Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Carmela’s Of Brooklyn Restaurant Pizzeria: Surprisingly good

When the first choice of eatery didn’t work out (they were closed), I ended up at Carmela’s today. It just seemed the obvious destination in Longwood- big bold neon red signs, in a sizeable strip mall right off the I-4 intersection. You can’t miss it. However, it was 11am in the morning and I was questioning myself, “Do you really want Italian for brunch?” Carmela’s, however, turned out to be a surprisingly enchanting experience.

The menu is standard for an Italian restaurant- pizzas, pasta, and some seafood here, and the standard Italian meat dishes there. What I should’ve paid attention to was the bold font on the front page- ‘Imported Pastas’, Ripe San Marzano Tomatoes, and Fresh Mozzarella. These ingredients would later prove to reveal themselves even when the eye didn’t bother to read.

First, let’s get the math out of way. Fresh Handmade Mozzarella with Roasted Red Peppers and Tomatoes- $6.99, Ricotta filled Ravioli with Pomodoro Sauce- $10.49, and Gnocchi with Alfredo sauce (a custom order)- $10.49.

If you’ve seen the menu (or my picture attached with this review), Carmela’s definitely takes pride in making their Mozzarella in-house. Bold print encased in a double-red lined box easily denotes that this is one of their specialties.
Verdict? Very good. But I’d shy away from excellent. You could tell the Mozzarella was recently prepared, but it wasn’t super fresh… and that’s important especially if you’re promoting ‘mozzarella curds prepared fresh by hand throughout the day.’ It was probably a day old. In the big picture, it doesn’t make a huge difference but the taste definitely changes subtly over time.
The rest of the dish was perfect- the fresh slices of tomato and generous topping of basil provided clean and brightening flavors that married well with the oil.

The Pomodoro sauce was remarkably delicate. I quickly noted the slight acidity of the tomatoes that gave a smooth tart finish to the dish. Later, I found out these were San Marzano tomatoes in the sauce which are arguably the best variety for a tomato sauce. Smooth but slightly lumpy, tart but not too tart, the sauce was all about simple deliciousness. The ravioli only added to the enjoyment- they were made in-house.
A little too al-dente for me, I still appreciated that the effort that went into it and the clear taste of the ingredients especially when they are made in the kitchen. Granted that the pasta itself was not ‘imported’, I was quick to verify with the server if the ingredients were. And that turned out to be true. The ricotta is filled into the ravioli- not stuffed. Please keep that in mind if you’re looking for more cheese to this dish. However, there’s also enough atop the ravioli in the form of mozzarella. I, for one, didn’t feel the need for more cheese. It was just right.

The Gnocchi was also made in-house. And it showed- the deliciously soft interior of each potato pasta denoted that it neither came from the freezer nor was it overworked.
The Alfredo that I substituted it with was rich and heavy. My mouth was coated with cream and butter. It was not as cheesy as I had hoped but the dish was deceptively filling (i.e., the plate didn’t look so satiating in the beginning). I wish I had saved room for dessert.

IN A NUTSHELL: Carmela’s is good. Simplicity of flavors win here because the sum of their parts equal to something greater on the palate. They have 2 locations- Longwood and by Universal Studios. A must try if you’re into Italian cooking because unlike other Italian joints, the key things here are prepared from scratch. And that’s important. I, for one, prefer to taste the ingredient- not the preservative.
Carmela's of Brooklyn Restaurant Pizzeria on Urbanspoon

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