I have always disliked the term "restaurant concept." It sounds so detached from what I truly love about restaurants. You know, a sense of individual identity − a sense that the owner or chef has a story to tell. So when I heard about a new Italian concept that is set to open in Covington in early November, I wasn't exactly enthused.

However, when I learned more about the two restaurant veterans behind it, my enthusiasm kicked into gear. Let's not think of Carmelo's, from the newly minted Something Underground Hospitality, as a concept. Instead, let's look into the connection owners Billy Grise and Mitch Arens have to both its cuisine and its sense of purpose.