Carmine’s
Bread Basket – Focaccia, Rye, Tomato and Herb, Rustic Italian
Cold Antipasto Platter – Mortadella, Prosciutto, Eggplant Caponata, Salmon Crostini, Seafood Salad, Mixed Olives, Panini and More
Spicy Scarpariello Wings
Eggplant Parmigiana
Lasagna
Double Espresso on Ice
Bread Pudding
Strawberry Shortcake
Chocolate Cannoli
Opened in the Forum Shops at Caesars’ by Artie Cutler and the team behind two New York City locations, one in Atlantic City, DC and even the Bahamas, Carmine’s is cut from the same Southern-Italy-by-way-of-NYC cloth as chains such as Bucca di Beppo or Maggiano’s Little Italy, yet by doing ‘the little things’ right the experience is upgraded at least two-fold while still maintaining its customer-friendly prices.
Assuredly a tourist gathering point, though a fair share of locals have been heard to say they enjoyed their visits, Carmine’s Las Vegas location opened in Summer of 2013 and closing in on three years with Chef Michael Ingino involved since doors opened the very concept of a “scratch kitchen” feeding a room that seats up to eight hundred from 11:00AM to 11:00PM weekdays (and till Midnight on weekends) may seem exhausting, but in reality the attitude of everyone in the place remains not only pleasant but downright exuberant.
Currently managed by Anthony Esparza, a pleasant man whose enthusiasm for a big job seems contagious to his staff, it was as part of a party of four that seats were taken under one of the colossal menus mounted amidst black & white photos not dissimilar to any number of Italian-American restaurants and with portions as outsized as the restaurant’s character the phrase “Family Style” rings true from the onset, our waiter warning that each plate was meant to serve anywhere from “two to four” guests.
Skipping the grandeur of a place like Carbone, casting aside stereotyped Italian phrases and an absurd check in favor of a sort of “Sunday at Grandma’s” vibe, feasting at Carmine’s commences with an ample Bread Basket likely to tempt all but the most carbohydrate conscious and with Sinatra, Dean and Sammy playing overhead in not-too-loud fashion the question of where best to begin is a daunting one, the fact that nearly everything but Pasta and imported Charcuterie is made on-site further complicating the decision.
Acknowledging from the start that over-ordering at Carmine’s is a virtual guarantee, “two to four” better translated as “four or more,” it was to a large platter of Antipasti that the table was soon treated and although the phrase “something for everyone” is often a dicey proposition it would be difficult to call the smorgasbord anything less as everything from simple meats and cheese to a complex seafood salad are presented elegantly with a price not dissimilar to what such a spread would cost from Whole Foods Market.
Told that the Spicy Scarpariello Wings were something crave-worthy, two dozen plump pieces of Chicken cooked crisp before a bath in vibrant sauce teaming with garlic, lemon and peppers, suffice it t say that the housemade Blue Cheese Dressing alone would make this plate worth ordering instead of lesser versions at the local Sports Bar, a followup of Lasagna and Eggplant Ptarmigan showing the former to not be quite as crisp as one might hope across the top while the 9-layered latter outperforms any other version in town by a significant degree as each hand-sliced and stacked piece is baked soft without turning mushy around what could easily be a pound or more of Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella Cheese.
Joking with the server about his description of Strawberry Shortcake, the desserts all tempting but that one sounding particularly odd when accidentally described as being served on Rye, it was in good humor that the actual dish was served complimentary alongside a block of Cinnamon and Chocolate Bread with fresh Whipped Cream and three filled-to-order Cannolis, the Bread Pudding actually almost *too*dense at the end of such a meal while Marble Cake beneath Cream and Strawberries was soft and light, the citrus-tinged Mascarpone filling each Chocolate-dipped Shell equally convincing of Carmine’s commitment to quality.
FOUR STARS: Accounting for the fact that Carmine’s is positioned to compete for the ‘average’ tourist dollars and not those looking for an ‘event’ meal or fine dining there is little doubt that what Michael, Anthony and their team is doing at Carmine’s goes a step beyond to make the overall experience a worthwhile outing, and one that tourists as well as locals may equally be likely to enjoy.
RECOMMENDED: Spicy Scarpariello Wings, Eggplant Parmigiana, Strawberry Shortcake.
AVOID: The Lasagna could have used a bit more time in the oven for my preference, but otherwise everything was as well executed as any other ‘red sauce’ joint in town with prices that compare favorably to many off-strip Mom n’ Pop places when taking portions into account.
TIP: Open 365 days a year, those looking for a real deal and far less work at Thanksgiving are encouraged to contact Carmine’s in November about their Family Feast – an 18-lb Turkey and all the fixings fully prepared and even offered for curbside pickup at the Caesars’ Valet.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
http://www.carminesnyc.com/locations/las-vegas/
