About Us

Carmine's Restaurant opened at its current location at 818 Central Avenue in Albany, NY in 1996, to a critical acclaim which has grown steadily over its ten-plus years of operation. Carmine's is a unique restaurant, featuring the best of Italian cuisine, fine wines and atmosphere which have left a lasting impression on first-time and loyal customers alike.

Some will recognize Carmine from his television appearances on the cooking show, Carmine's Table, where he outlined recipes and cooking techniques, broadcast from his state-of-the-art kitchen/studio at the Albany restaurant, or from his new Reality show, Carmine's (broadcast weekday mornings at 8:00 a.m. on Fox23). What people may not know about Carmine is his background and history in the restaurant business, along with his passion for, and knowledge of, Italian cuisine, history and culture.

Carmine learned the skills and techniques in the kitchen at an early age. Growing up in an Italian-American family which traces its roots to Sicily, Carmine quickly had an understanding of the trade secrets and creativity one doesn't learn in school, those handed down through generations of families working together in the kitchen.

Growing up, Carmine fulfilled many duties at his father's family-run tavern in Brooklyn.  When the opportunity to purchase his own restaurant presented itself, Carmine was working as a plumber. He hoped that his plumbing business, which was growing steadily, would help support his family until the restaurant could do that on its own.

When the restaurant became a hit, "I gave the keys of my plumbing business to my Dad, and said to do whatever he wanted with the business, ‘give it to my cousins,' whatever," Carmine says. To that, his father warned, "You'll be back in the plumbing business in six months."

That was fourteen years ago.

Opening Carmine's Restaurant in Albany was "more of a happy accident than a natural progression," says Carmine. "Coming from Brooklyn, I didn't know much of anything about Albany," he says. "The Capital District might as well have been Canada to me."

In 1996, Carmine's brother, Phil was a student at Albany Law School, and, knowing Carmine was looking for opportunities for a new restaurant, called and told him of a restaurant on Central Ave., in Albany that was up for sale. "I drove up to Albany and took a look at the restaurant," Carmine says. "I had lunch and then sat on a bench outside and just watched the people coming in and out of the restaurant. I began to realize that I really liked the people here," he says.

Another factor for moving his restaurant to Albany involved the quality of life in the Capital District. Carmine says that in 1996 his wife had just given birth to a daughter, they were starting a family and he realized that he wanted his family to live in a place where he would have liked to grow up.

"Now, I think [The Capital Region] is the best place to raise a family and I'll never leave," Carmine says. "And when we purchased the restaurant and moved up to Albany, 11 of the 20 people on my staff moved here with their families to work at the new restaurant in Albany."

Carmine's staff is very highly trained, dedicated and skilled. In an industry that is typically very transient, Carmine's has employed many of the core people since its opening.

In addition, Carmine's clientele at the restaurant is as varied socio-economically and culturally as the Capital District itself. The only way to characterize his typical clientele is by the time of their visits.

"On Friday nights, for example, we get a lot of seniors in the early evening, followed by a very diverse crowd of families toward the middle part of the night. We get a lot of families with children ... families who are trying to teach their kids about fine dining," Carmine says. "Later in the evening, it's couples, young professionals, and college students on dates. Earlier in the week, we tend to get a lot of business travelers and single diners," says Carmine.

"All are welcome, and we do our very best to satisfy."

Carmine's take on Contemporary-Italian Cuisine

Carmine's Restaurant offers the very best in contemporary-Italian cuisine. His Italian dishes do not necessarily focus on the authentic cooking styles of any one region of Italy; rather they celebrate the best dishes influenced by all of Italy and the Mediterranean.

"You won't find spaghetti and meatballs on my menu, that's more Italian-American food," he says. "You won't find classic lasagna, either, though we offer a fresh-baked fustanella (Italian slang for "skirt or wrap"). It's a more contemporary form of lasagna using fresh pasta sheets folded over a traditional, lasagna-like filling," he says.

Contemporary Italian also means that Carmine uses some ingredients outside of the traditional or authentic Italian realm of influence, "But we use Italian culinary techniques in their preparation, such as braising, Chianti, and fennel pollen, etc. For instance, I use jicama in some of our dishes. Jicama is a Mexican potato that you wouldn't find in a traditional Italian kitchen because of their availability," he says. "But the tastes of our ingredients speak for themselves."

Diners will agree that the restaurant industry has changed in recent years, and not necessarily for the better. According to Carmine, these changing perceptions typify the move from service-based businesses to those based on price or convenience.

Carmine says that some people may think that Italian restaurant chains are cheaper than independent restaurants like Carmine's. This is a common misconception that Carmine's hopes to change.

"In fact, we are less expensive than the chains, pound-for-pound," Carmine says.

Essentially, where Italian food is concerned, "We've become your dinner table, while the chain restaurants have become your supper table," Carmine says. "You used to go out for dinner ... now you go out for supper. I'm trying to change that with our award-wining flavors, service and total-value dining experience at a reasonable price."  

"Unlike the chain restaurants, every dish we offer is cooked by us, to order, here, at Carmine's. We don't defrost, microwave or use prepared contents from a bag."

Another misconception is that Independent restaurants take longer to cook their entrees. This is one of Carmine's pet peeves. "Go to a chain without a reservation and they'll give you a beeper. You might wait up to an hour or two for a table," Carmine says. "Then, when you are finally seated, you'll get your entrée in just 18 minutes ... Why? Because it is cooked out of a bag," Carmine says. "I could do that in my kitchen, too but I refuse to cut corners. I want you to relax and enjoy your dining experience."

In contrast, at Carmine's you'll find easy parking, you'll be seated quickly, and you will enjoy an extensive and affordable menu and wine list, salad, sorbet between courses, crystal glasses, linen and a highly trained, dedicated and friendly professional wait-staff.

© 2008 Carmine's Restaurant // a WSG production