Carne Mare is… interesting. Gorgeous setting, right on Pier 17 with the water view and a perfect breeze. (Not the place you want to be in winter, but that’s another rant.)
Now, let me get this out of the way: I’m petty. Like, world-class petty. I will hold a grudge for years—decades even. So, while everyone else swears Carne Mare is the spot and goes at least once a year, I’m still salty about some old nonsense. Doesn’t matter. They love it, so we went on Thursday at 7 PM.
Drinks:
I kept it classy with a martini, while the girls went with their signature frozen slushies. Solid all around.
Appetizers:
Octopus carpaccio – Thinly sliced, served with lemon and olive oil. Perfect balance. Not chewy, not overdone. Melted in the mouth.
Antipasto salad – Basically the greatest hits of everything that makes an antipasto plate dangerous for both your heart rate and cholesterol… but tossed into one dish with lettuce. Heavy, salty, flavorful—worth it.
Mains:
I ordered the filet mignon—perfectly cooked, buttery tender. The girls split their orders between prime rib (medium rare, perfectly cooked), pork tenderloin, and fresh in-house black squid ink pasta. Everything hit right. And yes, it was damn good. But am I admitting it’s the best? Nope. Because—again—I’m petty.
Dessert:
17-layer chocolate cake – A whole tower of chocolate, rich but not overwhelming.
Peach cobbler – Seasonal, hot, fresh, not too sweet. Maybe a little too hot temperature-wise, but the flavor made up for it.
Everyone loved dessert. Honestly, the whole meal was on point. Carne Mare is an exquisite steakhouse. Is it in my top 10? No. (Check that list for the real heavy hitters.) But for Becca’s birthday? It delivered.
Banana Juice Theory:
Sometimes your feelings about a place have nothing to do with the food or the service—it’s about the story you carry into it. Carne Mare may never break into my top 10, but that doesn’t stop it from being a damn good time with the right people.
All of Becca’s Birthday Bash
Becca’s Birthday – Part One: Carne Mare (Pier 17)
Becca’s Birthday Part 2 – The Dead Rabbit
Becca’s Birthday Part 3: Yankee Stadium & Uber Eats
Becca’s Birthday Part 4: Overstory Side Quest with Eddie
Becca’s Birthday Part 5 – Return to Sea Fire Grill
Look, I’m just a Fat Guy from Brooklyn giving you my two cents. If you want more Top 10s—steakhouses, burgers, restaurants, you name it—click the words and keep going.