Date Night - Week 18: Carbonara's Restaurant

We were zero for three on Sunday evening. There were several places in Castle Shannon that we've been meaning to visit, but our first three choices were closed. And no, we didn’t check the hours ahead of time, so we were two souls clumsily driving in and out of the plazas in downtown Castle Shannon. 

We ended up completely unexpectedly at Carbonara’s Restaurant on Mt. Lebanon Boulevard, very ready to sit down and eat. 

We started off with the Sampler Platter – provolone sticks, fried zucchini, onion rings, fried mushrooms, and French fries ($13.95).  For another dollar, you can add buffalo wings, but we opted out, smartly, as the platter on its own could easily feed four. Jeremy and I fought over the zucchini and provolone sticks but left most of the fried mushrooms.

Our salads — the usual house and Caesar ($5.95 each) — were crispy and fresh. A pleasant surprise was the generous helping of soft mozzarella that covered his greens.

We were both in serious need of comfort food. Jeremy’s lasagna with meat sauce and melted provolone ($11.95) was flavorful and well-prepared, though by that point, neither of us were particularly hungry due to stomachs full of fried goodies. 

At Carbonara’s, you can build your own pastas; they offer a variety of pastas and sauces. After a lesson on the different styles of pasta  (I wasn’t sure of the difference between rigatoni and rotini) I ordered the spirals with marinara sauce and garlic bread ($9.75). The meal was familiar and enjoyable.

Along with numerous pasta, chicken and veal dishes, at Carbonara’s diners can also share a pizza or order more casual meals such as hoagies or hot sandwiches —the menu is fairly extensive and most certainly has something for everyone.

Desserts are homemade on a daily basis; your waiter or waitress will surely offer you the list, but if you’re like us, you’ll be too full to think of putting anything else down the hatch!