It’s been over forty years since I last went to Carmine’s! On that occasion, Carmine was still the chef, and we ran into Charlton Heston at the table next to us. I’m happy to say that the place hasn’t changed much. Carmine has passed, but successive generations have kept the place much the same as it always was, from menu to ambiance.
I particularly like the approach to the menu where you can select your pasta and then the preparation for that pasta. This approach extends to entrées where you select your protein and then the preparation for that protein. Perhaps it’s the engineer in me, but I really like this straightforward way to assemble exactly the meal you’d like.
We started with Caesar salad and an iceberg wedge. Both were perfectly classic in preparation and portion size.
For entrees, we had the unique Chicken Savoy, served with a somewhat tangy red wine vinegar sauce, and a seafood stew. Both of them were also very good.
We finished with tiramisu, which was good but not the best I’ve ever had. I prefer mine with a bit more booze and the lady fingers on the bottom.
There’s a small but thoughtful selection of wines by the glass, and an extensive list of Italian reds available by the bottle.
Service was very friendly, and the overall environment was very welcoming. It’s great to see a place that knows what’s made it successful for so many years continuing on with the tradition.