When people say that quartz looks like "fake" stone it always makes me scratch my head. For me, I love it because it is clean and uniform--if I wanted "real" stone with the variability that comes with real stone, I'd choose granite or marble. Saying it looks like fake stone is like saying that cork looks like fake wood. Two very different materials, two very different looks. Neither one is better--it's what style you prefer. Exactly! But I have found that many people try to sell quartz counters saying they look like granite but are better/easier/tougher (which I think has already been addressed above). Some of their colours do appear to be in fact imitating the look of real stone. I don't think they do well at that, but I totally agree with you that it's a great choice if you want a uniform or clean look or their vibrant colours.

Fwiw, I just mixed faux-marble quartz (Lagoon) with a Carrera backsplash and at least in it's pre-grouted state, I'm really happy. It was hard for me to find a backsplash that worked well with the grey-ish tones of the Lagoon, mostly because my cabinets are painted taupe. Anything that "matched" the cabinets seemed too brownish for the counters. The Carrera blends the two perfectly. I think it also works because I wound up using a very small-scale herringbone pattern, so the patterns in the marble tiles are less pronounced. Fwiw, I don't see the calacutta tiles that the OP posted working with a greyish quartz that's similar to Lagoon, and I'd also be concerned about pattern overload with a subway tile. But having worried about the fake-next-to-real problem, I wanted to at least add my experience that it can be done. One of the prettiest kitchens on here, done by a pro, is GW user @kompy, who used a different marble subway with Lagoon counters, and it looks stunning.

I love the way the gray Caesarstone looks. But, I don't know if I would combine it with marble. In my experience of playing around with combinations of samples, Caesarstone and "natural stone" don't play well together. Natural stones and marbles near Caesarstone (again, I think it is a beautiful material -- I'm not anti Caesarstone) make the Caesarstone look sort of fake, maybe because it is so regular. That said, Alabamamommy combines Caesarstone on her perimeter with marble on her island and her kitchen is stunning! So maybe if the two materials are separated enough it can work. Caesarstone also looks nice paired with wood. See the PBS "The Old House Kitchen" from a year ago. I agree with remodelfla's comments: your marble would look great on your dark island. Other idea: have you considered a bullet-proof stainless island? Soapstone also pairs beautifully with marble. Here is a link that might be useful: Alabamamomm's kitchen

I too would always choose a granite - personal taste. Having said that, Bianco Romano that you mentioned is one of the most absorptive, stain-prone granites there is, almost like a marble. There are so many other choices in light-colored granites. Johnsoro25's Alaska White just mentioned for example. I have a friend with that Alaska White granite. Not only is it beautiful, but she has 2 teenage boys and the granite takes their lack of care and even abuse no problem, and continues to look lovely. BTW, granites have interchangeable names sometimes. Alaska White is similar to Bianco Antico, Bianco Delicatus, White Delicatus, White Springs, Cold Springs, and Lennon. All are lovely with slight variations in appearance - some have more black chunks, some less, some are more taupe in feel, some have more pattern, some less. Stoneyards aren't that careful with how they name their granite slabs. Because of the variations, you really must go to different stoneyards to see what they have, and choose the slab that fits what you prefer.