Identical Twin Chefs Heat Up the Kitchen

NEW YORK
April 26, 2010— -- It's one thing to have eyes larger than your stomach. But diners at Miami's Quattro Gastronomia Italiana have been seeing double for years.

No, it has nothing to do with the house beef ravioli or the pan-seared tuna but with the chefs: identical twins Fabrizio and Nicola Carro. For years, the brothers have done everything together from cooking to playing soccer to running a marathon.

But now their success has forced them apart. After years of working side by side in Miami, Fabrizio has moved to New York to set up another branch of Quattro in the new Trump SoHo hotel.

The brothers were both recently in New York for the opening of the restaurant, and the interaction between them -- both inside and outside the kitchen -- was uncanny.

Fabrizio started to explain that he and his brother "have different" before Nicola cut in with "characteristics."

"Fabrizio and I have a different point of view," Nicola explained. "What we serve is a combination of that."

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The brothers designed the dishes together, and even though each had his own responsibilities in their joint Miami kitchen, each could easily do the other's jobs. Now that they are 1,088 miles apart, they still plan to collaborate but said each restaurant would have a slightly different feel. (The brothers also operate Sosta Pizzeria in Miami.)

While the twins are normally hard to tell apart, these days it is clear which brother has been spending more time in Miami. Nicola has a better tan.

From Italy to Africa to Miami to New York

Fabrizio and Nicola grew up in Alessandria in the Piemonte region of northern Italy. Their love of cooking started as children, when they started playing around with a pasta machine in a family friend's shop.

"We did it for fun in the beginning," Nicola said.

Over the years, the brothers worked in Italy and Kenya before moving to Miami in 2006.

"This was a big change. We were always traveling around," Nicola said, "but had never crossed the Atlantic for work.

In their Miami kitchen, everything that could be imported from Italy was. That included basics, like flour and salt. But the brothers took it one step further. They imported not only the raw ingredients for their food but also the equipment and machines they used to prepare their fare.

"We brought pots, pans, bottles and pasta makers from Italy," Fabrizio said. "Everything in the kitchen is imported."

The same authentic philosophy carries over to the New York location. But surprisingly, a lot of the items come from Italy via Miami thanks to the brothers' established relationships with Florida suppliers.

That said, Fabrizio has been busy exploring New York's various greenmarkets, looking for new inspiration and ingredients.

Some current menu items include thinly sliced veal with Favignana tuna sauce and capers, prosciutto and veal tortellini in a rich beef broth, gnocchi with Toma cheese sauce and grilled rack of lamb with asparagus and mustard sauce.

Identical Twins and Sibling Rivalry?

While the brothers can easily fill each other's shoes in the kitchen, there's very little talk of food when they're outside the kitchen.

"The best thing we can do after work is to have a beer -- or several beers -- and then talk about things that are not work," Fabrizio said.

Last year, they ran the Miami Marathon together.

Was there any sibling rivalry? Well, Nicola finished in three hours and 36 seconds. It took Fabrizio almost an extra hour.

"I take a taxi," Nicola joked.

"I finished the marathon," Fabrizio said, adding that he was happy just to have crossed the finish line.

The twins are 34 years old, but that doesn't mean one can't take the bragging rights of being the older brother.

Fabrizio is 15 minutes older than Nicola, or so they think.

"We don't actually know," Nicola said.

"They told me," said Fabrizio. "I trust my mom.

"I am a little bit older. I got gray hair first."