“A Delightful Family Dinner at Carmen's CafeLooking for a cozy and delicious Italian meal in Brookside? Look no further than Carmen's Cafe! Our family of five recently enjoyed a wonderful evening there, and I can't wait to share our experience.The atmosphere at Carmen's Cafe is warm and inviting. It's the perfect spot for a relaxed family gathering. We began our meal with some of their famous Italian Butter (definitely a must-try!), bread, and house salads. The salads were a pleasant surprise – unique with artichoke hearts, red onion, and a perfectly balanced Italian dressing. The portion size was just right, with a refreshing ratio of salad to dressing.For our main courses, we opted for a variety of dishes, including chicken spiedini, veal parmesan, and tortellini. Everyone at the table was thoroughly impressed. The meat was cooked to perfection – tender, juicy, and flavorful. The same goes for the sauce, which was rich and delicious. The only minor complaint came from the teenagers, who wished the side of pasta had been a bit larger. Other than that, it was a clean plate night for all!We finished off our meal with a selection of delectable desserts, from spumoni to cheesecake to cannoli. Everything was divine!Our server, Elizabeth, deserves special recognition. She was friendly, attentive, and always there when we needed her. An additional staff member also ensured our drinks were refilled and our plates cleared promptly, making the service seamless.Overall, our dinner at Carmen's Cafe was a fantastic family outing. The food was delicious, the atmosphere charming, and the service excellent. If you're in the Brookside area, I highly recommend giving it a try! Just a heads up – I completely forgot to take pictures of our food until halfway through the meal (trust me, it was that good!), but the photos on Yelp are a great representation of what you can expect.“
“Our experience at La Bodega was overall really good. The food and drinks were delicious, and the service and atmosphere were nice.We ordered one pulled pork tapa and the paella verduras and 2 Spanish coffees!Flavors were unique and tasty.We were under the impression that our coffees would be prepared tableside and were a little disappointed that they were prepared at the bar. We saw that another table ordered the same thing, and it was prepared at their table. So be sure to ask if you are expecting it to be a table side experience.The other note I would make is that while the tapas are delicious, they are not a good value. The portions are very small. The paella, in my opinion, was a better value.We would come back again, but would probably stick with just the paella and drinks.“