Anyone heard when this new place Carmines in Riverside opens? Noticed it the other day when I was out walking the dogs--looks like it's going to be a pizza place and they're advertising craft beer on the window, so sounds like a good addition to the area. I've become a fan of Casa Dora's downtown for my pizza fix, but it will be nice to have another option a bit closer.
Several so-so places have come and gone pretty quickly in this spot over the past few years so hopefully this one will pan out.
Rumor on the street is that Mellow Mushroom coming to the Park and King area. Good luck Carmines.....
Yeah, I've heard MM may be moving into the building that used to house the antique shop on King St.
Nothing wrong with a little healthy competition though--as long as it's not another sushi place.
MM really? that would be cool
MM is not competition, they are a crushing force. I can think of a few pizza places closing shop as a result of their intrusion to Riverside/Avondale.
With Kickbacks packing College, you may not be able to find on-street parking on King with MM between Park and College. The area is going to be jumping! I heard MM would lease the bank parking as well for after-hours.
Quote from: L.P. Hovercraft on February 17, 2011, 04:04:43 PM
Yeah, I've heard MM may be moving into the building that used to house the antique shop on King St.
Nothing wrong with a little healthy competition though--as long as it's not another sushi place.
Taylor Harris Antiques? That place?
I walk by everyday. Didn't seem like they started doing any work on the place until the last couple weeks, so I guess they're moving pretty quickly (the Carmines sign and the signs advertising beer, food etc on the window went up this week I believe). King really is blowing up.
I saw some suits inside the for-lease Carter's RX. Anyone know anything about that being taken over? If not, I've got a Pharmacy-themed ice cream parlor / bar concept I'd like to try out. Who wouldn't want ice cream at 2 when alcohol sales stop? or a root beer float without the root? or some truly devastating rum raisin ice cream?
QuoteI saw some suits inside the for-lease Carter's RX. Anyone know anything about that being taken over? If not, I've got a Pharmacy-themed ice cream parlor / bar concept I'd like to try out. Who wouldn't want ice cream at 2 when alcohol sales stop? or a root beer float without the root? or some truly devastating rum raisin ice cream?
I'm in. It could potentially be the Milk Bar 2.0.....
I think the Carmine's lot screams potential, but not how it's currently set up. There are so few properties left with so much land and frontage on 2 of the bigger streets in the area. I'd love to see something similar to what was proposed originally for the lot that the Black Sheep group is developing in 5 points. 3-4 stories, residential above office, above retail. That would really complete the King Street strip.
MM is tough to compete with. They've really stepped up their game in my opinion. They have 40+ beers, pretty well made food (i had a terrible salad from there last time i was there however), and they have fun nights like trivia, live music, etc........
I hope Carmines can find its niche, but in 5 years I'm tearing that building down.
Quotein 5 years I'm tearing that building down.
Agreed, I'll go further and state that the building and location is cursed, nothing makes it there. I would say parking is the issue, but Kickbacks has less parking and Steve has made that place work.
Quote from: Live_Oak on February 17, 2011, 04:34:02 PM
Taylor Harris Antiques? That place?
That's what I heard--don't know if it's definite though.
Quote from: PeeJayEss on February 17, 2011, 04:43:08 PM
I've got a Pharmacy-themed ice cream parlor / bar concept I'd like to try out. Who wouldn't want ice cream at 2 when alcohol sales stop? or a root beer float without the root? or some truly devastating rum raisin ice cream?
I like it! I always thought that Carters pharmacy building would make a cool retro style ice cream parlour. The bartenders
have to wear those little disposable white paper hats.
Quote from: mtraininjax on February 17, 2011, 04:10:11 PM
MM is not competition, they are a crushing force. I can think of a few pizza places closing shop as a result of their intrusion to Riverside/Avondale.
Meh, you go once or twice to check it out when it opens, but locals still need to support the independent mom and pops--leave the shiny new chain place to the suburbanites "slumming it up" in Riverside.
