On a chilly winter night, we wanted a spot that was as close to our theater as humanly possible! We opted for Carmine’s, a popular destination within the theater district, especially on a cold Saturday night!
THE ATMOSPHERE
The atmosphere is electric here...that’s my nice way of saying that it was packed! People on top of people on top of people! But it was a fun way to get excited for "Hello, Dolly!" And being just steps from the Shubert Theatre was delightful.
Our waiter was wonderful, inquiring if we were headed to a show that evening, and when hearing that we were, he ensured us that he had expedited our meal in the kitchen so we wouldn’t miss our show.
THE DRINKS
We saddled up to the bar to grab a drink before our table was ready, and we each ordered a glass of wine: a Riesling for Mom and a Chianti Classico for me. The bartender asked if we wanted a glass-and-a-half. I didn’t hesitate in saying no! It had been a long day of sightseeing, and judging by the crowd at the bar, I figured we should make the most of this time we had with our bartender as he was going to be a popular guy!
The wine came out in little carafes that we continued to pour into our little glass tumblers throughout the night.
THE FOOD
The downside of Carmine’s is that it is family style, which makes eating on your own or even as just two makes it hard. Our bartender helped us out by suggesting the portobello parmigiana, and after seeing how good it looked when the lady next to us ordered it, we were in.
The dish was perfect: covered in melted mozzarella and placed on a bed of homemade-feeling tomato sauce. And it was the perfect amount for two people who weren’t overly hungry. That, paired with the bread basket, filled us up perfectly without being too terribly full for the play!
OVERALL RATING
We ended the evening with an espresso each and made it to our show in plenty of time!
If you’re planning to eat here before a show, reservations are a must, as well as your patience for dealing with the crowds that Times Square is known for 🙂
4.5/5 for being the quintessential New York feeling kickoff to our night at the theater!