You may already know the Times Square location of Carmine's dishes up some of the best Italian food available at a moment's notice for ravenous Manhattanites. It's a sprawling restaurant, and while reservations are always the best bet for being seated on time (especially if you have a large party in tow), Carmine's is so expansive that they can often accommodate walk-in diners who simply stumble inside.

The atmosphere here is non-stop bustle, so you'll often hear the waitstaff singing "Happy Birthday" or noisily congratulating a couple on their anniversary. The servings are just as robust. More-than-generous portions (the Caesar salad alone can fill you up) are served family style, so everywhere you look, elbows are flying as dishes make their way around the table. For a place that serves an endless stream of tourists and locals from lunch to midnight, the food, service and atmosphere are all dependably on-point.

But Carmine's best kept secret is upstairs behind the bar, because that's where they host the interactive murder mystery "Speakeasy, Die Softly." Equal parts kitsch, drama, and a thinly disguised plot to get strangers to make friends, it's a fun evening of sorting clues, interrogating suspects, and learning that the culprit in their cheesy little whodunnit might just be you.

You're transported back to the Prohibition era for a short romp through a gangster tale of intrigue, betrayal, and homicide—all while sampling three courses of Carmine's best-selling dishes. In between, you'll be consulting your fellow amateur detectives on motives and whereabouts and getting a kick out of the actors, who first seat the guests, then remain a constant presence to guide diners through the twisting plot. All in all, it's good-natured fun and a creative way to treat the family to a memorable night in midtown.

Here's the spoiler: no one goes home hungry and whether you're a lousy gumshoe or the perp, you'll leave the scene of the crime without the slightest twinge of guilt.

Inside Carmine's, 200 W. 44th St. (btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves.), 888-659-2952, newyorkdinnertheater.com