|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
If any two people were "born to cook," it is
certainly the founders of Carrabba's Italian Grill,
the loveable duo of Johnny Carrabba and his uncle Damian Mandola.
These two kindred spirits share a passion for food and hospitality
matched only by their love of family and friends. Part of
a close-knit family whose ancestors came to the United States
from Sicily in the late 1890s, Johnny and Damian grew up surrounded
by wonderful food.
Food was not just for sustenance, rather an occasion to gather
and discuss the events of the day and celebrate good times.
Food is a part of their inherent personalities because that
is how they were raised. Food was central to births, christenings,
weddings, graduations and funerals. Most family conversations
begin with, "Whadya eat?" It is no wonder these
two talented impresarios have made decades-long careers in
the restaurant business and have spanned the highly acclaimed
PBS cooking program "Cucina Sicilia" and the cookbook,
Ciao Ya'll.
Viewers of the fun-loving cooking program may find the southern
accents of Johnny and Damian a bit strange. They will tell
you their Texas twang is simply the result of an immigrant
family who had the good fortune to settle on the Gulf Coast
of Texas.
Childhoods spent in the kitchen gave Johnny and Damian their
knowledge of Italian food and the original family recipes
used to this day at Carrabba's Italian Grill. As young
boys they spent many hours in their grandmothers' kitchens
inhaling the smells of fresh produce used in the many dishes
served for Sunday supper, memorable meals that resembled most
family reunions. Small backyard gardens provided fresh herbs
and produce that were paired with homemade pasta and grilled
meats. The family used seeds and cuttings from the "old
country" to grow what they couldn't find in the
small neighborhood grocery stores.
Both Johnny and Damian grew up working in restaurants owned
by aunts and uncles in their hometown Houston. Damian was
the first to venture on his own, opening a small pizzeria,
Damian's, during his college years at Sam Houston State
in Huntsville, TX. After graduation, he opened what would
become a Houston favorite, Damian's Cucina Italiana,
a fine dining restaurant located near the city's downtown
business district.
Johnny was also making a name for himself in the restaurant
industry managing his Uncle Tony's Blue Oyster Café.
It was after many conversations and the realization that Houston
was sorely lacking in the Italian casual dining experience
that the two discussed creating a new restaurant of their
own. The desire for a restaurant that was original—"not
your typical Italian"—gave birth to Carrabba's
in 1986.
The restaurant's interiors were designed with the family
kitchen in mind—the one place everyone gathers when
friends and family get together. The wood-burning pizza oven
and grill were part of the exhibition kitchen that allowed
diners to take in the bustle of the cooks as they prepared
the time-honored family recipes. One thing led to another;
they soon had a second location that was as popular as the
first.
In 1993, a joint venture partnership was formed with OSI Restaurant
Partners Inc. Under the partnership, ten locations were opened
in Houston and Florida. In January 1995, OSI acquired the rights
to develop Carrabba's nationally.
Today Johnny and Damian are busy developing new recipes, visiting
restaurants, and sharing their family heritage with "Carrabbamicos"
(employees) across the country. They most enjoy the opportunity
to share their passion for wonderful food with fans around
the world.
|
|
|
