Carmine's On Penn Italian Restaurant

What a lovely restaurant! The owner team personally greeted our large group and made us feel welcome. The staff were attentive at refilling eater and giving suggestions on menu. That vodka ravioli was DELICIOUS. And don't get me started on the garlic bread at the start. So many carbs. So so so good.

Family style Italian restaurant with some great choices to choose from. The menu is in the wall and leaves food descriptions behind and a lot of time asking the waitress what each meal included. We tried multiple dishes along with a salad and some drinks. Some of the noodles were undercooked in our order, but pretty decent flavors in each. Nothing spectacular though. The garlic bread was very intense with garlic. Drinks were wonderful and the staff was friendly. I'm not at all a fan of the servers bringing family style dishes to the table and then serving them out to each person. I would prefer leaving the dishes so we could have our own amount and all the yummy sauce at the bottom! Desert was not as rich as expected, with nuts included with the chocolate cake that was not informed by the menu. Thankfully no but allergies in the group this time. There is also a set 22% tip automatically added to your bill, so be warned. Parking around here is also not easy, plan to be dropped off by Uber or Lyft for best experience.

I used to dine here all the time. Took my partner for their birthday. I had made reservations, they sat us right next to the kitchen / bathroom hallway and right under the menu on the wall, rendering it impossible to read. I had stated in the reservation that it was his birthday. I feel like it was an odd choice for them to set us there? Didn't feel very special occasion? Dinner was good. But probably didn't live up to all the hype- I had given it.

Ross and I dined at Carmine’s on Penn & had a fabulous Italian meal - la cena era deliziosa! Carmine's on Penn boasted a wonderful staff and equally good food to boot. We arrived at Carmine’s on Penn and were seated in the dining room adjacent to the bar. The aesthetic of the restaurant was warm & relaxed with family sized portion Italian fare & a lively bar. General Manager, Jessica took great care of us. She was lovely and gave us a great background on the restaurant and menu items we should try. Our servers Shae & Aaron were attentive and quick with service. Shae started me off with a White Wine - the Argiolas Costamolino, Vermentino 2021, Sardegna. The Costamolino had flavor notes of ripe stone fruit & citrus. The wine's lemony acidity paired well with the vegetables in the bruschetta & Caesar salad. Jessica brought us garlic bread that was made fresh in house. The beautiful bread knots were warm, fluffy and filled with fresh garlic, butter, and olive oil taste. For Appetizers we had the Bruschetta made with fresh mozzarella, baked crostini and tomato bruschetta mix. The Bruschetta was bursting with fresh flavor. The bruschetta mix had a beautiful balance of mellow acidity and subtle garlic taste. The baked crostini was made in house and I loved that it had some flexibility to it - it wasn’t messy and crumbly like standard crostini is. For Salad we had the Community Caesar made with romaine lettuce, housemade croutons, parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing. This Caesar was amazing - the romaine lettuce was perfectly coated in thick, tangy Caesar dressing and each bite had parmesan cheese in it. For Ravioli we had the Vodka Ravioli made with three cheese ravioli in a vodka cream sauce topped with arugula and garlic oil. The Vodka Ravioli was a lusciously melty dish. The vodka sauce was bright in color and flavor from the tomatoes, vodka and crushed red pepper. It was creamy on the tongue while the pasta had soft chew and a warm cheesy center. For House Specials we had the Beef Short Ribs made with a pound of chianti-braised beef short ribs, creamy gorgonzola polenta, roasted carrots and cider vinegar poached kale with a chianti reduction. “These are the best short ribs I’ve ever had” Ross exclaimed after taking his first bite. The short ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender. We didn't even need a knife to cut the juicy meat; it fell right apart under our forks. The ribs topped dreamy polenta that made for velvety bites against the steaming meat. Shae paired the Ravioli and Short Ribs with a Red Wine - the Cantele, Primitivo 2019, Salento. The Cantele had flavor notes of plum and sour cherry. It was an excellent pair for the rich vodka sauce of the ravioli and juicy red meat of the short ribs. For Dessert we had the Carmine's Tiramisu made with fresh baked lady finger cake, dunked in coffee, topped with rich mascarpone cream sauce and drizzled with chocolate. This Tiramisu was sinfully delicious and I couldn’t get enough of the rich mascarpone cream sauce and chocolate drizzle that topped it. The pastry quality mascarpone cream was so silky and generously coated each bite of fluffy lady finger cake.

We really enjoyed our experience at Carmine's. The food, drinks and service were all excellent. Most of the dishes are served family style and dished out by the servers while standing at your table. And the bread they serve before the meal is insanely good!!