Have you evenĀ heard of Carmela Cucina Italiana?
NO CHEF!
Of course not! It’s one of those comfy cozy local places that yes! Only the locals know about. And most places of this caliber you might call ‘a hole in the wall’. But that’s not what this is. It’s warm, it’s cozy but it seats a ton of people in several rooms and one of the rooms has a brick fireplace.
Our host/owner seats you. Carmela’s smile is warm as she welcomes you to her home! Another fine east coaster…. like me! lol
The staff is very clear about improving their service, based on past yelp reviews (knowing they have the food nailed, the ambiance right, great parking)…..so that’s the last piece of the puzzle. And our waitress was pretty good (I might add), stopping back at the right moment to check and see how things were going. And of course Carmela stopped by as well, which was appreciated.
LET’S SEE THE FOOD CHEF!
Alright. Alright. Here it comes…..
So ‘get’ this! Every meal comes with soup and salad. So if you order Chicken Marsala for twenty bucks? You start with the chef’s soup de jour, which in fact is very yum…. And of course that is followed up by a nice salad with homemade dressing. And by the way, get there early for there homemade bread. We came later and even so, I will say the bakery bread they served was pretty darned good.
And while I would like to talk about the Chicken Marsala, I have to say, the Gnocchi comes first: light fluffy pillows of yum that you can do with an Alfredo sauce with or a typical tomato sauce. Aw c’mon. Who are we kidding? Their tomato is anything but typical. It has all the flavor you want in a sauce, still keeping everything light and simple. Can you say “New York/New Jersey talent? That’s what’s going on at this restaurant. And did my waitress say: “Ya know, a side of veggies really fills it out nicely”? Yes. And was she right? You bet!
HOW ABOUT THE MARSALA CHEF?
Well…. here’s the thing….
If you’re doing a Marsala it’s a light sauce. The chicken is moist and the mushrooms are saturated with flavor. Not too much pasta… just enough to satisfy. And I would say this is a restaurant that if they got shirts for the staff the back would say SATISFACTION.
SO WHERE IS THIS PLACE CHEF?
Hold your breath. Don’t judge. San Marcos.
REALLY CHEF?
Really. 823 Grand Avenue, San Marcos. Not far from the main strip. But if you didn’t know it was there? You wouldn’t know it was there. Surprising for what a lousy food town it is. Fried and fried. Pizza that you know isn’t freshly made (at other restaurants). Certainly the crust and sauce is brought in, not made fresh (at the places I’ve been to). But not only is Carmela Cucina Italiana not a pizza joint. But this is one place I can say is worth the trip.
And happy endings? I breathed in my cannoli. lol Thank goodness it was only 4 bites.
And what was left to ‘picture’ was the Tiramisu. And trust me. I do not like Tiramisu. But we’re talkin’ handmade by people that are East Coast. WOWOW. That was good! I was able to stick to my 3 bite rule…. (1st bite? Gooood. 2nd bite? Wow, that is good. 3rd bite? Now I’m being naughty)! And as long as I don’t do that every night of the week, I’m good!
LET’S SEE IT CHEF!
Ok. Ok. Here ya go!
Seriously light. Not too sugared. Nice fruit. Nice presentation.
We’re good.
And so, what do you think? Next time you’re lookin’ for a good meal…. Would you take a hike to San Marcos?
I will say it was nice for a Saturday night date…. even with families there. So you decide. And if ya go? Tell ’em Chef Marian sent you!
Happy Eating,
Chef Marian