Sam's Restaurant
Contact Info:
Address: 238 Court St (at Baltic)
City: Brooklyn, NY
Zip: 11201
map: View the Map
Phone: (718) 596-3458
Food Info:
Menu: View the Menu
Cuisine:
Italian
2nd Cuisine:
Pizza
Takeout:
Yes
Delivery:
Yes
Payment:
Cash only
Cititour Review:
Sam's is more about the ambiance than the food. Walking into this basement restaurant is like taking a step back in time. Lining one wall are these old wooden phone booths that you might imagine in an old James Cagney movie. All you need is Bugsy Malone busting through the door with a machine gun. Not that I'm saying anything like that ever happened here. But you get the feeling that if it did, the people that may know about it are probably "swimmin' with the fishes."
Our waiter/bartender added to that mystique, teasing my son that if he didn't behave, he'd "take him into the kitchen". He started behaving alright and the meal went on.
Sam's is definitely old school from its red checkered table cloths to the bowl of ice placed on the table with tongs to serve yourself. As for the food? If you're expecting spectacular, you may be disappointed. Let's just say Dominic DeMarco of DiFara's has nothing to worry about. While the pizza is good, it's not great. The crust has a nice smoky char and there's lots of gooey cheese, but the tomato sauce is piled on thick and tastes as if it came right out of the can. The menu is loaded with other traditional dishes like chicken and veal parmigiana, lasagna and stuffed peppers. Dessert includes Italian staples like tartufo and zabaglione.
When it comes down to it, Sam's is a family restaurant in a part of town known more these days for trendy spots like Frankie's Spuntino, Prime Meats and Buttermilk Channel. Yet Sam's, much like Queen a few blocks away, has managed to stand the test of time. After 80 years, that's quite an achievement. Some might call them relics. I call them part of the fabric that is New York.
Review By: Thomas Rafael
Comments:
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