MARIO CARBONE TALKS BUILDING AN EMPIRE, LIFE IN MIAMI AND EXPANDING HIS PASSIONS OUTSIDE THE KITCHEN.

Gucci x Adidas shirt, gucci.com; Our Lady of Rocco pants, ourladyofrocco.com; Nisolo shoes, nicolo.com; Tom Ford sunglasses, tomford.com; Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet, vancleefarpels.com; Cartier watch, cartier.com.PHOTOGRAPHED BY PABLO COSTANZO STYLED BY CHARLIE RINCON-RODRIGUEZ GROOMING BY CESAR FERRETTE SHOT ON LOCATION AT CHATEAU

Before the pandemic hit and the world shut down, Miamians would travel north to get a taste of the world-famous Carbone spicy rigatoni—and probably put themselves on a Resy waiting list months ahead to be able to snag that coveted seat. When news that the Italian resto, serving as a New York dining staple, was making its way down south to Miami, everyone snapped to attention—myself included. And in classic Major Food Group (@majorfoodgroup) fashion, the move was quick and efficient. After the first whisperings that Carbone was opening a permanent location in Miami started making their way around town, the grand opening was only a few weeks later.

Wilson x Kith jacket and pant set, kith.com; Our Lady of Rocco T-shirt, ourladyofrocco.com; Tejesta sunglasses, tejesta.com; his own jewelry. PHOTOGRAPHED BY PABLO COSTANZO STYLED BY CHARLIE RINCON-RODRIGUEZ GROOMING BY CESAR FERRETTE SHOT ON LOCATION AT CHATEAU

Marking Major Food Group’s grand entry into Miami, Carbone set the stage for the hospitality group’s portfolio to follow, quickly popping up throughout the city. Next came Miami Design District’s ZZ’s Club—a decadent sushi and Japanese restaurant and lounge available to members—followed by Israeli hot spot HaSalon in Miami Beach; New York’s cherished brunch destination Sadelle’s in Coconut Grove; Brickell’s alluring steakhouse Dirty French; and, recently, Contessa in Miami Design District and a second Sadelle’s located inside the new KITH boutique.

Our Lady of Rocco linen leisure suit, ourladyofrocco.com; Jacques Marie Mage sunglasses, jacquesmariemage.com; Husbands boots, husbandsparis.com; Tom Ford shirt and tie, tomford.com. PHOTOGRAPHED BY PABLO COSTANZO STYLED BY CHARLIE RINCON-RODRIGUEZ GROOMING BY CESAR FERRETTE SHOT ON LOCATION AT CHATEAU

If that sounds exhausting, strap in because MFG is only getting started with new projects in the works, and even its first residential tower. But first, let’s take a step back and hone in on the creative force of the brand, Mario Carbone (@mariocarbone), who makes up one-third of Major Food Group with partners Jeff Zalaznick and Rich Torrisi. The Queens-born chef first fell in love with both the kitchen and the aesthetics behind a restaurant at a young age and pursued a degree from The Culinary Institute of America, climbing the ranks in cherished destinations such as wd-50 and chef Daniel Boulud’s Café Boulud.

Wilson x Kith jacket and pant set, kith.com; Our Lady of Rocco T-shirt, ourladyofrocco.com; Tejesta sunglasses, tejesta.com; his own jewelry. PHOTOGRAPHED BY PABLO COSTANZO STYLED BY CHARLIE RINCON-RODRIGUEZ GROOMING BY CESAR FERRETTE SHOT ON LOCATION AT CHATEAU

It was there that Carbone reunited with Torrisi, a fellow culinary school acquaintance. The two proceeded to open their first eatery, Torrisi Italian Specialties, in 2009, and later teamed up with Zalaznick to form MFG. Ever since, it’s been a match made in heaven, with each of the guys bringing something special to create the perfect recipe for hospitality success. And its entry to Miami only took the MFG dominance to new heights.

Having its pulse on all things luxury, it is no surprise that MFG entered the inaugural Miami Formula 1 Grand Prix with a bang. In addition to hosting hospitality inside Hard Rock Stadium throughout the race weekend, the team also set out to accomplish the impossible and throw the greatest pop-up supper party on the beach that Miami has ever seen.

“It was totally nuts,” Carbone recalls as he reflects on year one of Carbone Beach. During the four-day extravaganza, guests were treated to the rare opportunity to indulge in a meal cooked by Carbone himself, serving as executive chef.

His own vintage Frank Sinatra jacket; Our Lady of Rocco T-shirt and pants, ourladyofrocco.com; Gucci loafers, gucci.com; his own vintage Cartier watch. PHOTOGRAPHED BY PABLO COSTANZO STYLED BY CHARLIE RINCON-RODRIGUEZ GROOMING BY CESAR FERRETTE SHOT ON LOCATION AT CHATEAU

“For myself and our team, we’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of amazing different things over the course of the years all over the world. There’s a certain badge of pride to pulling off these ‘mission impossible’ food challenges. With this one being a massive tent on the physical sand of Miami Beach, cooking for 400 people, it’s the highest level of chaos to ensure we are delivering luxury. However, it’s a fun challenge for those that are masochistic about challenges,” Carbone says, laughing.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY PABLO COSTANZO STYLED BY CHARLIE RINCON-RODRIGUEZ GROOMING BY CESAR FERRETTE SHOT ON LOCATION AT CHATEAU

“We learned a lot in year one, and year two is not only about how to make it bigger and better, but also a more seamless approach to all and delivering the best customer experience,” he continues. “The tent is larger this year and we’re in the process of finalizing the performances, which is always a buzzworthy topic and really fun. For us, it’s figuring out how to deliver the most luxurious and over-the-top experience that sets the tone for such an exciting week in Miami.”

