At its final night of dinner service before reopening downtown next spring, San Domenico had nary a dry eye nor an unstuffed inch of GI tract in the house. Alumni including Andrew Carmellini, Scott Conant, Theo Schoenegger, and Benny Bartolotta joined chef Odette Fada in preparing a menu of SD classics, but the highlights were after dinner.
• Owner Tony May thanked everyone both here and in Italy who had contributed to the success of the restaurant before introducing what he called San Domenico’s “heart and soul”: his daughter Marisa, who was visibly moved.
• Scott Conant got a call just before diner that Frank Bruni had walked into Scarpetta. Conant handed his sea bream off to Carmellini and flew down to his restaurant. He reappeared, looking much relieved, a few hours later, just in time for his name-check from May.
• Carmellini wouldn’t talk about A Voce, except to say that he found the rumors about Jody Williams’s taking over unlikely.
• Conant hosted that after-party at Scarpetta, with huge pans of pork chops and spaghetti with garlic and oil, accompanied by multiple bottles of red wine. Mauro Maccioni of Le Cirque, in his immaculately tailored summer suit, presided.
Earlier: San Domenico to Go Big Downtown
