Denver Business Journal Covers Our New Location
The Denver Business Journal included a bit about our new location in McGregor Square awhile ago.
Westword Covers Our New Location
Westword included a bit about our new location in a recent article.
We’re Opening a New Location!
We are proud to announce an expansion opportunity to the Ballpark area of downtown Denver: “Carmine’s on McGregor Square!” We are honored to have been chosen to join this stunning property adjacent to Coors Field. Our neighbors in this project will be various retail establishments, office spaces, a hotel, condominiums, a food hall, sports bar and Denver’s local, American Italian immigrant family style restaurant, Carmine’s! We will be serving lunch and dinner seven days a week. Lunch will focus on individual portions of pastas, a selection of Little Carmine’s menu of sandwiches, salads, soup and sides. For dinner, you can expect your favorite menu items enjoyed over the years with some new additions. Carmine’s on McGregor Square joins the original Carmine’s on Penn (now celebrating 27 years in business) offering made to order, food to share in portions for two people or family size. Projected opening date on McGregor Square is slated for early May 2021.
Now Delivering!
Carmine’s on Penn has entered the delivery arena. We have partnered with Confluence Courier Collective (CCC), a local bicycle delivery company, to deliver our fresh food to you! CCC will speed your order to your door from Carmine’s on Penn. Our minimum is $25 per order and you will be charged a $4 delivery fee. See delivery area here. You may add gratuity for your courier at your discretion. Orders can be ready for courier by 5:30PM.
To order, call us at Carmine’s on Penn 303-777-6443
Carmines at Home
Scenario #1: You get home from work. Open the fridge. Last week’s leftovers staring you in the face. You just changed clothes and are not interested in going grocery shopping or even going out to grab a bite.
Scenario #2: You have friends visiting unexpectedly and you want to entertain, relax and chat in the comfort of your own home and there’s no time to go food shopping.
Introducing “Carmine’s at Home”. Think picking up a quart of house made marinara, box of dried pasta, Carmine’s proprietary grated Italian cheese blend, salad dressings or even a sandwich roll to toast in the oven, slathered with garlic and butter. A slice of Carmine’s cheesecake or cannolis for dessert. All that’s needed to complete the meal is a pot of water to cook the pasta and you’ve got yourself an easy, delicious and hassle free dinner.
You’ll find other signature items to enjoy at home: Bolognese sauce, Carmine’s house made salad dressings, quarts of smoked chicken salad from Little Carmine’s, olives, pepperoncini peppers, single servings of Carmine’s house, Caesar or Pear Salads, bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar to name a few. Carmine’s at Home items available next door in the cooler at Little Carmine’s Italian Sandwich Shop 11am-7pm Tuesdays-Sundays.
Carmine’s 25th Birthday Celebration — Four Months and Counting!
We’ve been celebrating our 25th year in business ALL YEAR LONG! Four more months and counting to take advantage of some sweet prizes and specials. Join us soon. Make your reservation.
Ciao Down with Chef Eric
At Carmine’s on Penn, we pride ourselves on having the best staff in the business. That’s why we’re so thrilled to welcome a new head chef! Eric Seabolt joins the team as the master behind your favorite Carmine’s on Penn dishes. We asked him a few questions to get to know him a little better.
Carmine’s: You’re new to Carmine’s on Penn – welcome! What was your background before this?
Chef Eric: Most of my cooking background is in contemporary Mexican or Italian/American fine dining. I went to the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. After Graduating in 2007 I spent some time in Alaska before returning home to Cincinnati where I worked for two and half years before I landed my first chef de cuisine job at a restaurant called Nada. During my time with Nada, I also spent time working at an Italian restaurant called Boca. After leaving Nada, I took a sous chef position at a contemporary American restaurant called Vida. Now, Carmine’s on Penn is my next adventure!
Carmine’s: What inspired you to become a chef?
Chef Eric: My grandparents were farmers, so they passed down a love and knowledge of food. I didn’t realize until college that I was so passionate about food. I also enjoy the atmosphere of restaurants. I love food and cooking because of the continuous learning and sharing parts of yourself with other people.
Carmine’s: There are so many menu options at Carmine’s on Penn. If you had to pick a favorite, what would it be?
Chef Eric: We do have a lot of dishes on the menu here at Carmine’s. I would say the Pasta Alla Carmine’s because of how simple but great it is.
Carmine’s: Carmine’s on Penn has a pretty extensive wine list. If it were in stock, which wine would you recommend to a customer?
Chef Eric: Tormaresco “Boca di Lupo” Aglianico, 2011 vintage from Campania. I love medium-heavy to heavy bodied red wines. This selection is a good price point and very similar to a California Cabernet.
Carmine’s: When you’re not cooking, what’s an activity you enjoy?
Chef Eric: My favorite off-day activity is either playing disc golf or hiking in a park.
Carmine’s: Last question and probably the most important: What do you love most about Carmine’s on Penn?
