Carmenta’s
Italian restaurant · Bushwick
50 Starr St, Brooklyn, NY 11221
Highlights
Italian sandwiches, house-made pasta, and comforting red-sauced specialties
Italian sandwiches, house-made pasta, and comforting red-sauced specialties
"You’ll get a great chicken parm sandwich at Carmenta’s in Bushwick, but on your first visit, get the Dom G. The sloppy combo of eggplant, mint, ricotta, and peppers on nearby Napoli Bakery bread is fabulous. Eat it on the kind of stool you’d find in a high school science classroom, or bring your massive sandwiches to Maria Hernandez Park." - willa moore, will hartman, bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick
"Carmenta’s is a pretty small space in Bushwick that does technically sell some pasta dishes and things like meatballs and arancini, but come for the sandwiches. While your first instinct might be to order something classic like their chicken parm or Italian combo, it's imperative to try Carmenta's very good fried eggplant—so focus your attention there. The Order: The Dom G with fried eggplant, ricotta, roasted peppers, red onion, mint and tomato vinaigrette. Eat it fast, before the eggplant has a chance to absorb any liquid." - will hartman, willa moore, neha talreja, bryan kim, sonal shah, molly fitzpatrick
"In Bushwick, Carmenta’s is the kind of casual place you’ll want to be a regular at. But, if you’re already a regular reading this, you’re probably upset that we’re letting people know about the place you’ve been gatekeeping. But the people need to know about the Dom G. The shop makes a short list of simple, wonderfully executed Italian sandwiches. They also sell some pastas, but you come here for big, sloppy meatballs or creamy fried eggplant sandwiched between Napoli Bakery bread. In a city where it's not uncommon to line up down the block for sandwiches, the easy-to-acquire ones at Carmenta’s stand out. photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte Pause Unmute There are some seats here that look suspiciously like the lab stools from a high school physics class, but you’re better off taking your sandwiches to go—whether to nearby Maria Hernandez Park, or to your friend’s couch for their monthly independent arthouse film night. Food Rundown Dom G. This is the sandwich to get here. Creamy, crunchy fried eggplant melds perfectly with sweet, stewed peppers and a messy swipe of whipped ricotta. The sandwich gets brightened up with a few leaves of fresh mint and a tomato vinaigrette. Eat this immediately—the eggplant can get a bit soggy if you let it sit. photo credit: Kate Previte Prosciutto Cotto A big layer of thin-sliced cooked ham gets adorned with gruyere, labneh, and pickled mustard seeds. If we could only have one ham sandwich for the rest of our lives, it very well might be this one. photo credit: Kate Previte Jose Special Loaded with meatballs, eggplant, and salsa verde, this is the kind of sandwich that’ll make you consider wearing a bib. Their meatballs are juicy, well-seasoned, and slightly larger than a baseball. photo credit: Kate Previte Chicken Parm Of the three cardinal proteins of Italian sandwich shops (meatballs, chicken cutlet, and fried eggplant), we’re least wowed by Carmenta’s chicken cutlets. It’s not that they’re bad—it’s just that we love their eggplant and meatballs so much. photo credit: Kate Previte" - Will Hartman
"This Italian sandwich shop has their great sandwiches (and a bunch of pastas and sides) available for pick-up or delivery. Get the spicy rigatoni." - hannah albertine, nikko duren, bryan kim, arden shore, matt tervooren
"In the event you want to spend under $20 on something portable, head straight to Carmenta’s on Wilson Avenue in Bushwick. This Italian deli has a handful of stools, a counter with bags of fresh pasta for sale, and a few employees who make incredible Italian food while listening to early 2000s indie rock. You'll find excellent pastas and a beef-and-pork meatball parm on a Parisi bakery roll that you’ll want to eat once a week." - neha talreja, bryan kim, sonal shah, willa moore
