I’ve made no secret that Johnny Carrabba is one of mi familia that has always made me proud of his success at making the Original Carrabba’s one of my favorite Italian food hang-outs. Their yummy food is reminiscent to me of much of what I grew up eating and is my regular go-to place for those special items that are a mainstay in any Italian home. So when Johnny told me about his first step-out from only Italian fare, as the beginning of his very aggressive expansion plan for the Carrabba namesake, I couldn’t wait to try it and brought my family along to test it out!
So on our first visit to Mia’s Table, which resembles a Hill Country diner/country store, where we walked up to the counter and ordered our own casual meal of burgers, chicken fingers, fries, barbecue and even a salad for the healthier eater in our group. (BTW, when Johnny and I chatted later, he told me that he has hired a nutritionist and will be adding some lower fat items to the menu such as veggie burgers, vegetarian dishes, a few more salads and heart-healthy items….he listens to his customers. They have asked and they will receive!) We had a great time trying everything, and I do mean just about everything. Johnny’s parents were there and his Mom, Rosie, kept bringing more treats our way from the yummy free ice cream cones, Blue Bell milkshakes to the cookies that melt in your mouth. Myself, being a Carrabba-purist, I had to have the Italian sausage burger, and not just because Mr. C. (Johnny’s Dad) was there whose original recipe makes Carrabba’s Italian sausage the best in the city, but I had to have my fix!
What a fun night we all had…we ate and then ate a little more, and for our family it was a great way to visit with other families whose kids of all ages were there as well. The atmosphere was one of fun, relaxed and of being at a neighborhood family restaurant where everyone knows your name, and visiting is encouraged! Johnny’s dream of owning a “burger joint” has materialized and been taken up a notch I’d say. Also, fear not, it’s not just for kids. Adults who just like great food in a casual atmosphere are there a-plenty, and there are rooms where you can sit child-free if you so desire!
I did go back again to chat with Johnny so that I could hear first-hand how this all came to be and just what was ahead for the Carrabba enclave on Kirby that is developing before our eyes.
Here’s what he had to say….
About why he wanted to expand, not just Carrabba’s, but several different restaurants and all in one locale….
Well, first of all he owned the land, has been on Kirby for 25+ years, it’s one of the best streets in our town and it’s home for him, his employees and his customers. Why not? His Uncle Vincent has done it successfully with all Italian food, (Nino’s, Vincent’s, Grappino’s) he could do it with a mix of different looks, feels and table fare. Plus, he talked excitingly about the thrill of a new challenge for both himself and his long-term employees, who needed to grow. He’s “ready to be back in the game” to quote Johnny and start new projects and watch them grow, literally, from the ground up as he did Carrabba’s.
About his vision for each of the restaurants and timing of their openings…..
**Mia’s opened on Memorial Day; is a step-up version of the burger joint he always wanted; is more than just burgers; décor inspiration….Fredericksburg diner/country store; feel is all about the family, hence named for his daughter and where his kids’ friends can bring their families.
**New Carrabba’s planned to open mid-Fall/October, designed to look like an Italian Villa, will be an all-new restaurant as the old one, which was discovered by Johnny and Damian, as a shuttered adult bookstore, will unfortunately bite the dust. Johnny talked about his emotions over that, “I’m going to have to wear my sunglasses to work that day, like I’m at an Italian funeral” he joked, but he will be sad. However, progress must move forward and updating was not an option. The same great menu continues and this will be the only one of these restaurants that will serve pasta, noted J.C.!
**Grace’s, named for the popular matriarch of the Mandola clan, Johnny’s grandmother, whose recipes have been the inspiration for many of this family’s restaurants, will open around February, 2013. This bungalow, facing Kirby, is fitting to her and the homey atmosphere she would want her food served in. Inspiration for design, food selection, etc. comes from restaurants like Mustard’s/Napa Valley, The Ivy/Beverly Hills and Union Square Café in NYC….not bad role models, ya think?! The menu will delight with the unique dishes that he described to me.
Lastly, Johnny’s comments on what differentiates The Original Carrabba’s from the Carrabba’s Italian Grill chain of 233 restaurants…
First, he wanted me to understand that things are different now….Outback, which he and Damian made their deal with in 1993 was a 50/50 ownership, and now that has all been sold to Bain Capital and theirs is now only a franchise agreement. J & D are involved purely as a business transaction…they do not run the restaurants. The Original Carrabba’s on Kirby and Woodway are a business for him also but are so much more for he and his family…..they are his passion, not just his business.
In closing, when I asked Johnny what he had learned in the business for all these years and how he learned it, his answer was simple. He learned about hard work from his parents, Rosie & Johnny, who are still active in the original restaurants with him now,and role models like his Uncle Vincent. He learned that success doesn’t come easy and that at the end of the day, what he does all of this for is to have a legacy for his family, especially his kids, Mia and Johnny IV……….that’s the Italian way!
(Carrabba family: Mia, Rosie, Johnny, Papa Johnny, Johnny IV….hey, where’s Weesie?!)
Visit The Original Carrabba’s online….
www.carrabbasoriginal.com or like them on Facebook Page: The Original Carrabbas, www.facebook.com/theoriginalcarrabbas
For Mia’s Table, www.facebook.com/miasalways
(Photos courtesy of Carrabba’s)
Me and about 12 of my friends visited Mia’s right after it opened — and loved it! I will definitley go back, and we can’t wait for Grace’s and the new Carrabba’s to open. BUT, we made Johnny promise to let us know before the original building is demolished…we have to go for a final meal there, in memory of all the good times, great meals and fun experiences we’ve shared there. Great story, Roz!
Tried Mia’s on 4 days ago (Sun.)and have already been back. Looks like it will be another Carabba family success!
Mia’s is great! So happy for Johnny and his family! What an awesome addition to our city, another Carrabba’s restaurant! Can’t wait for the others to open! It will be a melancholy day when the “old Carrabba’s” closes as so many wonderful memories have been made there. Looking forward to toasting the new one while having one “last toast” at the old! Congrats Johnny, Mia, Johnny IV!
Just ate there last week and your comments are dead-on and enjoyed your great story and personal touch; not just another “review”…can’t wait to go back!!!
Thank you for a beautifully written article, Roz. You hit the nail on he head. Thank you to everyone who has tried Mia’s.
I’m one of those people who ends up picking a favorite dish in most restaurants, but at Mia’s Table, I really don’t think that’s going to happen. There are just too many great dishes to choose just one. I have already tried several, and have many more to test, and have loved each one I’ve tried. We love the family atmosphere that all of the Carrabba’s owned restaurants have. It’s easy to see that family is important to them, and spills over into these great eating places. Johnny, Rosie, and Mr. C. have always treated us as if we were extra special, as they do everyone else, and I haven’t found that in very many restaurants. It’s not hard to want everyone else to try them, as well.