With a second Carbonara opening in Gainesville, a new cookbook in the works, and a September debut planned for Capellini’s Classic Italian, restaurateur Mike Cordero is showing no signs of slowing down.
At his restaurants, pasta is tossed in a flaming 80-pound wheel of Parmesan. Chicken Parmigiana is finished tableside so the breading stays crisp. And tiramisu is assembled in front of guests. The goal is to create a delicious experience that feels theatrical and rooted in Italian hospitality.
That formula has helped put Carbonara on of our Best Restaurants list. It’s one of NoVA’s most talked about Italian restaurants (even Joe Biden dined there last fall).
Chef Mike Cordero (Courtesy Connor Reed)
Capellini’s Classic Italian
Now Cordero is building on that momentum with a second Carbonara, expected to open in late June or early July. The new concept, Capellini’s Classic Italian, is slated to debut in September at Brambleton Town Center.
Capellini’s will occupy the former Rebel Taco Cantina space next to the Brambleton Public Library. The approximately 3,500-square-foot restaurant will seat 75 guests indoors and another 80 on the patio.
“Carbonara has a pretty big name,” Cordero says. “If I’m going to keep opening Italian restaurants in Virginia, they’ll be under the Carbonara umbrella, but they’ll be different names, and the menu will be a little bit different.”
While Carbonara is rooted in Southern Italian cooking, Capellini’s will offer a more contemporary atmosphere and draw inspiration from Northern Italian cuisine, with a greater emphasis on wine and cream-based sauces. Imported art deco plates from Italy will add to the restaurant’s modern aesthetic.
Courtesy Connor Reed
Dinner and a Show
Some of Cordero’s signature dishes will make the trip to Ashburn, including his celebrated chicken Parmigiana and the Parmesan-wheel pasta presentation that has become a social media sensation.
“I just think it’s the whole show,” he says. “People love that big 80-pound wheel imported from Italy, and we put it on fire. People just go nuts because they’re taking videos.”
For Cordero, the tableside theatrics are part of a larger philosophy that combines craftsmanship and entertainment. “It’s not just a show,” he says. “People are looking for that entertainment as well.”
The Brambleton location had originally been earmarked for one of his taco concepts. But after seeing the continued success of Carbonara, Cordero decided the growing Loudoun County community was ready for a different kind of Italian restaurant.
“I switched it from tacos to Italian because I love the location,” he says.
Capellini’s is arriving during a particularly productive stretch for the veteran restaurateur. In addition to opening two new restaurants, Cordero is preparing to release his first cookbook, Respect the Sauce, featuring 120 recipes collected over the course of his career.
After more than 50 years in the restaurant business, what thrills him most remains the same: the chance to bring a new concept to life. “The opening of the restaurant is so exciting to me,” he says. “It’s like another baby being born.”
Feature image courtesy Connor Reed