Carmine’s on Penn is one of the most consistently popular restaurants in Denver. The place is, and has been, busy for years, keeping its neighborhood’s cravings for oversized plates of pasta and overflowing glasses of wine consistently sated. It is hardly an unknown.
But a few things about Carmine’s on Penn, one of Denver’s most invariable restaurant experiences, bear repeating.
They include:
1. This is a fine place to take large groups of people. The tables are spacious — groups of six, eight, 14 are not uncommon here — and the family-style service (great big plates of steaming pasta for everyone to share) means that dinner is a communal experience. And since everything’s available to everyone, there’s none of that annoying “now that we’ve had three bites, let’s all pass our plates!” routine that so often taints otherwise lovely suppers in some of Denver’s better restaurants.
2. This is a smart place to take fussy eaters. The food is the kind of simple, straightforward Italian food that’s as accessible to the grandkids as it is to Grandpa (think baked ziti, chicken Parmesan, sausage and peppers), which all but guarantees that no nose will be turned up. (Neither is it culinarily provocative, but sometimes provocative cooking is not what people are hungry for. Usually, actually.)
3. This is a very good place to take kids. There are crayons and spaghetti on the table, a totally friendly and kid-savvy staff, and plenty of wine to help Mom and Pop (and Grandma and Grandpa) to relax.
Carmine’s, which has been slinging oversized plates of pasta in various incarnations for over 15 years, has never been in contention for Best Restaurant, but then, it’s never felt like the kind of restaurant that was aiming for such recognition. Carmine’s mission is to keep the tables full and active, keep the kitchen humming, keep the wine flowing, and to close out every night in the black. I imagine they do it.
It sounds like a simple mission, to aim at the center rather than to aim for the top. Focus a bit lower, somewhere just north of “good enough,” and what can go wrong, right? But the truth is, dozens of restaurants try, and fail, to succeed. Carmine’s succeeds.
The food, the room, even the idea of Carmine’s, is familiar, accessible, easy to grasp. Festive and inclusive (as long as you have a reservation; come without one and you may be left waiting for a frustratingly long time). Rare is the customer who scratches his head at the chalkboard menu wondering what to get; and besides, that customer wouldn’t stay in those weeds very long — his waiter wouldn’t allow him to. Instead, he’d direct him, efficiently and speedily, to the safest item on the menu: Pasta alla Carmine’s, made with tomatoes, basil, capers and marinara sauce. It is safe, satisfying, and at $23.95 on a platter big enough to serve four, a good bargain. Inventive? No. But inventiveness would contradict Carmine’s purpose.
Watch out for this: overordering. While the Pasta alla Carmine’s clocks in relatively cheap ($23.95 for several servings), some platters push $40, and if you order too many things, your bill will creep up. Two platters, plus salad, will feed four people with enough leftovers for everyone’s lunch tomorrow.
Here’s who eats at Carmine’s on Penn: Old people. Young people. People in the middle. Kids. And their relatives. In short, you and anyone else you can think of. And you’d think, with all that pasta and wine, that Carmine’s is best in the cooler months. But thanks to a lovely patio, the opposite is true: Summer is when Carmine’s peaks.
Will you find Denver’s very best Italian food at Carmines on Penn? You won’t. But you will find reliable fare, served by an energetic and hospitable staff in a relaxed environment. It is a not-overthought, not-overwrought restaurant, an easy place to go to. When you have a group gathering for a celebratory meal, you’ll score at Carmine’s. Comfortable and constant (no surprises), it occupies a happy corner of Denver’s dining heart.
CARMINE’S ON PENN
Italian
92 S. Pennsylvania, 303-777-6443; carminesonpenn.net
** (out of 4)
Atmosphere: Lively room, usually full to capacity. Generous tables provide much-needed space.
Service: Friendly, swift
Plates: Family-style platters, $23.95-$44.95
Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 5-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 5-10 p.m.; Sunday 5-9 p.m.; closed Monday
Details: Reservations recommended. Street parking. Wheelchair accessible. Crowded at peak hours. Pleasant patio. Good for large parties. Kids love it.
Three visits
Our star system: ****: Exceptional ***: Great **: Very Good *: Good
