Keep your homemade lasagna—Sammy does it better
by Lynn Williams
maindish@baltimoreguide.com
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The first thing I noticed at Sammy’s Trattoria was…a Christmas tree. Draped with glowing white lights, it sits near the bar; more lights are twined in the evergreens garlanding the balcony’s decorative ironwork.
Now, I know that some folks just don’t want to let the season go. But at Sammy’s, these tastefully festive grace notes work. After all, Sammy’s itself is a gift of sorts: a really good Italian restaurant with old-school mama-style cuisine (and huge portions!) served in romantic contemporary surroundings.
Sammy’s has a can’t-miss location just blocks from the Meyerhoff, Lyric and Theatre Project, which makes it so surprising that it’s the third restaurant to occupy this address in fairly short order. To judge from the early-evening crowd on a recent Wednesday, though, Sam Curreri has hit the right formula for long-running success. The kitchen was so busy that we were automatically handed pre-theatre menus, though unlike most of the patrons we were not, in fact, “Tosca”-bound.
We had been warned in advance about the generosity of the servings, so we tried to limit our consumption of the house bread, which was difficult, as said bread—served in small loaves with olive oil for dipping—was so good. But appetizers arrived quickly. The Parmesan-laden house salad ($5.99) resembled the famously irresistible salad at Chiapparelli’s in Little Italy, where Sammy served as general manager for 15 years. We also enjoyed the prosciutto crostini ($5.99)—warm grilled Italian bread, topped with thin slices of prosciutto, diced tomatoes and capers—although it was hard not to note that this dish could quickly and easily be made at home.
Even after years of practice, though, I could never make a lasagna ($14.99) like this. Although the lasagna was thick and multilayered, the pasta was so light and tender that the dish had none of the customary heaviness; the four cheeses (ricotta, provolone, parmesan and mozzarella) were rich and well-balanced, and the sauce had a depth that sung of long cooking and expert seasoning. Bellissima.
Also worth singing about was seafood fra diavolo ($23.99), which combined large shrimp, lump crab, and perfectly al dente calamari with a marinara spicy enough to make the diner sit up and take notice, but not so fiery it drowned out the subtler flavors of the seafood. It was served over pasta, and there was, of course, enough for an ample next-day lunch.
A limoncella cake ($5.99) was not a knockout, but was a pleasant—and not too big, for a change—end to a lovely meal. We left feeling as happy as if Christmas had, in fact, come in May.
The Latest Dish…
It looks like I’ll be eating Italian again soon—a new restaurant has opened in Little Italy, in the spot we all remember as Luigi Petti. Petalo’s (1002 Eastern Ave., 410-685-0055), is family-friendly and family-owned, and offers a few things that set it apart. First, variety: the owners are Sam and Rebecca Hassan, who also own Afghan Kabob and Café, so in addition to Italian favorites they offer American and Mediterranean dishes including, yes, kabobs. Second, there’s a terrific outdoor patio to make the most of this ideal May weather. Last (and perhaps best), Tuesdays are Charity Nights, with 20 percent of total sales donated to a local charity.
