Mario Batali's place in The Palazzo was just ok. Mario's got to be careful. Some of his places are awesome, but he risks becoming sort of a celebrity chef joke. Carnevino is supposed to be an Italian style steakhouse, so maybe it was our fault that our meal was average because we didn't order any beef. All signs pointed toward an excellent meal when they started us with a basket of excellent bread - always a good indicator. We continued to be encouraged through the app course with the gnocchi bolognese. But when the entrees came out, it got a little off track. My pork cutlet with brown butter was bland - it could've used some salt and maybe some herbs (sage?). One of my dining companions noted that her parpadelle looked (and tasted) almost exactly like the gnocchi that started with. My buddy's saltimboca was excellent though. The ultimate indicator is that we skipped dessert - our expectations appropriately lowered.
I bet if Mario were actually paying attention to what was coming out of this kitchen with his name on it, it would be much better.