Pizza from Sam's Restaurant

Such a strange place Sam's Restaurant is (238 Court St., at Baltic St., 718-596-3458). A group of my friends decided they wanted to try it, as I was the only one who had ever been and they wanted to see for themselves what it was all about. The old, original signage on the windows beckons, and you have to take a few steps down in order to enter into a place caught in a time warp. It feels like nothing has been changed in decades, from the red and white checkered plastic tablecloths, to the ancient photos on the wall (one was an 8 1/2 x 11 of a cat?). The dining area is one big space that feels like an old rec room, a place where church functions were held and you ran around as a kid with your friends, high on sugar while the adults drank and smoked and laughed three feet above your heads. The lighting is weird - both too bright and a bit dark, but the radio is tuned to the best of the 60's, 70's, 80's AND 90's and surely something will come on that makes you happy (Journey anyone?).

There's a back room that never seems to be used, and a huge upstairs space that isn't open either (although you have to go up there to use the ladies room). It seems like it'd be a cool spot to host a party or a reception, although I don't think it's available for that. There is a full bar though and lots of old classic cocktails listed on the menu. But let's get on to the food, shall we?

We started out with a salad - the Combination Salad to be precise. Iceberg lettuce, a few pink wedges of tomato, plus marinated mushrooms, roasted red pepper and a couple of olives from the can. Delicious. Well, not the olives, but everything else. Two bottles of red wine vinegar and oil are placed on the table for dressing. Beautiful simplicity. Nothing beats the crisp crunch of iceberg lettuce with the tangy tartness of red wine vinegar.



A friend ordered a Gin Lime Rickey, something to order again if only for it's pink frothiness.



But the highlights of our trip were the pizzas. They were excellent. Covered in cheese and sauce and whatever extra toppings you choose, the crust is thin, yet substantial; it holds its own and doesn't get soggy in the center. I hate that. The sauce is savory, not sweet, and the ingredients taste fresh.

We got one with Ricotta & Sausage which had slices of decent Italian sausage and loads of creamy ricotta. It was decadent and delicious and every bit was eaten - even the lost bits of ricotta were wiped up with scraps of crust.



We also ordered a pie with Pepperoni & Garlic. This was my favorite of the two. Mounds of fresh crushed garlic nestled in with abundant slices of slightly spicy pepperoni. SO GOOD!



There were six of us and this was just the right amount of food. Nothing was left over and everyone was happy. No slices though, and if you order a pie by phone, you can't eat it in the restaurant (although, I don't think that's so weird). They also sell Rock Salt for your icy sidewalks!

Sandwiches from Caputo's Fine Foods

Today is a milestone to celebrate - it's my 101st post! It's been an amazing journey so far, with lots of good food and much appreciated & enjoyed comments from readers. I feel excited by the seemingly endless supply of places to visit, eat at and write about!

If you want good sandwiches, you need to take yourself to Caputo's Fine Foods, Inc. (460 Court St., between 3rd & 4th Place, 718-855-8852). It's an amazing place with so many delicious Italian foods for sale. There are freezers full of pastas and ravioli, the deli counter is loaded down with meats and cheeses and the olive bar has assorted preserved and pickled goods to choose from. They also make a mean sandwich.

I listened to my craving recently and ordered a Sweet Soppresata salami sandwich on Caputo's small Ciabatta bread with pickled roasted red peppers, lettuce and mustard and the thinnest slices of strong Provolone cheese you'll ever see. The bread is perfect - nicely crusty on the outside, dense and chewy on the inside, yet fluffy and airy.



My boyfriend ordered a sandwich with Prosciutto & Smoked Gouda, lettuce, tomato & mustard on the same Ciabatta bread. Again, it was delicious. The thinly sliced cheese adds a hint of flavor, the meat was fresh (also sliced thinner than paper) and everything is perfectly proportioned and goes so well together. These sandwiches aren't loaded down with a ton of ingredients; they make more sense than that, which enables you to enjoy them.



Go here soon, get a sandwich and some ravioli and sauce for dinner later. Yum!

Pastries from Provence En Boite

It's been recommended to me on a number of occasions that I try the croissants at Provence En Boite (263 Smith Street at DeGraw Street, 718-797-0707) (thanks Mimi!). I was even at a potluck Brunch in Western Massachusetts recently when someone, upon learning I lived in Brooklyn, enthusiastically came over to me to encourage me to seek out this little pastry. So this past weekend I decided it was time. I picked up a few of their baked goods and went home for the taste test.

I started with the plain croissant. It looked like a little crab to me; it was the size of the palm of my hand, with two sharp curled-in points that looked like claws. It was crusty on the outside, super flaky and slightly sweet and very rich and buttery. Pretty much the perfection I had heard about.



The Chocolate Croissant was on the smallish side as well, which is probably a good thing, since these little treats are so rich with tons of butter. This was made with two" logs" of hard chocolate which is not my preference. I'd much rather have softer, richer chocolate spread evenly throughout the middle. The dough was flaky, and everything tasted good though - fresh, not fake.



The Almond Croissant was really good. The almond paste was subtle, and not overpowering, in a thin layer inside the soft & dense yet flaky shell. Powdered sugar coated the top along with lots of slivers of almonds. I think this was my favorite out of the three.



I haven't been here for a full meal yet, although I've heard mixed reviews. Your thoughts?