Think of a famous chef, and adjectives such as “serious,” “rigid,” or
even “arrogant ” may come to mind, not so with Johnny Carrabba.
Johnny’s style of cooking is, well, fun. Talking about his PBS
show, Cucina Amore, with uncle and fellow chef Damian Mandola, Johnny
says, “We’re having fun… I mean that’s what cooking is all about… having
fun. Getting people’s minds off of everyday stress and everyday
chores… cooking is fun, you know, its entertainment.”

Johnny Carrabba was born to be a restaurateur. His family, including
uncle Damian, has made preparing great meals and entertaining a focus of
their lives. After attending college at St. Thomas University in
Houston, he began working in the local restaurants owned by members of
his family. In 1986 he opened Carrabba’s with his uncle, Damian
Mandola. Their mission was to offer guests high quality Italian dishes
in a warm, casual environment. They wanted Carrabba’s to have a real
wood-fired pizza oven and an open kitchen where their guests could watch
their meals being prepared to order. High standards, unique amenities
like their Carside Carry-Out service (customers call in orders ahead and
have them delivered directly to their car) and the balls of pizza dough
young diners are encouraged to play with, are the ingredients that have
made Carrabba’s, now in fifteen states, a success.

Johnny not only takes cuisine seriously. He is just as concerned with
the atmosphere in which his guests enjoy it. Asked what he loves most
about Carrabba’s, Johnny says, “I love the preparation and the
excitement of it. It’s like throwing a party at your home every night.”
The ambience that Johnny has created at his restaurants, with partner
Damian, is warm, lively, and fun. It’s important to Johnny that his
guests feel as if they are dining in the home of a good friend, and not
in an atmosphere that feels too formal to have fun. As he tells his
staff “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.”
And, as he further explains, “You work hard to prepare a great meal and
you can’t wait to greet your guests and show them a great time.”

On Johnny and Damian’s new PBS program, Cucina Sicilia all the recipes are based on family classics that find their roots in Sicily at the southern tip of the Mediterranean. As you experienced on their series Cucina Amore, Johnny and Damian will pass along their attitudes about cooking and entertaining, along with their sense of fun and gusto for living.

From PBS

Make sure to like me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter to stay up to date with the latest podcast episodes.

You can listen on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.