Mario Carbone has been back home exactly once since he came to town to open three restaurants in quick succession. It’s not a new idea for him, spending a month in a hotel, but he’s enjoying the southern hospitality in Dallas that he says is different from everywhere else. Eater sat down with Carbone again, this time in the indoor-outdoor patio at Vino in Dallas’ Design District.

“Carbone’s a week old, and we’re starting to wear it in a little bit, like a new pair of shoes. We’re starting to figure it out. Get our sea legs. Tonight’s our first night here, but we’re making our new home,” he says. Vino is the first of its kind among the Major Food Group concepts; an entire restaurant and wine cellar that intertwines with Carbone next door.