Quote from: mtraininjax on February 17, 2011, 05:54:50 PM
Agreed, I'll go further and state that the building and location is cursed, nothing makes it there. I would say parking is the issue, but Kickbacks has less parking and Steve has made that place work.
Yeah, I don't think that parking is the issue either. I think that building seems odd because of the set back--it's got that big parking lot around it and it just doesn't really fit with the rest of the area. You walk right past it and don't really even notice it. Hell, even Burger King across the street comes right up to the sidewalk. Maybe if they tore up the parking lot and did some nice landscaping it might work better.
I just walked by here while walking the dogs, and hopefully this place lasts (assuming the place is good). They have not only improved the building inside, but they have also worked on the parking lot. It appears also they are putting in a sign at King St to make people more aware of it.
I know the owner and I am really excited about the menu he is planning for the restuarant. Its definitely going to be worth a try when he opens in a few weeks
All of this sounds good. Park & King is turning into a real nice spot.
even more of a reason to build a streetcar! (now I sound like Ock! haha)
Isn't it amazing what happens when you drop a few visionaries like Liz Grenamyer, Kickback Steve, and Scott McAlister into an area with some neat historic buildings. All of a sudden EVERYBODY wants to be there. Fantastic!
now if we could just drop them Downtown!
Downtown is not friendly to businesses of this size. There are not so many buildings of an appropriate size and it is difficult to use the upper floors for anything.
A couple of years ago I heard of someone who wanted to put in a coffeeshop downtown on Bay and have his apartment above it. Because code required a two hour fire wall and ceiling as well as a fire door between the residential and commercial spaces, the whole project became too expensive and was abandoned. It was more of an upgrade to the building than he could afford.
Quote from: Dog Walker on February 18, 2011, 01:38:54 PM
Isn't it amazing what happens when you drop a few visionaries like Liz Grenamyer, Kickback Steve, and Scott McAlister into an area with some neat historic buildings. All of a sudden EVERYBODY wants to be there. Fantastic!
There is, of course, something to be said for the availability of disposable income.
Quote from: fsujax on February 18, 2011, 11:29:49 AM
even more of a reason to build a streetcar! (now I sound like Ock! haha)
True story. If MM goes in, Carmines is successful, and Whiteways would start serving some stinking dinner(!!!!) that area would be impossible to park in. It would be wall to wall cars from North of College to Jaxsons. The only solution would be streetcar.
Quote from: Captain Zissou on February 18, 2011, 02:51:12 PM
True story. If MM goes in, Carmines is successful, and Whiteways would start serving some stinking dinner(!!!!) that area would be impossible to park in. It would be wall to wall cars from North of College to Jaxsons. The only solution would be streetcar.
I'm sure someone will propose knocking down a block of those pesky "homes" for a parking garage...or First Guaranty will sell the empty end of their property.
I think there could be something to First Guaranty selling that lot. Also next to the building that MM is rumored to go in, is a large fenced in grass area that would facilitate their parking. I believe is is part of that existing building's land.
Quote from: Lucasjj on February 18, 2011, 03:07:29 PM
I think there could be something to First Guaranty selling that lot. Also next to the building that MM is rumored to go in, is a large fenced in grass area that would facilitate their parking. I believe is is part of that existing building's land.
Ah yes, the ol' "tall barbed wire fence protecting a patch of grass" area. Forgot about that.
I like the streetcar idea.
Quote from: Captain Zissou on February 18, 2011, 02:51:12 PM
Quote from: fsujax on February 18, 2011, 11:29:49 AM
even more of a reason to build a streetcar! (now I sound like Ock! haha)
True story. If MM goes in, Carmines is successful, and Whiteways would start serving some stinking dinner(!!!!) that area would be impossible to park in. It would be wall to wall cars from North of College to Jaxsons. The only solution would be streetcar.
A streetcar line from Park & King to DT is included in the mobility plan as an initial CIE priority project.
