Evaluation of a Restaurant

Blue and white filled the streets with football fans praising the Giants for their victory in the Super Bowl. The enthusiasm from the fans appeared to be pulsating as if the streets, itself, had a heartbeat. After an extremely chaotic morning and several beers later, my stomach began to growl obnoxiously. To wind down such a festive day in the Big Apple, my husband and I decided to have dinner at Carmine's in the Theatre District. Three criteria must be met for my husband and me to have an amazing dining experience. The three criteria would be a classy restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere, first class service, and fantastic food with descent size portions at a reasonable price.

The first criterion used to evaluate our options is that Carmines' is a classy restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere. When we walked inside, the interiors evoke the images of the quintessential New York restaurant with elements and details from the 1920s to the 1940s which is very enticing. Carmines' décor is upscale casual and the ambiance is warm and very lively, chock full of visiting tourists and locals, and very family-friendly. My husband and I chose to be seated at the bar area on the second floor where we had a panoramic view of the entire restaurant. Our voices were drowned out by the restaurant-wide chatter which was difficult in hearing ourselves converse about the drink and dinner menu. If you are looking for an intimate restaurant to have a quiet conversation, then skip Carmines.

The second criterion used to evaluate our options is first class service. The hostess who greeted us at the door was extremely eloquent. Martin and I were amazed by the volume of people dining and were sure we wouldn't get seated. We explained we were famished and the location of our seating was not a primary issue. To no avail, she promptly seated us. Although the bar was overcrowded, the bartender tended to are every whim. He answered every question in regards to the wine selection and allowed us to do some wine sampling before making our decision. Also, the waiter was very informative and descriptive with all the menu options and served our salad and dinner in a timely fashion. Martin and I happened to hit the jack pot on this occasion, but we were informed that it is best to make a reservation a day or two in advance if possible, otherwise expect to wait at least 1 hour for a table.

The third criterion used to evaluate our options is whether Carmines' provided descent portions in relevance to a rather inexpensive dining cost. The menu was extensive providing every kind of Italian food imaginable. Carmines' simple and very popular concept is to serve every meal in the style of an Italian style wedding feast, which means large portions of home-style antipasti, pastas, seafood and meat entrees served on large platters designed for sharing. Martin and I decided on the Caesar Salad and the Linguine with White Clam