THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Carnevale

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Carnevale Restaurant Review:

This self-billed Venetian café has more in common with its former incarnation as Mezzanotte than with any café in Italy, but that's probably to be expected. The rust-and-wood-toned room looks inviting with prints of classic commedia dell'arte characters and Venetian Carnivale masks hanging on the walls---then again, during most months the majority of diners choose to sit at the outdoor tables sprawled along Lincoln Road. Carpaccios are a refreshing way to start, especially in light of the prodigious foods to follow. The filet mignon carpaccio is too heavily dressed with lemon and olive oil but the salmon rendition is just fine---not up to snuff with the version at Harry's Bar in Venice but the basic, unpretentious Italian fare served here is fairly priced and consistently prepared. Pasta with clams comes properly al dente, the garlic, parsley and olive oil dressing simply satisfying. Lots of beef and veal dishes dominate the menu. Lombata Carnevale, a prosciutto- and mozzarella-stuffed bone-in veal chop with lemon-mushroom sauce, is a top choice. The party at Mezzanotte is long over but Carnevale continues to pack them in.