For months, I had been speaking to Carbone in an effort to understand how his name had become shorthand for a very specific kind of luxe dining in the last decadehow he and his cofounders built and are now expanding a supper club that has so consistently lured not just the likes of LeBron and Jeter, Spike and Drake, Jared and Ivanka, but all the various moguls and machers and hypebeasts and influencers in their various wakes. In fact, shovels were already in the ground in Brickell, ready to go, until the space that once housed Stephen Starrs Upland became available. We look to craft a story, and its a 100-year-old Italian American sign, a perfect location in the other Little Italy of Manhattan.. That was our space. Celebrities are just fucking people toothey might not be normal people, but they are people like anyone else, he says. The sushi bar will be presided over by chefs Masa Ito and Kevin Kim, who earned a cult-following and a Michelin star at New Yorks Sushi Zo. And Jeff Zalaznick, whod worked a bit in the industry, was looking for something new. They agonized over every dish, Rosen said. What is the present address for Jeffrey C Zalaznick? Mario, that was only his second restaurant at the time. Jay-Z and Beyonc came in early and often, as did other celebrities. You may opt-out by. Our plan as Major Food Group is to not only expand geographically as a restaurant group, but to expand into other verticals, like hotels and real estate, where we thought that not only was there a huge opportunity for our style of hospitality, but also where we thought our restaurants would play a huge role in the value of those properties, Zalaznick said. Carbone was born to Italian Americans in a residential part of Queens, and his grandparents, who came over from Italy as adults, were always around, always cooking. The Major Food Group team scored prime real estate in the exclusive South of Fifth neighborhood on 49 Collins Avenue a stone's throw away from Miami mainstays, Joe's Stone Crab and Prime 112,. It should be us. The restaurant takes its culinary cues from the timeless dishes and preparations of the classic French bistro and enlivens them utilizing modern techniques and bold flavors. MFG has since opened outposts of Parm on the Upper West Side, in Battery Park and inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. In 2009, then president Barack Obama caused a stir by eating at Il Mulino with former president Bill Clinton, but theres no indication Obama ever went back. The chef happened to be Alex Lee. Instead, after dominating Miami and expanding to Dallas in the last year, Major Food Group 's Mario Carbone, Rich Torrisi and Jeff Zalaznick are working on their first New York City private club . In a way, with the condo project, Zalaznick has come full circle, returning to the family business. Throughout the trip, murmurs of a contagious virus spreading in China began to percolate. Like its original location up north, the Miami outpost has become a see-and-be-seen locale for power players and glitterati, and landing a reservation in the wake of its opening has become the ultimate status symbol. It sold for $15 million. One particular Rocco item might be the key to inner Mario, an item thats retrograde but forward-thinking, smile inducing, and thoroughly meta-Italian. Who are the residents at 1155 Park Avenue New York, in addition to Jeffrey C Zalaznick? So they started looking around. All rights reserved 2023 The Real Deal is a registered Trademark of Korangy Publishing Inc. Watch: Developer Patrick Carroll "spits" on restaurant manager, L&L, Mitsubishi default on Plaza District office tower, Hall of Famer Mike Piazza lists Miami Beach estate for $18.5M, Major Food Group expands to South Florida, New York restaurateurs decamp to South Florida. And its all thanks to this man. He was born and raised in New York City and is a graduate of Cornell University. Another Caf Boulud employee was Torrisi, whom Carbone had met back at CIA, on the first day of orientation. At one point during our series of conversations, I ask Carbone if such extravagance and global influence seemed remotely attainable back when he and cofounder Rich Torrisi decided to open their first Italian joint 13 years ago. You were taking an idea and you were being really youthful with it. He was going to do something.. Zalaznick rerouted his family to Miami, where they checked into the Surf Club resort. The restaurateur, one-third of the partners who run Major Food Group, was working on a project that would introduce the groups flagshipsincluding New Yorks legendary Carbone and the lox-inspired brunch concept Sadellesin the Arab state. And Carbone is perhaps best seen as video streaming on an app, capturing this Sinatra-washed rigatoni fantasia, one that unfolds as if on a New York back lot in an L.A. movie studio filling in for Greenwich Village. With celebrities, I think that we do a good job of preaching anonymity, and we welcome them and try to do our best to keep them in their own little world and bubble and take care of them as we would anybody else, as best you can. Upon opening, Carbone received a dazzling five out of five stars from Time Out New York, four and a half stars from Bloomberg three stars from The New York Times, and has received one Michelin star every year since 2014. Its a simple ribbed white tank for guys that has been called a wife-pleaser.. In the week before the opening, the place got more press than a visiting pope. Carbone is akin to this centurys DEUX