The Gold Coast has long been one of the most concentrated areas in the city for fine dining. It’s hard to walk more than a few yards without passing a superior restaurant. Since 1994, one of the best and most enduring has been Carmine’s located at 1043 North Rush Street.
Carmine’s is a part of the iconic Rosebud restaurant group. The menu boasts Rosebud’s classic Italian American dishes, as well as premium steaks, chops, and seafood offerings. Carmine’s has long been a place where those in the know choose to eat. Recently, they rolled out a new addition to their already superb menu. They are now giving weekends an upgrade with a Bellini Brunch, Saturdays and Sundays 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
The Bellini was first created in the late 1930s by Giuseppe Cipriani, owner of Harry’s Bar in Venice using the delicious white peaches native to the Veneto. He named the drink after a Venetian painter Giovanni Bellini based on the color of the cocktail – perfectly matching the color of the robe worn by a saint in one of Bellini’s paintings. This cocktail became one of the most popular drinks for the early hours of the day and remains a brunch favorite.
The new Bellini offerings include the “traditional” white peach version as well as a rotating selection of other fruit flavors. On a recent visit, my guest and I sampled raspberry, strawberry, and mango in addition to the peach. Although the Bellini is a simple cocktail, too many versions are syrupy sweet and obscure the flavor of the Prosecco. At Carmine’s the talented mixologists have mastered the “art of the Bellini.” The drinks are extremely well-balanced so that the fruit flavors come through but you also taste the wonderfully off-dry Prosecco.
According to Carmine’s General Manager, George Papadakis, “Brunch is a very celebrated meal. It’s become a tradition that brings people together with food and drinks as the essential players. A Bellini Brunch is the perfect enhancement to our menu options and adds a little something special to our customers overall experience.”
The brunch menu remains one of the best in the city. The portion sizes, too, are absolutely gigantic. My advice . . . if you come with friends order to share. On my recent visit, I sampled the famous Carmine’s Seafood Salad which was clearly enough to share with three or four people. My guest enjoyed the egg white version of the Greek omelette and ended up boxing half to take home. Although we did not try it, one of the most appreciated dishes on the Carmine’s brunch menu is their Bananas Foster French Toast, followed closely by their Crab Cake Eggs Benedict. Friends who have ordered both tell me that it’s worth a special trip for either one.
Carmine’s is located at 1043 North Rush Street. For more information, visit their website. You can follow their social media conversations (as well as all the Rosebud restaurants) on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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