When news broke that Major Food Group was bringing three concepts to our area in 2022, it was met with excitement and anticipation. And while Dallasites might have been surprised, Chef Mario Carbone of Major Food Group says that it was a decision that has long been a long time coming.
“You can study the analytics, you can talk to as many people as you’d like, but at some point, you just kind of have to act on that gut feeling,” Carbone said. “We made the call and decided Dallas was going to be a great market for us.”
Hooked on a feeling? Maybe. But the real kicker came in the form of a perfectly packaged piece of prime real estate at Highland Park Village.
“To be able to get your hands on this prime real estate is too good to pass up,” Carbone said. “So, we started building a team. First Sadelle’s and then Carbone. Vino came along because of the way the space was broken up there. We wanted to offer something a little more robust for everyday dining.”
Carbone spoke with a calm confidence when chatting about his concepts that have managed to thrive despite the dog-eat-dog dining scene that Dallas can sometimes have the reputation of having. I guess if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere. That is, if you know who you are.
“I think at this point customers know what they are going to get from our brand. You know, what they are in store for. It’s not just a meal, it’s a night out.” Carbone said. “If anything, I think Dallas really craved the most real version of our concepts.”
Whether it be knowledge of the menu, a great wine pairing, or the creativity to switch things up, Carbone says his staff is up to the challenge and encourages guests to have a conversation with their server on how to make the meal as personal as possible. To him, this creativity in the cuisine is the beauty of the brand.
“I’ll have a conversation with my waiter to see how I can make what I’m in the mood for,” Carbone said. “I’ll take the veal parmesan and I’ll ask them to make me a veal Milanese with a salad on top instead of cheese and sauce. It’s fine to have these conversations as it’s our servers’ job to make a meal for you.”
And while Carbone and Vino paint the perfect picture of a lively yet elegant night out on the town, the brand isn’t all red sauce and Caesars. Saddle’s, shall we call her the sophisticated sister of the pasta brothers in the Design District, sits sophisticated in Highland Park Village attracting mainly a breakfast and lunch crowd.
“The bread and butter of Saddle’s is breakfast, brunch, and lunch,” Carbone said. “I think dinner is really an amenity to the neighborhood. We want to make sure that we are providing a great all day dining place that is bustling for as many hours as possible. The dinner service is continuing to grow which we love to see.”
Speaking of Saddle’s, Carbone shares that the savory selections here are some of his favorites. And while I confessed that I wasn’t a big fish for breakfast girl myself, he divulged that smoked salmon is his favorite source of morning protein.
“People are on board with the bagels and lox for breakfast here,” Carbone said. “It’s the fish salads that are still a little foreign to people in Dallas.”
As far as new concepts coming down the Dallas pipeline from Major Food Group, Carbone says the possibility is always there, but nothing is officially in the works. For now, Major Food Group is simply celebrating wins within the Dallas brand umbrella.
“I think at this point customers know what they are going to get from our brand. You know, what they are in store for. It’s not just a meal, it’s a night out.”