Celebrating National Meatball Day with Carmine’s Italian Restaurant
A Family-Style Celebration
Since its founding in 1990, Carmine’s Italian Restaurant has been celebrating National Meatball Day on March 9 in family-style fashion. This family-style dining experience helps bring families and friends together to share a special and satisfying meal. Most meals feed 3-4 people, encouraging a sit-down meal on a Sunday evening feel. The generous portions and mouthwatering flavors make the restaurant perfect for birthdays, get-togethers, and everything in between.
The Secret to Perfect Meatballs
Chef Glenn Rolnick, Director of Culinary Operations at Carmine’s Italian Restaurant, has been working at Carmine’s for 21 years and has the art of the perfect meatball down to a skill. After two decades of experience, he says that "the secret is gentle mixture, mixing, seasoned, always make sure your meatballs have flavor."
A Passion for Cooking
The main goal and motivation for Chef Glenn is simple: "I want the customer to be really happy. I want them to smile, laugh, and talk as a family." With 19 different pasta options, one stands out to Chef Glenn. "I love it over rigatoni. I am a rigatoni lover," he said. "I don’t want to sit there and twirl my spaghetti or capellini."
A Sense of Community
Beyond serving their appetizing and delicious meals, Carmine’s takes pride in their sense of community and connection. They have many returning customers, including Adam Sandler, and that sense of loyalty expands to the staff as well. Chef Glenn points out that much of the staff has remained the same over his two decades. "Most of the staff is still the same people, keeping in line our community."
A Consistent Team
He credits the warm and inviting atmosphere to the consistency of the team. "It’s a friendly environment from the person who works outside, to the host, to the person who takes you to the table, to the server, even to the kitchen staff."
A Special Achievement
One of the most special parts of his time at Carmines, besides helping open four locations outside of New York, was helping to co-write and author one of the official cookbooks for the restaurant: "Carmine’s Celebrates: Classic Italian Recipes for Everyday Feasts." Creating a cookbook is a significant achievement for Chef Glenn as he believes it "will live on forever." The cookbook is sold on their website for $29.99, putting the 21-year recipes in people’s hands. "That gives me so much pride knowing that I was able to have so much input on the menu, you know, on the recipes, the adjustments."
Celebrating National Meatball Day
Just last year alone, they sold over 1 million of their meatballs to hungry customers. Chef Glenn is especially excited to be able to provide people with delicious and saucy meatballs on this holiday! For Carmine’s 35th anniversary, they are celebrating National Meatball Day big with a Chicken Parm Meatball special for $24.95 from March 7-9. These breaded meatballs will be served over their traditional Vodka Sauce and finished with a layer of Parmigiana.
Conclusion
Carmine’s Italian Restaurant is a place where family and friends can come together to enjoy a delicious meal in a warm and inviting atmosphere. With their commitment to quality food, sense of community, and consistency, it’s no wonder they have remained a beloved institution for over 35 years.
FAQs
Q: What is National Meatball Day?
A: National Meatball Day is celebrated on March 9th each year.
Q: What is the secret to Carmine’s meatballs?
A: Chef Glenn Rolnick says the secret is gentle mixture, mixing, seasoned, always make sure your meatballs have flavor.
Q: How many different pasta options does Carmine’s offer?
A: Carmine’s offers 19 different pasta options.
Q: What is the most popular dish at Carmine’s?
A: Spaghetti and meatballs is a fan favorite, but the chicken cutlet parm, caesar salad, and penne vodka are also popular options.
Q: How many meatballs did Carmine’s sell last year?
A: Over 1 million meatballs were sold last year alone.
Q: What is the price of the Chicken Parm Meatball special?
A: The Chicken Parm Meatball special is priced at $24.95 and is available from March 7-9.
