Carmine's Italian Restaurant & Bar South Pasadena

My husband and I eat here for birthdays, comfort food for a job well-done or just any old day. There is another location of this restaurant in Arcadia but we like the South Pasadena location better because it is open just about all the time (the other one is closed on certain days and hours) and the ambiance is more comfy and interesting.

Carmine's knows how to do pasta, that's for sure. And the portions are huge-you'll always need a box to go. The prices went up in the past couple of years but that goes for everywhere else, too. It's still a good value.

They serve a basket of hot crusty rolls and butter when you order your drinks. Very good bread, easy to get filled up if you're not careful.

If you order a meal that comes with soup or salad, get the caesar salad. It's unique and so good. This salad has the regular romaine hearts, croutons and parmesan but it also has olives, a little tomato and rainbow rotelle, a really nice touch. It's hard not to eat the whole thing but I don't in order to save room for the gnocchi, my favorite dish at Carmine's.

You can get the baked gnocchi or gnocchi Carmine. Either one is a great choice, so I toggle my decision each time I go. The baked gnocchi is served in a boat dish, topped with thick, bubbling, hot-as-hell mozzarella that has melted and browned to perfection. The gnocchi Carmine is served in a large pasta bowl and tossed in a red garlicky sauce, sprinkled with a little parsley and grated parmesan. I wish I knew what was in this sauce. I'm addicted to it.

Their dessert menu is full of beautiful choices--there is a picture of each confection. Too bad I've been too full after every meal there to even try to order any afters.

The service is hit or miss, unfortunately. The bussers are usually diligent and are the ones who bring your refills on soft drinks. The servers sometimes forget about you, especially when you sit in the back corner, like we have a few times. It's really annoying and a disappointment when you consider how great the food is--you want the place to be better. Even the servers who have been there a long time don't do a great job. One time our food took about 40 minutes and our server just ignored us the whole time, looking over once in a while but never in the eyes. Then when the food came out she acted like nothing happened, didn't apologize or anything. I thought that was strange and disrespectful. A lot of the servers we've had seem forgetful, stressed, or unhappy. But I have had worse service elsewhere. I just don't like being forgotten.

Carmine's also has a full bar with sports, karaoke and billiards. Great margaritas! I've been to a few parties there. It's a fun place. The restaurant area also accomodates large parties. I've been to a few of those, too.

The owner is often around, working, greeting and seating patrons. He's friendly and likes to chat with people. You'll know him when you see him.

So I say, eat here, enjoy the food and don't take the service personally.