Yay! I’m so glad this was bumped, because I missed it the first time. I’ll try my best to make it, although all my schedules are tentative whatwith baby in hospital and all. Still, Carmen’s is near the hospital, which helps increase the odds of me making it.
The Church St one is the right one, the address might be a door or two off as the recently moved one door West.
I’m tired and my fridge is still broken and my lights in my kitchen decided to die so I dont want to cook, I might bring the kids in for dinner a bit before hand so I can say hi to you guys.
For that matter, I think all of us who are planning to be there have kids - do we want to make it kid-friendly, or leave the critters at home? I’m good either way.
Sorry I missed you
Well, I took the kids there last night around 8 but didn’t see anyone I recognized. We had dinner and let me tell you, if you folks didn’t show up you were blessed.
[hijack]
I’m sad to report last night was the worst dinner I’ve ever had at Carmens. I ordered a thin crust cheese for the kids and a large stufffed sausage and mushroom for myself and leftovers for the weekend.
The thin crust was ok, just ok. The sauce was much milder than I remember although it has been several years since I had anything other than the stuffed there.
40 minutes later, they brought out a deep dish sausage and onion. I hate onions on pizza and the waitress immediately apologized and reordered. After another half hour out comes the sausage and mushroom and it too is a deep dish not a stuffed! To clarify, the deep dish has a layer of cheese on top while the stuffed has a layer of roughly chopped tomato sauce on top.
At this point the kids are tired and I am annoyed. I had asked for the second to go, but they brought it in a pan. So they take it away and brin it in a box. For some reason they also gave me the sausage and onion which I said I didn’t want. I didn’t argue, just took them and left.
I get home, get the kids in bed and decide I am hungry so I grab a slice of the deep dish sausage and mushroom. ICK! I am convinced the sauce was nothing more than tomato sauce with nary a spice to be had.
I was very dissappointed and will be taking the pizzas back today to let them know. I’ve been eating there for twenty years and have almost always had a great meal. Something is seriously wrong at Carmens. I hope it has nothing to do with the apparent money problems they have had e.g. closing a number of stores, selling their flagship space to Asado Grill who is apparently related to them somehow as their stores are in the same places in AZ as the rest of the Carmens chain, and their reduction in menu size.
Sorry, folks - the last time I checked this thread, it didn’t look like anyone else would be making it (I had to leave early b/c we live in the far suburbs) so norinew and I really weren’t on the lookout for anyone.
Sorry to hear about your experience, MikeG! Now I’m wondering if you were sitting right by the window? We were next to a table with quite a few people, including kids. My back was to that group, though, so I really wasn’t paying attention.
Our 'za was really terrific & we had a great time! I love the art on the walls at Carmen’s.
Better luck next time!
Nope, I was in the center, with four kids. I guess it’s hard to recognize people you’ve never met 
MikeG,what a bummer that you were there and we didn’t even know it! I asked fessie to post that I would be wearing a long-sleeved blue denim shirt, but I guess she forgot; I didn’t have internet access in the hotel, that wasn’t very expensive.
Dinner was actually pretty good. The salad that we shared beforehand was especially good.
Okay, heads up. I’m planning another trip to Chicago about a year from now. I promised my 14-year-old daughter that when she signs her Declaration into the Faith that we will take her to the Temple in Wilmette to celbrate. She also aspires to be a Doper. I know she would love it if we could pull together a Dopefest of some sort while we’re there! Do you think 11 months is enough warning for you? 