MAGOTS, with Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson FILLING IN for Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre. Another Move is a capitan greeting the table in a tuxedo, handshakes all around, launching into an antipasti assault: gratis salami from down Bleecker Street; a Brobdingnagian basket of various carbs topped with a square of grandma bread the size of a stop sign; oily, pepper-flecked cauliflower giardiniera; and fist-size chunks of Parmesan. A Carbone Captain filets the Dover Sole Piccata. MAJOR will feature 259 custom residences conceived as . Its a great wall of bread, chef, says Chef Ed. We handled the food and beverage, but we also did all the concepting around the hotel itself, Zalaznick said. By signing up you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. It was foul when we walked in, Kulp remembered. We were three talented chefs in a 500-square-foot kitchen cooking as hard as we could, as creatively as we could, said Kulp, who later founded his own restaurant group, High Street Hospitality Group. Its really hard to explain., Torrisi has a more direct theory. It was in California, New York, France. It is simply impossible to get in unless you know who to ask, so much so that the Infatuation has penned a roundup of where to eat when the Carbone matre d expectedly turns you down. Chef Ed, whats going on with our great wall of bread?. In March 2013, they opened Carbone, an homage to the great Italian-American fine dining establishments of mid-century New York. Youre doing something very old, when youre young. But then the Move could not account for the fact that in the back rooms corner booth sat Aviv Vivi Nevo, the berwealthy Zelig-like investor with a self-fashioned mystiquefor years, his top Google searches said that he was ungoogleable. Icahn lives on Indian Creek as well, a skip away, as do hedge funder Eddie Lampert, and the former Mr. Elle Macpherson, real estate tycoon Jeffrey Soffer. Just three months after signing the lease, Zalaznick and his partners, chefs Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone, were hosting A-list celebs, New York expats and real estate bigwigs including Barry Sternlicht, David Grutman, Craig Robins and J.P. Perez for a preview night at Carbone. By the turn of the century, the Milstein familys holdings were worth about $5 billion, according to, The trio set about transforming the space into Carbone, an upscale red-sauce joint that paid homage to Carbones Italian American roots. This had been building for years; Carbone was the rare room that Leonardo DiCaprio could enter and maybe not be the most famous guy present. Im terrified of this man. Legendary in the family for her cooking, the Brooklyn-born Cameron, serves as inspiration for the eaterys menu. UPDATED, May 3, 11:55 a.m.: More than three years after listing his Miami Beach mansion, baseball Hall of Famer Mike Piazza caught a winning pitch for the waterfront property. The Hidden Gem Of the Food Hall Called The Hugh, Mothers Day Gift Guide: The Best Travel Products For Frequent Fliers, An Apple AirTag Can Be Indispensable On Your Next Road Trip, Walt Disney Worlds Secret Elite-Level Vacation Experiences Revealed, France Travel: Gainsbourg, Picasso And BernhardtParis Current Must-See Exhibits, Ride-In, Ride-Out Mountain Biking From The Four Seasons Scottsdale, Mothers Day Gift Guide: The Best Digital Photo Frames For Displaying Travel Pictures, Foodies Flock To These Florida Restaurants For Fabulous Fare. The new as-yet-to-be-named project will move into the back of the Puck Building in the former location of Chefs Club, which closed during the pandemic. His build is stocky, shaved head. Morris two sons, Paul and Seymour, expanded the family business into real estate in the 1950s, and quickly grew their wealth and influence. Major Food Groups Miami adventure is just getting started. Prior to becoming a restaurateur, Jeff worked as an investment banker for J.P. Morgan and then a manager at the Mandarin Oriental. Zalaznick declined to provide further details about the locations. Phyllis Lambertthe daughter of Seagram president Samuel Bronfman, who commissioned the building in the 1950swrote a blistering op-ed for The New York Times about the restaurant swap, saying Mr. At 200 heads per night times four, Carbone Beach ostensibly grossed more than $2 million. And they said, The new thing, thats supposed to be your space. Major Food Group is a New York-based restaurant group founded by Mario Carbone, Rich Torrisi, and Jeff Zalaznick. At Torrisi wed work until 11 p.m., then wed meet at 8 a.m. at Richs apartment, with Jeff, culling over old menus, looking through archives in the New York library, trying to find gems of creativity, Kulp said. However, they dont blink at forking over $50 for an 8-ounce filet of beef. That was a huge coup, said real estate lawyer Jonathan Mechanic, who used to frequent the Four Seasons. Maybe the grandparent he really takes after is Sadelle Cameron, the great-grandmother after whom the aforementioned restaurant is named. By the time COVID-19 broke out in 2020, the restaurant group had already expanded its book of businesses, adding a range of playful, glamorous and extravagant eateries, including seafood bar ZZs, brunch spot Sadelles, and steakhouse Dirty French. The Milstein family's fortune comes in large part from banking and real estate ventures in New York City. And were all listening to Frank. Expansion of a global nature has, unsurprisingly, been an entire chapter of