Lake: What is the timeline on that round of projects?? Is that implementation in 5 or 10, or funding in 5 or 10years?? I remember you saying it was one of those, i think.
The Riverside and Avondale area is becoming a major entertainment hub of the city. Good for all of those who live in the urban core.
Quote from: aubureck on February 18, 2011, 11:25:18 AM
I know the owner and I am really excited about the menu he is planning for the restuarant. Its definitely going to be worth a try when he opens in a few weeks
Cool--thanks for the info. Looking forward to checking it out.
From today's TU.
QuoteMellow expansion?
John Valentino is exploring expansion plans for the wildly-successful Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers.
The chain’s Tinseltown location has defied the struggles other restaurants have experienced in that area and Valentino has expanded to Jacksonville Beach and Fleming Island. He’s now considering adding spots in the Riverside area and in the St. Johns Town Center. The company is also weighing a partnership with Burrito Gallery at one or more of the possible new locations.
http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/401574/abel-harding/2011-02-21/coworking-space-debuting-downtown-jacksonville
Moose, your time is up soon!
website, not yet populated:
http://carminespiehouse.com/
anybody looking for work?
http://jacksonville.craigslist.org/fbh/2217729603.html
Carmines is open! Let's discuss.
I tried to call in an order around 8:30 last night but they were already closing up. The sign on the corner of Forbes & Kings says their hours are 11am- close.
Quote from: David on March 01, 2011, 09:00:28 AM
Carmines is open! Let's discuss.
I tried to call in an order around 8:30 last night but tthey were already closing up. The sign on the corner of Forbes & Kings says their hours are 11am- close.
I'll probably grab a couple slices or a calzone today for lunch. Will report back.
The specialty pizzas look awesome. A naughty Pineapple Express or a Humble Hummus would hit the spot right now. Yes, I know it's 9 in the morning.
they HAD to close early on Sunday because they were overwhelmed with business and ran out of food :)
Ran out of food....i guess that's a good thing i guess....
I can only give a preliminary report as I only had pepperoni pizza and wings (I know, I’m so culinary diverse) but their ZAAAA wasn't bad. Wings were meaty, breaded, they had the basic sauces. Their calzones looked pretty amazing. The specialty pizzas will probably be what sells the place. They have a respectable selection of beer & wine and their menu's fairly expansive:
http://carminespiehouse.com/menu.html
Unlike the previous ventures that were opened in this location, they had a steady flow of customers in and out for the dinner rush. And it did appear they kept running out of certain ingredients because I saw a few supplies being delivered to the restaurant out of a worker's car. The wait staff is super friendly & attentive and this place in general seems like a better fit for that building than it's previous tenants.
I'm curious as to their hours on the weekend. With all the nightlife in the area and lack of places to eat late, it seems like they'd make a killing staying open until midnight or later.
I got take-out from Carmines last night. Ordered the Chicago style pizza. It was quite tasty. Had a couple of Sweetwater's while I waited. I was there around 8:15 and the place was pretty packed. The employees were very attentive. When I walked in I was told that they are using a "temporary" menu right now until they can work all the kinks out. It looked like the temporary menu had most of the typical stuff you could get off the regular menu (pizza, wings, subs, salads, etc.). I will definitely be back.
That got to sounds good! I want to go by Carmine's and try it out!
-Josh
How will this fly with the semi-proposed, semi-rumor, semi-conformed future tenant Mellow Mushroom?
Carmine's will just have to differentiate themselves from MM in some way. Either go for faster, cheaper, easier or go for more gourmet pies with an emphasis on great service. MM is notoriously slow due to their '25 min bake time', so if Carmine's can put out a pie in 10 min, fantastic.
Sushi Cafe and Sake House both do solid business 3 blocks apart from each other because they have subtle differences. When I want faster and cheaper, I hit up Sushi Cafe. When I want to spend a few more bucks, I go to Sake House.
Assuming Carmine's keeps putting out a quality product, I don't think they'll have any probelms competing with MM. Also, there are those neighborhood elitist/local-obsessed people that will never try MM just because it's a chain.
