Carmen Anthony’s of Connecticut
Posted by Sarah Caron on Well Fed on the Town.
For my husband’s birthday last year, my parents gave him a gift certificate for dinner at Carmen Anthony’s Fishhouse in Woodbury, Conn. We’d never been there before, but it’s known as a great restaurant with several locations throughout Connecticut (some are fishhouses and others are steakhouses . . . all locations serve both fish and seafood).
We arrived shortly before our reservation time and were immediately seated in a cozy booth fairly near the bar (and with a sports loving husband, no less! The nerve! . . . but he managed to focus on me instead of the game). There were people at nearly every table in the place - a young couple about our age celebrating their one-year anniversary (coincidentally, it was nearly our two year anniversary when we went - within a few days), a family with two kids having an opulent meal out, and assorted other couples and groups. The noise level was moderate - not so loud that we couldn’t hold a conversation but not so quiet that everyone was listening to everyone elses conversations.
After thoroughly considering all the yummy things on the menu, we both ordered appetizers and entries.
My husband had Carmen Anthony’s award winning New England Clam Chowder. It was superb (no wonder it’s won awards!). I usually don’t eat creamy soups but I had to sample it more than once (I know, bad etiquette to be eating off of his plate, but geez, the stuff was good. For his entree, my husband ordered the 20 oz New York strip sirloin. It did come outrageously overcooked, but the kitchen was quick to replace it with a properly cooked one (you know, just past mooing). So that ended well. And it was melt in your mouth good.
I started with clams casino. If I wasn’t in a nice restaurant, I would have licked the plate. They were that damn good. Buttery, delicious and well flavored - It’s not a dish I normally order, but it was a lovely indulgence. My my entry, I got a very delicious and flavorful mahi mahi special. And the portions were very generous (I could only eat half of my entry. The rest made a great lunch for the next day.)
I was extremely happy with the service as well. Our server was attentive, despite the number of tables she was covering. And she was friendly, which is always a plus.
The only regret I have is that I couldn’t fit any of their scrumptious desserts into my stuffed belly. There was a few drool worthy ones that would have been a great meal ender.
I would definitely recommend this restaurant for couples and small groups, though I would hesitate to take my son (who is a toddler). Older children would blend right in though . . .
