Sam’s isn’t a new restaurant for New York City. The neighborhood institution has beenaround since 1930 and has been passed down through the same family for generations. That is, until recently, when the then-owner, Louis Migliaccio, handed his legacy
restaurant over to a regular, Georgia Fulton, a longtime server at the neighboring Long Island Bar .
Fulton reopened Sam’s this past September, keeping its original ethos alive but in a slightly zhuzhed-up way. There’s now a much shorter food and drinks menu, still full of familiar hits. Looks-wise, the facade is unchanged, with the American and Italian flags; neon signage declaring there’s Italian cuisine, lunch, and dinner; and a couple of steps down to the front door. Inside, it’s mostly the same, but now there’s more dining room, and the front bar has actual stools. But still, familiar favorites remain, like the pizza on the menu,those same plates and glasses, and the cozy, family-friendly vibes.
What to order
- Shrimp cocktails had been on my mind, and the one at Sam’s ($18) is a classic one with an ever-so-slightly spicy sauce with four shrimp.
- I had heard a lot about Sam’s baked clams ($23), and I liked them. The bivalves were chewy but tricky to pull off the shell; a little fork would’ve been nice. I adored the buttery sauce and wished I ordered bread to sop it up.
- The spaghetti and meatballs ($26) were some of the best I’ve ever had. It’s the ideal format, doused in Parmesan, paired with a nice zesty tomato, soft-strong meatballs, and chewy pasta.
- I ended with the tiramisu ($12), a classic square cut out of what is probably a huge slab of the Italian dessert with a double-ladyfinger layer.
The drinks
Given Fulton’s background, the drinks are quite classic and good at Sam’s. I adored my very-dirty gin martini with three olives. For dessert, my server recommended the Amaro Montenegro, which was perfectly not sweet and paired well with the tiramisu.
Best seat in the house
The booths are cozy and good for groups up to four. The back room is pretty, with stained glass windows and a mural of a lush garden with spouting fountains. Sit back there at the larger table for bigger groups. Hole up at one of the bar stools for solo dining and good eavesdropping. Fulton added a drink rail separating the bar from the rest of the front dining room, much like Long Island Bar.
Know before you go
The upstairs bathrooms offer powdered hand soap only.
Insider tip
Head upstairs for relics of Sam’s past, including the nonfunctional phone booth, an amazing doll lamp, and an official Brooklyn proclamation issued in 1996 recognizing the restaurant and the Migliaccio family for their mom-and-pop business efforts.