Quote from: Captain Zissou on March 02, 2011, 10:46:49 AM
Carmine's will just have to differentiate themselves from MM in some way. Either go for faster, cheaper, easier or go for more gourmet pies with an emphasis on great service. MM is notoriously slow due to their '25 min bake time', so if Carmine's can put out a pie in 10 min, fantastic.
Sushi Cafe and Sake House both do solid business 3 blocks apart from each other because they have subtle differences. When I want faster and cheaper, I hit up Sushi Cafe. When I want to spend a few more bucks, I go to Sake House.
Assuming Carmine's keeps putting out a quality product, I don't think they'll have any probelms competing with MM. Also, there are those neighborhood elitist/local-obsessed people that will never try MM just because it's a chain.
Amen. Couldn't agree more
Quote from: Captain Zissou on March 02, 2011, 10:46:49 AM
Also, there are those neighborhood elitist/local-obsessed people that will never try MM just because it's a chain.
I feel like you're judging me. The local small business to large horrible corporation scale is a continuum, and MM (being cool, good, and not that big) falls more towards "Mom and Pop's" than "Walmart."
Quote from: PeeJayEss on March 02, 2011, 01:36:47 PM
Quote from: Captain Zissou on March 02, 2011, 10:46:49 AM
Also, there are those neighborhood elitist/local-obsessed people that will never try MM just because it's a chain.
I feel like you're judging me. The local small business to large horrible corporation scale is a continuum, and MM (being cool, good, and not that big) falls more towards "Mom and Pop's" than "Walmart."
I am judging you. You have terrible taste in food. There is life beyond Burrito Gallery...... joking, sort of.
I ate there last night and it was DELICIOUS. I had the Pineapple Express (naughty version) and it was great. It's pretty much a Hawaiian, but with the addition of coconut, banana peppers, and some other great stuff. The beer selection is pretty great too.
The place was packed when I got there around 9:15, but the crowd had dissipated by the time I left around 11.
delicioso!
Got a fried calzone - dubbed "Jersey Shore" - because I'm a health nut. Stuffed with a whole lotta ricotta. It was great. The specialty pizzas also look pretty fantastic. Their "thin" crust is really just New York style, so don't expect the Domino's cardboard-type slices. Good beer selection as well. Bold City on tap, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Intuition soon enough. Wait staff was friendly and helpful (including with beer recommendations).
Also, one waitress paused for a moment as she was delivering food to another table to show us the lasagna and eggplant parm. They both looked phenomenal, and it was really a kind of cruel tease.
Jeez...
The few reviews coming back from this place are outstanding. Good news for the area!
Good luck to them. That location seems to be snake bit.
The jersey shore is so good it hurts. I've never had a fried calzone, until now. Thankfully I only downed half of it and spared a cheese blockade later on.
My friend had the lobster mac n cheese and gave it the thumbs up.
However, my lady had the little Italy calzone and said she was disappointed with the quality of the ingredients. She also hates the fact that they use canned mushroom instead of fresh ones (we've been spoiled by moon river pizza) She wasn't very impressed with the "dirty fries" ..basically steak fries you'd buy at the grocers freezer, toss cheddar, bacon and (ick) black olives on.
That said, we had an appetizer, two calzones, a house salad, two beers and our tab was under 25 dollars. This joint is in a good location, it's cheap and has such a wide selection of food & beer I think they'll do just fine in Riverside. I'll probably give the Chicago style pizza a whirl next.
I picked up a Chicago style pie last week and it was great!
The staff was friendly, gave me a free drink while I waited.
The Owners/Management ? were there making the rounds to be sure all the customers were satisfied.
Hope they keep it up!
I went Friday night. It was decent enough. I hope once they get all the typical growing pains of a new business worked out it gets a little better. I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars so far, which isn't bad.
