Carmine's on Penn

The original Carmine's on Penn has held down its corner of Pennsylvania and Bayaud since 1994. When the restaurant opened, it was intended as a place where large groups could converge and enjoy themselves without thinking too much about what they were eating — ordering big platters of Italian food served family style, which is still the approach today under owner Brad Ritter, who purchased the restaurant in 2006. (Now, though, you can also opt for servings meant for two.) In the summer of 2021, its lighter, brighter sister restaurant, Carmine's at McGregor Square, debuted near Coors Field, where it delivers the same crowd-pleasing fare to tables covered with brown paper and adorned with a cup of crayons so that kids and adults alike can color through the courses.