My new best friend, Laraine Newman, recently took me to Carmines here
in Los Angeles, an old school Italian joint that was once the stomping
grounds of the Rat pack. From what I heard, there was quite a lot of
stomping that took place there. Not only rich in City of Angels
History, it has terrific food and a staff eager to please. If you ever
feel the need to step back in time and slip your butt into a comfy old
red leather banquette that boasts the resting places– at least temporarily –
of such legendary butts as those belonging to Dean Martin, Sammy Davis
Jr., and Frank Sinatra, this is the place. A history of Carmines is
available on this site, written by Laraine, and is well worth the read.
However, my Carmines story involves the other coast. In the early 90’s,
Godfried Polistanna and partners opened what was the first new ‘Family
Style’ restaurant in maybe fifty years on Manhattan’s Upper West side.
Designed to look like it had been there for ages, it was also as ‘old
school’ as a new place could be. A huge space with lots of dark wood,
simple tables and white linen, it was adorned with mismatched
chandeliers and lamps, its walls covered with old photographs of every
conceivable Italian looking man, woman, child and family. It was a
revived Don Peppi’s in Queens, a throwback to the Italian joints on
Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, and it was a huge, huge hit. Most nights
the wait for a table was two hours, maybe more. People couldn’t get
enough of it.
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Carmines NYC
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