LOL @ David... the lady friend said the exact thing to me as well. My parents used to own a pizza joint, so I understand the significant cost savings from using canned mushrooms... but as I could take it or leave it on mushrooms, it didn't bother me at all.
I definately think Carmines is better than Moon River. The beer @ Carmines is cheap too!
Was there for lunch with some friends a couple of days ago. The kitchen staff was totally disorganized. Every person's lunch came out at a different time over a twenty minute period. One friend had the wings, a huge mound of them that came out steaming and smelled delicious. I had the eggplant Parmesan sub which was a complete disappointment. Bread was OK but the eggplant was way over sauced.
Other two had pizza slices which looked like pizza slices. Both had previously had the Chicago style deep dish which they said was much better.
Definitely growing pains. The only thing that found strange, especially after the mushroom comment, there were 3 different types of olives in my salad - green, black & calamata, but they still had the pits in them. I didn't have olives on my za, but would like to know - are the pizza olives sliced and pitted or are they whole?
I've gotten whole olives in a lot of salads before, mostly at greek places- I don't know if it's considered traditional or something.
Quote from: thekillingwax on March 09, 2011, 12:26:18 AM
I've gotten whole olives in a lot of salads before, mostly at greek places- I don't know if it's considered traditional or something.
But were they pitted?
The pizza olives I had were sliced.
I only had the ceasar salad b/c at the time they weren't offering many of the salads that were on the menu. I want to go back next week once all the menu items are available and they've had some time to work out some of their staffing kinks.
Checked out this place for the first time last night. We had a group of 8 but timed it right and was able to get seating. The place was pretty much at capacity the entire time we were there. The kitchen was slow getting out the food and it did come out a few minutes apart, but that was our only complaint. The food was really good and the portions and price point are excellent. There service was also friendly. A really nice addition to the area.
Went for lunch today. Food and price was outstanding. Service sketchy at best. Server did not put in part of our appetizer order. When we asked him here is was he said "Did you oreder that?" We said yes. His response was it should be here at any moment. The rest of our food came out in dribbs and drabs.
The food was so good we would give them another try.
I ate there again last night and the pie was great!
Had take out two nights ago. Got the Al Capone Chicago Italian Beef and the Down and Dirty Fries. Everything was as it should be on the italian beef, got the side of au jus, the meat was nice and lean, the bread was just the right consistency, the peppers and onions were phenomenal, and adding the giardinera to the sandwich just made it that much better.
The fries were hot, crispy, melty (the cheese was at least), bacony, and covered in olives... what else is there?
I'm also glad I called in my order and paid for it before I noticed the dessert case. The stuff in there looks amazing, and I can't wait to go in there for a meal and get the full experience. I was able to talk to one of the owners and a lot of the staff while waiting, I was a little quick on the call in time, but I wanted to get a look at the place. Everyone in the place was really friendly and a lot of fun to talk to.
I recommend this place, I do need to try out the pies. I saw a couple come out to people who were having dinner there and they look to die for.
Last Saturday afternoon the place was near full at 3 PM-on a sunny day at that. Heard the owner say that their recent Wednesday nite was as crowded as a Friday. Our thin crust pizza with artichokes and red peppers was fabulous. Pretty soon it will be so hard to get into that place that take out will be the only option. Good addition to our neighborhood.
went last night...at 7pm just about every table was taken
Went back for dinner with a couple of friends last Saturday. Place was half full as early as we went. Had the small order of wings which were delicious and as much as a normal person could eat. Nice fresh salad and a couple of Lampposts. (Yea, another Bold City location!)
Everything came out smoothly and John, our server, was helpful and knowledgeable. He warned me about how big the wings were and steered me to a sauce they were trying out that wasn't on the menu yet.
Carmine's rocks. Good food, friendly staff, been a couple times and was very impressed. Definitely try it out.
I was there on a Wedesday 3/30 and they were so busy they ran out of clean plates! Food was excelent though and they eventually got some washed and out. I can't wait to go back. My wife had the lobster mac & cheese and I had the fried calzone both were awesome.