arts and restaurant management), Southern Plantation was renamed Carbone’s Ristorante and the chicken in the rough was replaced by a litany of wonderful Italian specialties.

Soon, Carbone’s became known as the premier gourmet Italian restaurant in Connecticut — famous for its fabulous menu, its tableside preparations and its excellent blend of relaxation and elegance.

Today, with Vincent Carbone at the helm, the third generation is in charge and the restaurant continues the tradition of greatness — the best menu matched by the best service — into the 21st century.