the Carbone playbook almost since day one. But in 2011 the landlord reportedly informed Stanziano's grand-nephew Antonio DaSilva that his rent would be jacked from $8,000 to $18,000 per month, and the family balked. Mr. Zalaznick joined them later. I was going to do something. I love that because Im kind of similar in that way. After hearing the Torrisi buzz, Zalaznick went back for a second meal, then went out for a drink with Carbone, and they instantly connected over their shared philosophy on food and a vision for a possible future restaurant. Three of Paul and Irma Milstein's four children attended Cornell -- Roslyn Milstein Meyer '71, Howard '73, and Barbara Milstein Zalaznick '76 -- as did son-in-law David Zalaznick '76, the current vice chairman of the Cornell Board of Trustees; and grandson Jeffrey Zalaznick '05. We estimate that Jeff Zalaznick has a current net worth of $770,000 largely based on the estimated salary and income of $254,660 Jeff is estimated to have earned as a Actor. The role that space plays for Major Food Group properties goes back to the beginning, to the tiny storefront where Torrisi and Carbone joined forces to open an Italian eatery that quickly became the talk of the town. Generally it means unique service style moments, whether its the verbiage we use, how the captain guides you, the spiel they use to rattle off specials, Torrisi says. Chang was the most immediate success of the pledge class, as he went on to open a noodle bar called Momofuku that begat a global empire. I basically decided to get rid of them.. Jeff just brings a different level, through his relationships with people, through his eye for whats next.. And my grandmother was his consummate doting sous chef. Brooklyns further than three hours away! Carbone says. It helps that the two have similar styles, Stern said. Its going to be a very hedonistic experience.. Six years after closing Nolita's Torrisi Italian Specialties, Major Food Group is looking to open a version of the deli and restaurant just a block away from the original spot, the New York . In Miami when youre hot youre hot, and when youre not youre not. In December 2021, the two companies confirmed that they would be collaborating on MAJOR, a 259-unit condo in Miamis Brickell where Major Food Group would curate the entire lifestyle aspect of the property, as well as operate its food and beverage options. And hes like, I dont have any positions here. . He also said there is enough space for them to expand their fund-raising effort, Major Good, a series of dinners and other events to benefit Robin Hood, which they have been running from the original Torrisi location. Since its opening, ZZ's Clam Bar has received three stars from GQ Magazine and Bloomberg. Alongside glossy write-ups in the Times and New York, though, there were early press pieces bemoaning Carbones maximalist approach as pastiche. and Alex Von Bidder, the Four Seasons was a bastion of power in New York, where the whos who of media, finance and politics mingled, and regular guests could count on being courted. Jeff said something interesting about people in New York, Torrisi says. It can be hard to put a finger on Major Food Groups magic, but certainly the attention to formfrom, Major Food Group Joins Pitch to Replace Nikki Beach Day Club. The team continues its Florida expansion with ZZs Sushi Bar: a Japanese restaurant and membership club in the heart of the Miami Design District, slated to open later this month. The idea to do what Carbone is, thats more acutely Marios particular dream as a young chef, says Torrisi, whose name graced their first restaurant, Torrisi Italian Specialties. That one thing cost more than that whole menu you used to serve. And were like, Yeah, I know, but its different. Despite such doubts, the party starts to heat up. Even if this was set to be a huge weekend for the Magic City, this kind of ambitionthe kind that prompts one to prop up a cathedral of carbs in South Beachhas been in somewhat short supply since the pandemic crippled large swaths of the restaurant industry. Eaters Ryan Sutton made The Grill the rare nontasting menu in the city with four stars. Its like, This space is closing. July 22, 2022. Jeff Zalaznick, 32 Managing partner, Major Food Group Tweet More Jeff Zalaznick may appear to be the business brains of Major Food Grouppartners Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone are chefsbut. All rights reserved. We walk out, and two guys, one older and one younger, have been standing on the restaurants asphalt. Shes the only one in the family, before me, that could cook, Zalaznick said. Once it was announced that Major Food Group would take over the countrys most famous restaurant and turn it into The Grill, the criticism leapfrogged several social strata up from the comments section. Were in the restaurant business 43 years, my parents. It just felt so right.. It was built in 2001 and has a library, home office and a master suite with a private balcony. So I walk up to him. At the time, the kitchen was run by Andrew Carmellini, who would go on to open Locanda Verde in Robert De Niros Greenwich Hotel, The Dutch in SoHo, and the sprawling French bistro Lafayette in NoHo. The creators know this and relish the hell out of it. A hundred employees fritter around, trying to turn two closed restaurants into open ones. Kanye West and Julia Fox went on their first date at the Miami outpost on New Years Day, and then followed up three days later with another dateat Carbone in New