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crossroads
Citizen
Username: Crossroads
Post Number: 51
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 7:50 am: |     |
Heading to NJ from Maine this weekend to visit family. We're all going into the city on Sunday. My sister has made reservations at Carmine's. I checked out their web site too. Anybody every been? Go SOX!! |
shh
Citizen
Username: Shh
Post Number: 2344
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 8:44 am: | |
Which one?
I've been to the one on 44th quite a few times.
The atmosphere is loud, but kind of fun. Lots to look at.
Food ranges from mediocre to fairly good. Portions are family sized, so a salad and pasta dish could easily feed up to four people.
My sister and I went a few years ago for my b-day lunch, just sat at the bar. Had an eggplant sandwich which comes with a tasty cucumber salad and fried calamari, and a glass or two of red wine. I remember my husband took me to Jocelyne's for dinner that night and I was still full from lunch! |
algebra2
Supporter
Username: Algebra2
Post Number: 3167
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 9:05 am: | |
love the cesear salad, porterhouse, chicken marsala, and house wine
both locations are lots of fun - definitely a place to go with a group (which you must be since they don't accept reservations for under six I think).
if you say it's your birthday I think you get a free dessert? maybe? |
redY67
Citizen
Username: Redy67
Post Number: 935
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 9:07 am: | |
Great time with a big group. I have never had a bad meal there! |
papayagirl
Citizen
Username: Papayagirl
Post Number: 345
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 9:49 am: | |
Ditto the others - it's not exactly gourmet, but it's a blast for groups. (Not to say i haven't gone when it was just my husband and me). Try the fried zucchini appetizer for the table... it's addictive, and you have to see it to believe it. I also agree that the chicken marsala is great, as is the penne with vodka sauce. And the tiramisu for dessert. =-) Typically the waiter will ask you if you've been there before, and he'll tell you how many dishes are appropriate to feed everyone.
My favorite Carmine's story is from when we went to the uptown location with my husband, my brother, and my brother's girlfriend a few years ago. Stevie Wonder was sitting with a group across the room, and as we were being seated, the waiter who was clearing some dishes at a table next to ours said SW had just come over and sang Happy Birthday to someone in the party that just left. My brother's gf was very bummed, because she was the only one who didn't work in nyc, so celebrity sightings are very rare and more exciting to her than they were to us. An hour or two later, we were done eating, and said gf paid a visit to the restroom. As we sat waiting for her, SW was excorted up from his table, he stopped to sing Happy Birthday to another person in the restaurant, and then he left. A minute later gf walked out of the restroom and asked what all of the commotion she heard was about. None of us had the heart to tell her! |
weekends
Citizen
Username: Weekends
Post Number: 59
Registered: 1-2002
| | Posted on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 11:39 am: | |
Thinking about Carmine's fried calamari... starting to drool. |
Yonti2323
Citizen
Username: Yonti2323
Post Number: 25
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 2:19 pm: | |
It's a fun, family-style restaurant designed for big groups, but the food is mediocre at best. (I think the closest comparison is the buffet you get at a hotel conference center.) With all of the amazing dining options in NYC, I wouldn't recommend Carmines. |
Zoesky1
Citizen
Username: Zoesky1
Post Number: 741
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 4:16 pm: | |
I used to go to the uptown one quite a bit about 10 years ago. It was great for a big group, and the place is incredibly raucous and loud. Food is tasty for what you pay. But Yonti is right -- it's NYC.....you can do much better! |
mrosner
Citizen
Username: Mrosner
Post Number: 1825
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 4:20 pm: | |
I think Carmine's is now under new ownership as of a couple of month's ago.
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Dego Diva
Citizen
Username: Fmingione
Post Number: 329
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Friday, April 1, 2005 - 10:41 pm: | |
One word of advice -
leave room for the Tiramisu!!! |
juju's petals
Citizen
Username: Jujus_petals
Post Number: 62
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, April 2, 2005 - 6:58 am: | |
Funny story about Carmines.
About 12 years ago while still the very suspect, newly arrived in NY, live-in girlfried of my now husband, I had dinner out with his extended Jersey-based Italian-American family at Carmines. At one point someone asked me what I planned to do with my car that was parked and largely unused in Hoboken. I told them I'd lost the title and the out of state registration had expired so joked "I guess I'll just have to sell it to the Mafia." Maybe I said that last thought too loudly because not only did the whole table of eventual inlaws glare at me, I think several nearby tables stopped talking and did the same. As time slowed down in my mortification, I have this clear image of these Italian ancestor portraits on the walls of Carmines and suddenly they, too, seemed to glare at me.
Then, my favorite aunt-in-law, came to my rescue and told a story about the time she did, in fact, sell her car to the Mafia. |
Charles De Mar
Citizen
Username: Charles_demar
Post Number: 66
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, April 2, 2005 - 9:32 am: | |
Food Is Great. Your love for the Red Sox stinks. |
gemini
Citizen
Username: Gemini
Post Number: 398
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, April 2, 2005 - 3:53 pm: | |
Rigatoni w/ brocolli in garlic sauce....yum! Cash or amex only, I believe |
crossroads
Citizen
Username: Crossroads
Post Number: 52
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 - 10:39 am: | |
Well I'm back from the city. Thank you to all for your comments. I had a great time and the food was excellent. We tried 5-6 different dishes, but the stuffed mushrooms were above and beyond. My only complaint was the nasty glares and occasional remarks I received from total strangers... so what if I was wearing a RedSox shirt! Just kidding the banter was all in good fun. Thanks Again. |
spw784
Supporter
Username: Spw784
Post Number: 690
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, April 30, 2005 - 12:24 pm: | |
Just wondering, what is appropriate dress for Carmine's? We are celebrating my sister's 30th bday tonight, and her hubby made all the arrangements. Not sure what I should wear. From everyone's comments above, it doesn't sound like a dressy dress / jacket & tie type place. We don't want to be overdressed, but also don't want to be too casual.
FWIW, we are going to the 44th St one, and not going to a show afterwards. |
Jay
Citizen
Username: Jaymon
Post Number: 84
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, April 30, 2005 - 12:36 pm: | |
Sneakers and jeans - this is not a formal place.
Just be comfortable and bring a healthy appetite! |
spw784
Supporter
Username: Spw784
Post Number: 691
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, April 30, 2005 - 3:03 pm: | |
Thanks, Jay. |
spw784
Supporter
Username: Spw784
Post Number: 692
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, April 30, 2005 - 10:46 pm: | |
There were 10 adults and a toddler...we had a great time, despite the noise and crowdedness (?) of the place. We had the fried zucchini as an app (we ordered something else, spaetini?, which never arrived). Entrees were: Lemon chicken, eggplant parm, veal parm, penne vodka, and spag/meatballs. For dessert we split the Titanic (which I was trying to post a picture of, but couldn't get it to be smaller than 800 by 800). It easily served the 11 of us, and we had about 1/3 of it left over. Great time. Dinner averaged about $25 pp (including tip, not including the $50 worth of soda -- 4 pitchers). Would go again, but not on a Saturday night!
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