| rev:text
| - There were just too many things about my dinner that I didn't like - from subpar food to surly service.
The style of Carmine's itself may appeal to some people, perhaps large families, but for me much of it seemed contrived by some "idea man" that wants a gimmick and sets that as a higher priority than anything else.
To start,. three of us were seated and given two menus. When I asked for another my server explained (with a little too much exasperation, as though this happens too many times) that the restaurant is family style and there are menus on the wall, so they only give every other person a menu. When I just smiled, she gave me a menu. Thank you.
The menu didn't have descriptions below the items. I love Italian food and can be equally happy with authentic Italian or with Americanized Italian food. But some of the dishes, like Chicken Scarpariello, I am not familiar with. If you purposely print a menu designed to make your customers ask for details, then employ servers that are friendly and willing to describe things.
Family style dining isn't a bad idea, but what happens when the salads are $23 and only 2 of the 3 people are in the mood for salad? Well, my friend, you are out of luck. The salad is easily large enough to serve 7 people and is piled so high on the plate that when the food runner plates it up for you several pieces fall all over the table. You could splurge and just order far more than you could eat, or somebody gets shorted.
Main courses were also easily able to feed 6 people or so. We tried the pasta special of 4 pastas on a platter. They were all very mediocre. In fact nothing stood out as being even marginally better than something I could buy frozen at Trader Joe's and reheat in my microwave.
We shared a bottle of wine and here the server actually anticipated a problem that probably occurs often. Apparently their wine glasses are the same as their water glasses - a very small juice glass. She warned us of this as soon as we ordered and offered to bring stemware. Yes, please. The wine was nice, but BIG PET PEEVE: Some wines need decanting. If you are too casual of a restaurant to do this, fine. Just don't sell wines that need decanting!! Do you know how unpleasant it is to be caught up in conversation only to take a final sip of wine and fill your mouth with sediment???? UGH!
And, since I am on a roll...why use water glasses that are so tiny? Whoever made that decision should have realized that directly corresponds to needing more staff available to refill. Nope, in reality it means sitting without water for a good part of the meal. Hello, it's a desert out there!
Dessert choices were confusing. Again, no descriptions on the menu and now no prices. This I really do not like. Why wouldn't you have prices?? Oh, someone's brilliant idea of forcing our surly server to have to explain. Well, this one you can order 2 or 4, but this one is only one size and big enough for 6 and this one is sold individually....Seriously? Why make it so confusing?
Even with all of that disappointment, I would have considered at least one more star if there was even anything in our copious leftovers that I would have bothered taking home to reheat. Nope, it was all blah. Even the bread was ick. Big Italian sin in my book.
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