York, as they vamped for the paparazzi. Major Food Group (@majorfoodgroup) has become synonymous with dining like royalty.From its superior food and beverage programming to its ultra-exclusive status as some of the hardest reservations to secure in each of its given cities, the dream teamMario Carbone, Jeff Zalaznick and Rich Torrisihave the golden recipe to bring their inimitable flair to dining destinations all over the . No idea what came next. The outdoor patio feels more laidback, with rattan ceiling fans, eclectic furniture and lush greenery as a nod to Havana, bringing a distinct Miami flair to theCarbone experience. The Zalaznicks declared the home their domicile in October, marking their official relocation from New York. That sign was etched in my brain from eating in my early 20s, he says. We knew exactly what we wanted to say, how we wanted to say it. At the center of it all is Mario Carbone, a perpetual kid from Queens now approaching middle age, who opened his namesake restaurant in 2013 at the age of 33. A New Yorker to his bones like the two chefs, Zalaznick had always loved food and cooking, but hadnt seen it as a career path. But entering real estate now is a natural extension of his vision of hospitality, not the other way around, he said. And he was going to preempt it. The stars aligned for Carbone Miami. After a beat, the younger guy walks up. In 2016, MFG took over the city's iconic Four Seasons Restaurant located in the historic Seagram Building, and restored this landmark restaurant space with the opening THE GRILL, THE POOL, The Pool Lounge and The Lobster Club over the course of 2017. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. In April, Jeff Zalaznick was in South Beach to celebrate the opening of the new edition of his firm's naughty French steakhouse, Dirty French. More than thatthey had a similar idea. Here, though, are two variables that might get us closer to solving for Carbones gravitational force. The previous workers had been working on wooden pallets on the kitchen line because the floors were so bad, and there was an open container of marinara on the counter with a ladle still in it, as if they had just walked out. Investors were hoping that the Carbone essence could be successfully uncorked for the 10-gallon-hatted high rollers in Big D: AT&T executives, Cowboys and Mavericks, old-money art collectors with Twombly-dotted mansions. It received a glowing two-star review from The New York Times and was named one of GQ's Most Outstanding Restaurants of 2015. The critics came around too. We saw our clientele shift, Jeff being so well-connected, plugged into the New York elite if you will not that hes an elitist, Kulp said. Carbone is very significant, because its the food of the poor immigrants, and its fighting against the Northern Italian disdain, said Ray. One last Move: placing a Tesla-size basket of chestnuts and other unidentifiable shells on the tableThis is a nutcracker, and ladies, you only use them on these nuts.. By . The Carbone celebrity complex has been egged on by the dogged pseudo-reporting of the pandemic-era Page Six meets Gawker Stalker that is @deuxmoi, the gossip-spewing Oz of Instagram. MFG co-founders, Jeff Zalaznick, Mario Carbone, and Rich Torrisi with Michael Stern and renderings of their planned Brickell Tower at 888 Brickell Avenue (JDS, Getty) May 25, 2022, 2:40 PM By Then another Move: Carbone takes out one of the cigars gifted to him, looks me in the eye, and lights it as Sinatra hits the last high note in My Way. Torrisi is standing nearby, downing a glass of wine. They were drawn to the namesake restaurant opened by Rocco Stanziano in 1922, steps away from some of the first churches for Italian immigrants in the country, which served locals and the occasional Italian-descended royaltyJoe DiMaggio is said to have come along with Marilyn Monroe in the 1950s, and De Niro dropped in as late as the 2000s. It was absolutely, immediately embraced, said John Ellis, a Miami retail broker at Newmark. After building owners Aby Rosen and Michael Fuchs kicked the Four Seasons operators out of the landmarked Philip Johnsondesigned space, Rosen started asking around about who could inject new energy into the bastion of influence that birthed the term power lunch., Vito Schnabel helped him connect with Zalaznick in 2015, and Rosenwhose company also owns the Chrysler Buildingwas impressed. fashioned in a palette of terracotta and emerald green with damask-upholstered walls and leather banquettes. The red-sauce joint on Thompson might be just one of the 30+ restaurants on three continents under the Major Food Group umbrella, but Carbone is the flagship restaurant and the one that bears his name. The establishment opened its doors in March 2013 to much acclaim per. LeBron James alone managed to stop by Carbone Beach on four consecutive nights. We had a test kitchen built; they tried a dish 30, 40, 50 times before it was perfected.. Are the majority of your restaurants in downtown New York? 1155 Park Aven, New York, NY 10128-1209 is the residential address for Jeffrey. Rihannas pregnancy announcement was bookended by visits. It can be hard to put a finger on Major Food Groups magic, but certainly the attention to formfrom napkin and menu design, to the uniforms of the waitstaffis paramount. It was the 17th restaurant he'd opened in 16 months. The group had also branched out to new markets, with properties in Las Vegas, Hong Kong and Paris. But the two, Torrisi and Carbone, stayed close.