Ristorante Antipasti
Ocean City’s Oldest Gourmet Restaurant
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Inside Ocean City 2013
insideocmd.com
istorante Antipasti is Ocean City’s oldest gourmet restaurant. For over 18 years visitors and locals alike have enjoyed the culinary talents of Fausto Dicarlo. In Italy, at the age of 13, Fausto began to cook at the side of his mother who was a professional chef. His training was rich in true Italian cuisine, following the traditional tastes of the Torino region. By the age of 26, Fausto made his way to America and began working as a bus boy at a restaurant in Philadelphia. As he cleared tables, Fausto struggled with the “non-traditional” Italian dishes being served. He truly wanted to be in the kitchen, and plating the quality of food he had spent the last 13 years perfecting. Finally, he spoke up to management and asked for the chance to show his talent. He was provided the opportunity and, in no time, word traveled about his abilities. Soon, there were extensive wait times to dine at the restaurant. Because of the restaurant’s proximity to the network television stations, news anchors and the famous people they interviewed, began to come in to dine. “I’ve had the opportunity to meet some very famous people through my cooking,” says Fausto. “And it has been just wonderful!” After developing relationships with some of the network executives, Fausto was offered the opportunity to do cooking segments on occasion and then on a regular basis. All of this only added to his local popularity. While Fausto was enjoying his newfound success, his wife Binda, the coat check girl at the very same restaurant, was slowly stealing his heart. Binda too had grown up in the restaurant business in the small Italian town of Abruzzi. With her business ability and Fausto’s cooking talent, it was a match made in heaven. Soon the couple married and together began reaching for more stars. After several vacations in the resort, the couple moved to the Ocean City area in 1993, with the goal of opening their own restaurant. In what seemed like no time, they opened the doors to Ristorante Antipasti. With Fausto in the kitchen and Binda managing the operations, they once again became the talk of the town. People come from near and far. Many that used to dine with Fausto back in “Philly” make the trip for a superior dining experience, some on a regular basis. In fact, so many people from both his Philadelphia beginning and his new chapter here in Ocean City, shared their wonderful dining experience with the Food Network, that they sent their own fact finding team to taste the fare. The result was a glowing recommendation from Jill Cordes & Marc Silverstein of the Food Network and an appearance on the Food Networks show, “The Best Of.” Ristorante Antipasti was also voted one of the five best Italian restaurants in the country, a Food Network viewer’s choice award! For the locals, it’s wonderful to have this level of Italian cuisine right in our own backyard. If you’re here on vacation, dining at Ristorante Antipasti should be a “Must Do” on your list. You are sure to be greeted, right at the door, by Fausto himself and whisked away for a truly memorable meal.