Welcome to New York!
I know my blog is called "Small Towns Big Flavors," but I traveled to New York City this past week and couldn't resist sharing my experience with y'all. So for this week and this week only, we will call the blog, "Big City Big Flavors."
In the heart of the Theater district in New York City stands Carmine's Italian restaurant. With people from all over the world dining beside you and locals coming in for lunch after play rehearsal on Broadway, you are sure to have an authentic New York experience, but in this case, with an Italian twist.
Carmine's is known for serving all their food family style, and everything is southern Italian. The menus are giant chalk boards on the walls, so guests will get up and walk around the restaurant. With Italian music playing throughout the room, you feel like you're dining in Italy.
The chicken parmigiana is a classic and popular order at Carmine's. This cuisine serves around 5 people. With smoke trailing from the kitchen to the table, the waiter places the hot dish down and serves it himself. The sweet marinara is homemade and compliments the milky flavor of the fresh mozzarella.
Each table has freshly grated parmesan which goes great with pasta, soups and risottos. Click here to learn more about parmesan.
Personally, I love bread. If a restaurant has fantastic bread, they go straight to the top of my list. Carmine's garlic bread is phenomenal! It is light and fluffy with a crunchy top of Italian herbs, garlic and cheese.
Carmine's receives a lot of complaints from customers about the size of their cups because they are unusually small, but Carmine's cherishes southern Italian tradition and chooses to keep the traditional glasses. A pitcher of water is left on the table, so you don't have to worry about being thirsty.
The most popular dessert at Carmine's is the Titanic. Homemade chocolate fudge and a banana makes up the base. Vanilla ice cream and fluffy homemade whipped cream is in the middle, and strawberries, pecans, caramelized pineapple slices, chocolate syrup and cookie straws are on the top. This massive beauty is the equivalent to an ice cream sundae on steroids.
If you ever find yourself in New York City, Carmine's Italian restaurant is worth the visit! With all this food, you will want to bring the entire family!
You've been invited to Carmine's Italian Restaurant!
200 West 44th Street New York, NY 10036
https://www.carminesnyc.com/locations/times-square
(212) 221-3800
Photo Credit: Katie Marie