The chef and co-founder of Carrabba’s Italian Grill—a popular Italian-American chain restaurant with around 250 locations across the U.S.—is selling his 323-acre estate in Texas Hill Country.
Restauranteur Damien Mandola and his wife, Trina, have listed their sprawling compound in Driftwood, Texas, about 25 minutes outside of Austin, for $12 million. The Tuscan-style mansion dubbed "Villa Antiquita," meaning Villa of Antiques for the plethora of period fixtures and fittings built into the home, is one of at least two properties the restaurateur has on the market.
More:Contemporary Houston House Asks $19.5 Million
Mr. Mandola is also selling a six-bedroom estate that is in Tuscany, Italy, for €1.7 million (US$2 million). The cross-Atlantic properties are both listed with the Alonso Group at Keller Williams Luxury Homes International.
Mr. Mandola founded Carrabba’s with his nephew Johnny Carrabba in Houston in 1986. Years later, they sold the rights to turn the popular eatery into a national chain to Bloomin’ Brands—the operator of Outback Steakhouse and Bonefish Grill. The fast-casual food chain, which sells typical American-style Italian fare like wood-fired pizzas, chicken marsala and lasagna, is consistently ranked the best Italian restaurant chain by Ranker.com. Mr. Mandola could not immediately be reached for comment.
The multi-millionaire’s 8,700-square-foot mansion features five bedrooms, five full bathrooms, a wet bar, wine cellar and tasting room and office.
The gems of the house include some 60 handpicked antiquities from France and Italy, some of which date as far back as the 15th century, that are built into the architecture and are part of the sale, listing agent Jennifer Alonso said.
"The owner’s favorites are the custom-designed, wainscotting panels in the living room; they are hand carved," Ms. Alonso said. Mr. Mandola imported the 28 panels from an Italian monastery.
There’s also a 15th-century hand-carved stone fireplace from an old Italian villa and carved relief of baby Jesus from around 1800.
"It was fashioned in the amazing style of famous Renaissance artist Luca della Robbia of Florence," Ms. Alonso said.
Fitting the home of a chef, the kitchen is one of the property’s notable features, the broker said. A massive kitchen island is topped with a four-inch butcher’s block and decorated with a wrought iron overhead pan display, according to the listing. There are marble countertops and a deep, double-basin limestone sink.
More:Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Selling Texas Vacation Home
Besides modern appliances like a Wolf range and Sub-Zero fridge, the home also has a 200-year-old stone pizza and a large herb garden outside.
"The kitchen is is something he designed himself," Ms. Alonso said. "Even some of the recipes for his restaurants were created there."
The large outdoor patio has its own cooking range and pizza oven, beyond which are the property’s extensive grounds. The estate abuts about 4,000 feet of Onion Creek, a stream fit for swimming and kayaking, according to the listing agents.
There’s also a pool, bocce court and two separate guest houses.
Mr. Mandola and his wife bought the property in 2003 for an undisclosed amount, according to property records. He owns another home in neighboring Wimberley, Texas, records show, and a number of properties in Italy, according to the brokers.