Carpaccio Tuscan Kitchen
1 Park Place, Ste. 10, Annapolis | 410-268-6569 | carpacciotuscankitchen.com
First, you are attracted to Carpaccio’s interpretation of a Siena piazza with its fan-shaped patio, which draws you in from the sidewalk. Here, the exterior hardscape sports a picturesque central fountain and pots of greenery with surrounding tables for dining in nice weather. Since 2008, the comfortably chic dining spot has earned top votes from neighboring residents and visitors staying at nearby hotels for lunch, dinner, or brunch. For those in close proximity, the cozy, friendly wine bar is the big draw, where many diners opt to take their meal. The larger dining room is well-appointed in black and copper hues with pleasant lighting from overhead chandeliers. Upholstered chairs and banquets cozy up to dark wood tables.
With their Italian heritage, hospitality, and welcoming ambiance, owners Gennaro, Lino, and Michele DiMeo state their mission is to emphasize excellent food, superior service, and genuine value throughout the dining experience. They have taken a culinary path in which their earliest eateries, casual or refined, have progressed into Italian success stories.
Our charming server, Nicholas, was attentive without being obtrusive, and genuinely knowledgeable about the menu right from the start, answering our questions about the extensive wine list with options from the globe’s prominent wine regions of Italy, Germany, New Zealand, and the states—something for every wine palate. Carpaccio offers more than 30 wines by the glass, including a “Cellar Reserve” menu of premium wines. My friend was interested in the Niro Montepulciano D’abruzzo. Our server gave it a convincing nod, and a hearty pour arrived quickly. Full-bodied, with a nice balance of dark berries and smoke, it perfectly complemented the Italian fare to come. And it was “fresh”—elsewhere, so many options by the glass could mean too many bottles left open too long. Not here, according to the evening’s selection. Not a wine fan? Carpaccio has a page of intriguing craft cocktails too, 13 in all. There really is something for everyone.
First up was Carpaccio’s renowned bread basket with a signature tomato sauce on what seemed to be squares of focaccia bread. Such a nice alternative to even the best of plain breads. It was fragrant with garlic and fresh tomato on a yeasty dough baked to the perfect balance between crispy and soft. We knew we wanted to save room to sample a lot, but we couldn’t resist finishing off two slices.
So on-brand is Carpaccio that three dishes bear the name...or maybe it’s the other way around as carpaccio is defined as thinly sliced raw meat or fish served with a sauce. Created in 1950 by Venetian restaurateur, carpaccio is named after Vittore Carpaccio. With artistic food plating—truly a work of art—our choice of Carpaccio di Manzo Toscano arrived. A large white plate was ringed with paper-thin slices of raw filet mignon arranged around an emerald spinach salad topped with mixed mushrooms. The thinly-sliced beef was topped with shaved parmesan and a drizzle of distinctive white truffle oil. Points of crisp cracker triangles formed a pyramid over the salad.
One of the appealing features of Carpaccio’s menu is the option of choosing a small or large portion of many dishes, with prices adjusted accordingly. If you are lucky enough to have a large group, you might “sample” through the menu! My dining companion was excited about the two calamari options, especially the grilled variation with a vibrant herb corn relish on crisp frisee greens. It is offered in mezze and grande portions. She chose the smaller mezze, still nicely generous, ahead of a full entree. So attractive! The herbs gave the plentiful petite calamari a decidedly Italian note.
The menu is attractively organized, with different sections for: Italian Sensations (pasta, risotto, gnocchi); Insalate (salads); Chicken, Beef, and Veal; Seafood; Brick Oven Pizza; and Sides. Several nightly specials also are offered, and one of those called my name; the fish special for that night was halibut, but with a decidedly Caribbean sauce. I opted out of the island style to stay with Italian. The chef graciously turned the fish into a Halibut Alla Livornese special—an eight-ounce portion of the most tender halibut, smothered with fragrant and flavorful olives, capers, and light tomato sauce...a beautifully pungent dish from Livorno on the western coast of Tuscany. This entree came with its own vegetable of sautéed greens: broccolini, kale, and sliced brussels sprouts along with slim strands of grated carrot.
My companion, an avowed fan of Italian classics like eggplant parmigiana and lasagna—both on the menu—was eager to try one of the pasta offerings. She was very intrigued by the Pappardelle (wide, egg noodle pasta) with slowly cooked lamb, homemade tomato ragu, topped with crumbled goat cheese. Simple and, yet, unique, as we couldn’t recall ever seeing a lamb pasta dish elsewhere. The pasta was extra rich with the egg noodle while the lamb was generous, in perfect, smaller than bite-size, pieces, and the sauce was delicious, with a sweet flavor of fresh tomatoes rather than of added sugar. It’s worth noting that the tomato sauces accompanying different dishes—the foccacia, the lamb ragu, the halibut—seemed to vary—not just the same house sauce.
In addition, we also shared a side of broccolini. At first, we asked for the fresh rapini with roasted garlic but, alas, it had run out. Our delightful waiter offered to have the broccolini prepared like the rapini, instead of just sautéed as offered on the menu. It was spectacular— crisp-done greens, with crispy garlic.
For the dessert lineup, we are always enthusiasts for mascarpone, that rich creamy divine cheese. We could have found it in Tiramisu but chose the famous Almond Cake consisting of sponge layers sandwiching sweetened mascarpone and topped with a textured layer of crushed amarettini.
Valet parking is available as is the underground parking lot which services the Westin Hotel next door. Our good fortune for the night actually began by finding a prime street parking spot less than a block away from Carpaccio.
The restaurant also has a separate takeout spot around the corner and will deliver to your waiting car. Further proof that this is a restaurant that truly caters to its customers.
