This New Marinara Sauce Has Officially Started the Tomato Sauce Wars
When it comes to store-bought marinara sauces, there are really only a few jars at the supermarket that can be considered gourmet. Rao's has been a classic on the sauce aisle for years—and it even earned the top spot in our tomato sauce taste test, so you know it has to be good.
Though getting a reservation at Rao's Italian restaurant in New York is nearly impossible, anyone can enjoy its gourmet sauces after a quick trip to your local grocery store. However, Rao's tomato sauce could finally be dethroned by a new competitor hitting store shelves.
Carbone, a 2-Michelin star iconic NYC restaurant, just started bottling its famous marinara sauce. It's now available nationwide along with two other popular sauces: arrabiata and tomato basil. Major Food Groups, the parent company of Carbone, made the announcement on Monday.
Just like at the restaurant, these sauces will be made in small batches, meaning quality isn't sacrificed when you dine at home. Given that the price of a bowl of pasta from Carbone the restaurant is more than triple the cost of an entire jar of its sauce, this option is far more affordable—not to mention easier. (Sadly, it's equally difficult to get a reservation at Carbone!) The new sauces come in 24-ounce jars that retail for $8.99, a price point comparable to Rao's.
This isn't the first time we've seen restaurants go head-to-head over grocery and menu items. The Chicken Sandwich Wars have only continued to heat up recently with new entries from top fast-food chains. So, did Carbone just start the marinara sauce wars? It definitely appears that way . . .
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