This is my next post-bowling hangout place! I have a rare chance to grab a drink and some food on…read morethe way home tonight from bowling. The restaurant is located on 389 Main St. in East Hartford. Their kitchen is built fresh, from scratch, and all homemade. Their appetizers, pasta, entrees and desserts combine old-world traditional Italian flavor with a modern flair for presentation, and the freshest ingredients around. Menu staples like calamari, chicken milanese, fettucine carbonara and ravioli are paired with unique recipes like pappardelle with sausage and tenderloin steaks. They have staffed our kitchen with a dream team of local chefs that ensure our quality does not waiver and our kitchen is always OPEN! You just can't go wrong.
For my drink, I'm having the Jack Berry Smash made with Jack Daniel's Blackberry, REAL raspberry puree, lemon juice, simple syrup, muddied mint and lemon. What a unique taste! I love this drink!
For my appetizer, I'm having the Meatball Side. These are the chef's meatballs with mozzarella (light for me). I want it as spicy as possible. Oh yeah! This is fantastic! It's spicy, warm and yummy! The addition of hot pepper flakes (yes, I remove the cap first) really helps!
They have open mike here tonight! This place is famous for live music! These guys are good! I could stay here all night!
For my next item, I'm having a Side Caesar Salad. A classic Caesar salad is a crisp green salad made with romaine lettuce, croutons, and Parmesan cheese. It is tossed in a rich, savory dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, egg, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and anchovies. Caesar Cardini invented the dish in Tijuana, Mexico, in 1924. This is absolutely delicious! This a big portion size too! I love their Caesar dressing! It's well tossed with lots of croutons. Always add pepper to this. I even get a new fork! That's very thoughtful!
For my next drink, I am having the Grapefruit Fizz made with Tangueray gin, Elderflower Liqueur, grapefruit juice and soda water. Oh yeah! This is good! Considering it is served in a 16oz glass, I can taste the alcohol! The bartender got that right! The bartender is real awesome! He certainly knows how to make a drink let me tell you that! He smiles, is very talkative and enjoys his job. You can't ask for better!
For my entree, I'm having the Sausage Pappardelle which is homemade sausage (less for me) in a bechamel sauce with broccoli rabe (a favorite of mine - more for me), crushed red pepper (load it up baby!) over fresh papardelle. Béchamel sauce is a classic French white sauce made by cooking equal parts butter and flour into a roux, then whisking in warm or cold milk until smooth. Seasoned with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg, it serves as a foundation for lasagna, mac and cheese, and gratins. Pappardelle is a large, very broad, flat ribbon pasta originating from the Tuscany region of Italy, measuring about 2 to 3 centimeters (3/4 to 1 inch) wide. Carmines tries to accommodate everyone! For me? EXTRA EXTRA spicy! Let's see how this goes. This is a BIG dish! I mean big! It's piping hot (temperature) too! It's very tasty! It's not really super "hot" (as in spicy), but they can only work with they have! Still, I can taste the heat! What a great job! It's a great dish and worth every dime! What a great meal here!
For my final drink, I'm having a Negroni. A Negroni is an Italian cocktail, made of equal parts gin, vermouth rosso (red, semi-sweet), and Campari, generally served with ice, and commonly garnished with an orange slice or orange peel. It is considered an apéritif. Let's see how they do! The taste is perfect! The orange slice is fine (no peeler here): normally it's an orange peel. The straw is odd (usually it's a stirrer). However, the taste of this drink is absolutely perfect! I cannot ask for more! Great job here! What a fantastic experience!