Chef-restaurateur Mario Carbone’s ideal New York day

This article is part of FT Globetrotter’s guide to New York

Over the years, I’ve spent more than a few perfect days in New York without leaving Greenwich Village and the historic downtown neighbourhoods that surround it. It’s an area that offers an astonishing amount of character and soul. 

In the morning, I start with a stroll down Bleecker Street, over to Porto Rico Importing Co, a classic coffee purveyor that has been in operation since 1907. The front of the shop is lined with old-fashioned coffee sacks along the floors and walls, while there’s a small coffee bar in the back that surprisingly few people know about. The aroma of the roasting beans and brewing coffee is incredible. If the weather’s warm, I usually order an iced coffee, or sometimes an iced chicory (a chicory and coffee blend that’s sweetened with condensed milk and a bit of vanilla). If it’s cold, I order a drip coffee.

For something sweet, I like to head to Caffe Roma on Broome Street to pick up a box of assorted Italian pastries to bring to my team at Carbone — cannoli, sfogliatelle, the Italian-American standards, which Roma does well. I’ll usually eat a sfogliatella as I walk to the restaurant and, once the package has been handed off, head north to soak in the sights, sounds, and humanity of Washington Square Park. Its vibrant energy and the mix of people there feel like a distillation of New York City in one spot.  

My dear friend and business partner Rich Torrisi lives just two blocks away from Washington Square Park (I envy him for that) and, if he’s around, he’ll come by and catch up while I finish my coffee. Then, I’ll orient myself due west, and go take in some art on Clarkson Street at Vito Schnabel gallery. I usually text the owner Vito to see if he’s around to show me the latest exhibition — I love to pick his brain about his favourite artists, such as Francesco Clemente, Robert Nava and Spencer Lewis. Hopefully Bob Colacello, the former editor and chief of Interview magazine and one of the curators of the gallery, will be sitting in the back when I arrive: a quintessentially New York sighting, and a delight every time it happens. 

After, if I’m hungry again, I’ll stop by Faicco’s deli on Bleecker Street, and if I manage to summon the self-control to not order a giant Italian combo (a delicious sandwich with prosciutto, ham, capicola, soppressata, fresh mozzarella, lettuce, tomatoes and roasted peppers), I’ll have an arancino instead to hold me over for a bit. (It may seem like I’m going overboard packing all these legendary New York spots into one day, but I do it all the time, not only because I love what they do, but I like to think I’m doing my part in keeping them alive at a time when so much of the city’s culinary heritage is vanishing.)

When it’s time for a late-afternoon cocktail, I head to . . . where else? Dante, the award-winning café and cocktail spot that was named the World’s Best Bar a few years ago. The charm and patina of this space, which dates back to 1915, make me think about the Italian-American immigrants who built this neighbourhood. The Garibaldi, Dante’s signature cocktail made with Campari and orange juice, is a perfect drink. 

Once sufficiently unwound, I’ll visit my tailor, P Johnson, on West Broadway, who have been making my suits for almost 10 years. I’ve learnt that a relationship with a bespoke tailor is defined by constant communication — it’s incredibly social: you pop in, check in on a piece in production, maybe spot something that sparks an idea for your next commission. But sometimes I’ll skip all of that and just have a drink and hang out. I love being surrounded by craftspeople at work. 

For dinner, I like to catch up with friends at Arturo’s, on the corner of Thompson and West Houston Street, which is one of the best purveyors of pure coal-fired pizza in all of New York. In my opinion, it is the most underrated pizza in the city. And unlike many pizzerias, it’s a full-service restaurant with drinks and live music. I usually order a pie with sausage and mushrooms, a salad with an abundance of Italian dressing and a draught Peroni, and I couldn’t be any happier. 

The evening ends with a nightcap at Hudson Bar and Books: a cigar and an Amaro Montenegro. If I don’t have a cigar from my collection on my person, I’ll gladly source from their list of handcrafted cigars. 

At the end of the night, back at my apartment, I’m stuffed, I’m tired and I realise yet again that this town gives you everything you could possibly need, and then some. Goodnight, New York.

Mario Carbone is a chef and managing partner of Major Food Group, which has more than 40 hospitality businesses in six countries, including New York’s Carbone and the brand new ZZ’s Members’ Club New York

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