A friend's birthday was this weekend, and she was requesting Italian. She'd never been to Carmine's on Penn, but I had celebrated many a friend's birthday there, and the noisy, boisterous, festive atmosphere would be just right for our little party.
Something that is a bit annoying about Carmine's is that the menu is posted on a large chalkboard (for example, "Pasta Boscaiolo") without any explanations of what each dish is. I suppose that the regulars never have to ask, but our friends had never been here, and I had a hard time remembering. Our server, however, was great about patiently explaining the ingredients of each dish. The food is served family-style in insanely large portions. Eventually, after much discussion with our server, we ordered a Caesar salad (pretty standard, nothing special), the Pasta Boscaiolo (spaghetti with portobello, spinach, and some other veggies - really good) and the Chicken Pazzo (chicken scallopines with eggplant and cheese on top - also very good). It was PLENTY of food for the four of us - we never came close to finishing the salad or the pasta. We enjoyed a bottle of Italian white - a Tocai blend - that was very good. For dessert, we split a cookie thing with fruit and cream on top - yum. The meal came to about $130. Which included the free entertainment. Yes, really - there was no extra charge for the loud slurred conversations peppered with episodic bouts of ear-splitting belly laughs from drunken patrons at nearby tables. Can you believe it? It all adds to the fun-loving atmosphere to be had at Carmine's. Happy Birthday, M!!!
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