Gusto A Taste of San Francisco Come visit Carpaccio Ristorante, near downtown Antioch, for a palate pleasing treat as chef Manul Munos prepares new and exciting Italian dishes nightly. Your taste buds will be pleasantly surprised. March 2007

by Andrea Stuart

With its inconspicuous, low profile exterior one might never guess that behind the doors of Carpaccio Ristorante is Chef Juan Manul Munos, better known as Manul by his friends and colleagues, preparing some of the finest authentic Italian cuisine this side of the San Francisco Bay.

As a San Francisco native Manul developed discriminating taste buds at an early age. His growing appreciation for fine food eventually piloted him into a lifelong career in the restaurant industry where he continued to master the art of creating edible masterpieces, although Manul is far too humble to say this himself.

Four years ago, with more than two decades of restaurant experience under his belt, Manul decided to leave the comfort and excitement of San Francisco in order to bring a part of the city’s essence to East Contra Costa County.

Located near downtown Antioch, Carpaccio provides diners with an expansive choice of menu items and a number of chef-inspired specials each day. Offering antipasti, insalate, panino, del forno, pasta, food from the grill, and palate-teasing desserts, it is no wonder that Carpaccio is largely made up of regulars who dine there sometimes multiple times in one week.

With Italian-inspired paintings adorning the walls, soft lighting, and an open dining room that allows visual access into the expansive kitchen and prep area, Carpaccio’s casual yet classy atmosphere allows diners to relax while focusing on the most important aspect of the dining experience at this modest restaurant, the cuisine.

Two banquet rooms are available for reservations. The smaller banquet room is located downstairs and allows for a party of 20 people and offers partial seclusion from the rest of the restaurant. The larger room upstairs, accessible by one staircase in the front and one staircase in the back, allows for a party of 60 people and offers complete privacy for more elaborate gatherings.

Now on his 25th year as a chef, Manul diligently prepares each dish at Carpaccio Ristorante with the utmost attention to detail. Admittedly, he does not use measuring utensils. Instead, his keen eye and natural-born ability to discern even the most discrete flavors guides him as he prepares even the most complex meals. Each dish is comprised of the same quality ingredients as the next. In fact, all the sauces and dressings are home-made and the term “frozen food” is not in Manul’s vocabulary.

With a comprehensive menu that boasts a variety of Italian dishes, Carpaccio specializes in everything Italian. Visitors who dine at Carpaccio will find many reasons to return. Before the meal the staff will bring out fresh bread and a tomato-based spread that boasts sun dried tomatoes, garlic, parsley, basil, and baked eggplant in olive oil. While many restaurants provide pre-appetizer starters, few offer them with flavors that rival those of items found on Carpaccio’s menu.

Servings at Carpaccio are generous and many of the entrees can easily feed two people. However, diners must sample the antipasto. From simple, light choices such as Pane Al’ Aglio (home-made garlic bread), palate-teasing choices such as Prosciutto E Melone (prosciutto with ripe melon), or the Carpaccio Cipriani (thinly sliced beef in olive oil with capers and lemon), one can certainly whet one’s appetite with the choices available. Each day Carpaccio offers a soup of the day. I paired a pomegranate Italian soda with the potato soup and I thoroughly enjoyed the creamy, mashed potato-like consistency that caressed my tongue with a mild blend of flavors; the perfect pre-meal.

Once finished with the appetizer, guests can enjoy traditional Italian favorites such as; Ravioli con Pomodoro, which is meat ravioli in marinara sauce. Another hit is the Calzone, many refer to it as a pizza pocket filled with zucchini, mozzarella, artichoke, bell peppers, and tomato sauce baked in the oven.

More traditional palates may want to try the Spaghetti Alla Bolognese.

Diners may also experiment with some less familiar dishes that further excite the taste buds, such as the Fettuccini con Gamberoni, which is a pasta dish comprised of long flat noodles, prawns, artichoke, garlic, and thyme in a white wine and tomato sauce. I found this to be quite a tasty blend.

Another good choice is the Linguini ai Frutti Di Mare, which is made with thin pasta matched with prawns, clams, mussels, fresh tomatoes, chili pepper, olive oil, garlic, and served in a white wine sauce. This particular meal is recommended by the staff.

Chef Manul’s mental menu is so comprehensive that no matter how inclusive the restaurant’s material menu, there are a number of different specials offered each day. A favorite special available on Friday nights is the Cioppino, complete with crab meat, salmon, clams, mussels, prawns, scallops, and calamari. Truly a seafood lover’s delight!

However, let us not forget the most important part of the meal. Dessert! I have but one recommendation, simply due to favoritism. While visiting Carpaccio, diners may want to indulge in the tiramisu. With a delicate dusting of cocoa atop the light, creamy topping, its blend of rich flavors is overwhelming. Some advice to those who try it, bring a dining partner to share the abundant serving and be forewarned that the velvety texture and moist breading can cause involuntary moaning between bites.