{"id":16358,"date":"2026-05-15T16:37:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T16:37:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/italy\/16358\/"},"modified":"2026-05-15T16:37:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T16:37:08","slug":"carbonara-chef-is-opening-a-new-italian-restaurant-in-ashburn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/italy\/16358\/","title":{"rendered":"Carbonara Chef Is Opening a New Italian Restaurant in Ashburn"},"content":{"rendered":"

With a second Carbonara opening in Gainesville,<\/a> a new cookbook in the works, and a September debut planned for Capellini\u2019s Classic Italian, restaurateur Mike Cordero is showing no signs of slowing down. <\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

That formula has helped put Carbonara on of our Best Restaurants list. <\/a>It\u2019s one of NoVA\u2019s most talked about Italian restaurants (even Joe Biden dined there last fall<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\"Carbonara\"CarbonaraChef Mike Cordero (Courtesy Connor Reed)<\/p>\n

Capellini\u2019s Classic Italian<\/p>\n

Now Cordero is building on that momentum with a second Carbonara, expected to open in late June or early July. The new concept, Capellini\u2019s Classic Italian, is slated to debut in September at Brambleton Town Center.<\/p>\n

Capellini\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cCarbonara <\/a>has a pretty big name,\u201d Cordero says. \u201cIf I\u2019m going to keep opening Italian restaurants in Virginia, they\u2019ll be under the Carbonara umbrella, but they\u2019ll be different names, and the menu will be a little bit different.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Carbonara is rooted in Southern Italian cooking, Capellini\u2019s 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\u2019s modern aesthetic.<\/p>\n

\"Capellini's\"Capellini'sCourtesy Connor Reed<\/p>\n

Dinner and a Show<\/p>\n

Some of Cordero\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just think it\u2019s the whole show,\u201d he says. \u201cPeople love that big 80-pound wheel imported from Italy, and we put it on fire. People just go nuts because they\u2019re taking videos.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Cordero, the tableside theatrics are part of a larger philosophy that combines craftsmanship and entertainment. \u201cIt\u2019s not just a show,\u201d he says. \u201cPeople are looking for that entertainment as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI switched it from tacos to Italian because I love the location,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Capellini\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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. \u201cThe opening of the restaurant is so exciting to me,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s like another baby being born.\u201d<\/p>\n

Feature image courtesy Connor Reed<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With a second Carbonara opening in Gainesville, a new cookbook in the works, and a September debut planned…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16359,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[5],"class_list":{"0":"post-16358","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-italy","8":"tag-italy"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/italy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16358","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/italy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/italy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/italy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/italy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16358"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/italy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16358\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/italy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16359"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/italy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16358"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/italy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16358"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/italy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16358"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}