While a sighting of Carbone outside the kitchen was rare throughout the four nights of food prep and execution, he did manage to make his way out for one special experience last year.

“Getting to introduce Andrea Bocelli to perform on the first night of Carbone Beach last year was not only the highlight of my week, but probably my life. It will definitely be hard to top that,” he recalls.

However, when left in the trusted hands of the MFG guys, it’s a safe assumption that they will manage to do just that with whatever they have up their sleeves this race week.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY PABLO COSTANZO STYLED BY CHARLIE RINCON-RODRIGUEZ GROOMING BY CESAR FERRETTE SHOT ON LOCATION AT CHATEAU

Outside of the hospitality realm, Carbone will also manage to squeeze in debuting the latest drop from his fashion line, Our Lady of Rocco. Debuting an all-white capsule collection designed between him and La Ligne, the curation of menswear is indicative of Carbone’s quintessential flair and sophisticated style.

“We’re debuting what is the cut of the suit that we’ve been making since day one, which would be called a leisure suit, but this time in a linen cotton all-white blend, and a new Miami Beach white T-shirt, polo and hat,” he hints. “It’s an all-white collection for spring into summer that I found I was lacking in my own closet, and felt other people probably were as well. I would take that on vacation or wear it out to dinner at night during the warm-weather months. It’s that kind of... really nice, informal [yet] formal cut that works really well. And it lends itself to this fabric and color perfectly.”

P.Johnson suit, pjt.com; Tom Ford shoes and shirt, tomford.com. PHOTOGRAPHED BY PABLO COSTANZO STYLED BY CHARLIE RINCON-RODRIGUEZ GROOMING BY CESAR FERRETTE SHOT ON LOCATION AT CHATEAU

With an eye for design and a passion for creating the ultimate aesthetic, Carbone’s vision is clear in every Major Food Group project—from curating the playlists to choosing the china and linens, it manages to be tasteful yet unique and memorable, with a specific wow factor in each room.

The latest project certainly delivers this notion in a truly unique way, set inside a historic Chateau property in the heart of Brickell that we were lucky to get a sneak peek of during this cover shoot.

As we’re setting up for the photo shoot, Carbone enters the space and looks around with a nod of appreciation.

P.Johnson suit, pjt.com; his own shirt and pants; Tejesta sunglasses, tejesta.com; his own vintage Cartier watch; Cool Tiro loafers, saks.com; his dog, Rocco. PHOTOGRAPHED BY PABLO COSTANZO STYLED BY CHARLIE RINCON-RODRIGUEZ GROOMING BY CESAR FERRETTE SHOT ON LOCATION AT CHATEAU

“This is what we do,” he says. “With all of our projects we love to find a location that has a unique history to its destination. This one accomplishes that, built in 1931 and serving as one of the last residences remaining in the Brickell neighborhood undeveloped.”

With wrought-iron gates; majestic, soaring ceilings; an atrium; and a romantic garden, it is reminiscent of stepping inside MFG’s personal castle. While the project is still months from opening and undergoing renovations, Carbone previews what’s to come by letting us into this shoot.

With our attention officially piqued, you may wonder how much more Major Food Group is setting out to accomplish. The answer? A lot. From restaurants, lounges and members' clubs to residential towers, fashion collaborations and more, the limit does not exist for the three powerful forces behind MFG. However, Carbone shares that while MFG has cemented itself as a true luxury brand in itself, spanning various industries with limitless possibilities, where he’d really like to venture is education.

“I think at some point in the future, Rich and I, as the culinary ends of the company, would like to be in a position to help the educational process. It’s a passion of ours and important for us to give back and explore contributing our knowledge in an educational way, especially having worked with so many young people over the years.”

His own Sergio Tacchini tracksuit; Our Lady of Rocco T-shirt, ourladyofrocco. com; Asics runners, asics. com; Bottega Veneta sunglasses, bottegaveneta. com; Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet, vancleefarpels.com; Miami Luxury Cars Ferrari F8 Tributo, miamiluxury.net. PHOTOGRAPHED BY PABLO COSTANZO STYLED BY CHARLIE RINCON-RODRIGUEZ GROOMING BY CESAR FERRETTE SHOT ON LOCATION AT CHATEAU

It’s evident that Major Food Group has left its mark and reshaped Miami in a lasting way. With both Carbone and Zalaznick residing in Miami as full-time residents, it’s clear the city has captured their hearts as it so easily does, and allowed them to expand in a way they never thought possible. When I ask Carbone if he ever envisioned Miami having such a big footprint for them, it’s an immediate “never.”

“At first, it was simply a function of refusing to shut down MFG and pivoting quickly to be able to operate elsewhere and bring our concepts to a city that was open. But, we very quickly realized the opportunity that the city had, and how we could translate virtually every one of our concepts to Florida. And we also fell in love with the lifestyle here. I can end my day staring out into the waters of the ocean at sunset, or having a drink at Carbone. It’s amazing,” he shares.

When looking back on 10 years of the Carbone flagship and many more concepts, the chef is humbled and grateful.

‘“Lucky’ is the word that comes to mind immediately. We are so lucky and blessed,” he notes. “I’m fully aware of how difficult this industry is, and to be in the position that we are in and have the team that we do, to enjoy the process the way that we do is so special. You know, it’s that fable of understanding that it’s the journey, not the destination. You get to spend every day with people that you genuinely love to work with, doing something that you genuinely love to do. That is what I’d call a blessed existence.”

PHOTOGRAPHED BY PABLO COSTANZO STYLED BY CHARLIE RINCON-RODRIGUEZ GROOMING BY CESAR FERRETTE SHOT ON LOCATION AT CHATEAU

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