Chef Eric: I love the family atmosphere! Being at work really makes me feel like I am at home.
Get to Know Grappa
Our extensive wine list and a variety of premium cocktails have long been staples for Carmine’s on Penn. What you might not know is we also offer unique Italian liquors that are fun to taste and also create a nice finish to a big meal.
Similar to brandy, grappa is a byproduct of winemaking. After the grapes are pressed, the leftover skin, seeds and stems are distilled to make grappa. As with all alcohol, the flavor can vary depending on how long it’s been aged or what has been added.
Get to know the different categories and soon you’ll be ready to head to Carmine’s to try some for yourself!
- Young – Bottled soon after production with no color as it is not stored or kept in barrels. Delicate aroma with a dry and clean taste.
- Aged – Bottled after aging for many months in wooden barrels.
- Riserva – Bottled after aging for over 18 months in wooden barrels. Has a darker color.
- Aromatic – Grappa produced from aromatic grapes such as Moscato or Muscat.
- Aromatized – At the end of distillation, this grappa is infused with aromatic essence or added liqueur.
Good grappa can be hard to find, but at Carmine’s, we serve only the best. On your next visit, be sure to ask your server for a taste. You can even go the traditional Italian route and add it to espresso, which is called a Caffè Corretto. Saluti!
Vote for a Denver Nonprofit to Win a Free Dinner!
Being a good neighbor doesn’t just mean serving up delicious, family-style Italian meals. It also means giving back to the local community. That’s why Carmine’s on Penn has been supporting Denver nonprofits for over 20 years through our Community Partners Program.
Most recently, Carmine’s reviewed submissions for a nonprofit event giveaway and selected Project PAVE to be the recipient of a complimentary event for 25 people, complete with food and wine.
The nonprofit giveaways don’t stop there. Carmine’s is now reaching out to the local community to vote for their favorite arts-related nonprofit to win a family-style dinner for 25 to be used for any purpose to benefit their cause. The voting runs from now until July 31, 2017 and the winner will be notified by August 14. Find out more about the four nonprofits in the running below:
- Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado – The Rocky Mountain Region’s only professional period-instrument orchestra, bringing Colorado audiences the musical riches and spirit of improvisation of the 17th and 18th centuries.
- Colorado Children’s Chorale – Presents professional choral concerts and educational programs that entertain, inspire and bring joy to audiences and communities.
- Colorado Youth Symphony Orchestra – Brings together Colorado youth of all ages to participate in orchestral ensembles that foster their musical understanding, social growth, self-esteem and a lifelong love of music.
- Phamaly Theatre Company – Produces professional scale plays and musicals year-round throughout the Denver Metro region, cast entirely of performers with disabilities across the spectrum.
Now that you know a little bit about each nonprofit, make sure you get online and vote! A big thanks to 5280 Magazine for helping Carmine’s to promote our latest Nonprofit Event Giveaway on the Eat + Drink section of their website. Sign up for their newsletter and watch out for voting reminders from now through July.
We can’t wait to see who you select as the winner. Then the fun of helping them plan a fantastic event begins!
Welcome home, Stephen!
Earlier this month, Carmine’s Manager Stephen Kozicki took a break from Italian food to explore the world of Spanish food and wine during a surprise trip to Spain. He brought back some amazing photos and a wealth of knowledge. Take a look at some of the highlights!
These local beans, called maximo calibre (large beans), taste great cooked with suckling pork jus, chorizo, crackling and spices. Soak for 24 hours and cook for 3 ½ hours.
The 2-mile long town of Segovia has a rich history. It is home to the best preserved aqueduct in the world, which was built by the Romans over 20 centuries ago.
Stephen slices some Iberian Jamon before lunch at the winemaker’s home at Álvarez y Díez.
The barrel aging room at Belondrade Winery.
This cathedral took 160 years to build and is the last gothic style cathedral built in Spain.
The Ribera and Rueda region liaison, Phillipe, gives a presentation on the wine region of Rueda. Most wine produced there is white with verdejo, both oaked and unoaked, accounting for almost all of production. Unoaked is similar to a sauvignon blanc while the oaked has a richer, creamier flavor.
Stephen checking out the falcons at Bodegas Vidal Soblechero. They are trained to chase away rabbits, mice and pigeons that can harm the grape vines.
Bodegas Vidal Soblechero, a biodynamic winery, still uses horses to plow their vineyard. Biodynamics is the oldest, anti-chemical agricultural movement that predates the creation of organic farming by about twenty years.
A hot air balloon ride over the beautiful Ribera wine region.
Stephen says hello from the air!
Stephen signs off on a great trip at a winery in Ribera, which primarily produces Tempranillo. Wine barrels are only used for a few years, but the stave is saved and reused. Cheers to that!
Thank you to Wine & Spirits Magazine for allowing Stephen to explore Spanish culture on this trip of a lifetime. We can’t wait to see what new knowledge and expertise he brings to the Carmine’s team.
