Carmines - Best Restaurant in Riverside?

[A-Finnius]

Carmines is a winner. First time I went the food was very tasty but the service SLOW. It has improved since that first visit. Nice selection of beer. GO HUNGRY, portions are Large. Rumor has it they are looking for another location...................... in Springfield. 

Do you think it would be a hit there as well? Please post your thoughts on that.

Springfielders have been begging for a good pizza place for years, and with a good selection of beer it would absolutely be a hit.

I'm thinking a pizza place in Springfield that is as good as Carmines would be a gold mine.  What's a good location for this?  Main Street?

[thelakelander]

9th & Main would be a great ready to move in location.

[MusicMan]

OK. I'll see if I can get that done for you.

[downtownjag]

And now to the most important question.... do they deliver??

[RiversideLoki]

And now to the most important question.... do they deliver??

Delivery has been "coming soon" since they opened. But it shouldn't dissuade you. The staff there are so nice that I don't mind getting in my car to go pick up my pizza.

If you order a deep dish, be prepared to wait a bit. It takes a while to make, but is worth every minute.

[riverside planner]

Love Carmines!  As a rule, I loathe pineapple pizza.  However, I freaking crave the naughty version of their Pineapple Express!!!  Capicolla ham, cherry peppers, pineapple and a dusting of coconut?  Yes please!

[Captain Zissou]

So far I have had The Humble Hummus Pizza, The naughty and nice versions of the Pineapple Express, The White Pizza, The wings, and more Down 'n Dirty fries than I can count.   All of them were excellent.

I agree about the portions.  I usually split an order of wings and fries with someone and we rarely finish. 

I don't know if I'd say it's th best restaurant in Riverside, but it is definitely one of my favorites.

[RockStar]

1. Carmine's pizza is fantastic.

2. I actually prefer eating there. It's nice to be able to go OUT for a pizza. The ambiance is great, as are the people.

[TPC]

Carmines is such a great neighborhood pizza place and I recommend it to anyone who hasn't been there. I can see it from my house so I walk over there and eat quite often. Plus they have a pretty good beer selection.

On a side note, I know there will be a pizza place at the corner of King and Park, but has anyone else heard about a Mello Mushroom opening on King also?

[acme54321]

Carmines was good but it didn't blow me away or anything.  Maybe I need to try it again.

[MusicMan]

Mello Mushroom bailed out because of the enviornmental issues at the old Taylor-Harris Antiques, right next door to Carmine's Pie House. 

[north miami]

(Rediculous comment deleted)

After first visit came back two more times within a week.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

or flour (they will provide gluten free crust if you ask), they'll give you the dropped salt if you ask, processed is kind of a hip word these days - I guess if pushed they could offer free-range chickens, grass fed beef and non-processed pepperoni (total sic), I've never seen them hit one leaf of spinach nor have my mushrooms cried abuse - so that statement I take with a grain of sand (or elevated salt, your choice).

And what is your definition of long term, in your typical cryptic fashion?  5 months, 2 years, 2 years and 5 months, until the day before they close that store.....

Yes.  Carmines is truly different.  And even in a good way.  But they don't need (knead) you to go there, just keep the papa John's open, because we know they're not different at all.  Full Consistency! (Vic readers will know that, the rest of you need to ask Vic.)

[north miami]

poppa johns is the average typical.How far from typical is Carmines?? I would hope Carmines is distanced from typical.

not fair for me to talk of Pizza since I am at about one big pie per year,spaced out,but as a student of the area,prone only to troll here I would say that twenty plus years observation of the hood qualifies as almost sufficient.

I had heard talk of a soon to appear "real" wood oven fired pizza place.Sprung from Orsay employee or interest I recall.
Is Carmines the result?

Wood oven fired is apparently rare.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

As a student of the area, we would expect you to have learned from ordinary pizza to exceptional pizza even with your 1 pie/year spread over 20 years. 

It's not so much the woody flavor that the oven imparts to the pizza as it is the heat - +900 degrees is not uncommon, and actually is benefitted by using fresh dough and non-frozen ingredients.  Maybe you just don't know what you're looking for, much like U2 in the early 90's, but I'll tell you what you seek....

It's a flavorful crust.  One that is thin.  One that is crunchy on the bottom, tender in the middle and forms a crease when you fold it.  The toppings are irrelevant, so long as their fresh or choice.   The cheese is extremely important, as it should be thouroughly melted through the toppings and have a few crispy, browned bubbles on the exterior.  Wood, charcoal, wood-charcoal:  they all impart a slighty smokey flavor with a hint of carbonization while a gas oven only provides inadequate heat and moisture.  That's the difference you're looking for.

Maybe you should PM me with some contact info and I'll treat you to a Carmines pizza and we'll order a papa johan's (or your choice of commercial pie) this weekend and we can sit down, critique and enjoy over a few pints of delicious, jax-brewed beers.  Ask Mrs. N. Miami and N. Miami-mini-me's because it is a family adventure. 

The free pizza offer is only open to NM, but if anyone here wants to share a pie and some brew this weekend, post it here and let's make an MJ day of it.  I promise, that while I can't recreate the crawl, I can give you a good insight to what goes on.   

Tony