Baltimore is for Italians

On the east coast there is the joke, if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes and it will change. In Baltimore, if you don't like the neighborhood, go five blocks and it will change. And as with all good urban villages, each village has its distinctive restaurants. There is Greek-town with its Greek restaurants, Inner Harbor with its tourist meccas like the Cheesecake Factory, ESPN Zone, and the Hard Rock Café, and Little Italy, with its plethora of Italian cafes.

Little Italy is crammed between Inner Harbor and Fells Point, near the waterfront. It is about 8 square blocks chocked-full of Italian restaurants and, presumable, Italians. I have eaten at most of the restaurants of Little Italy in my quest for satisfying food, and have met with many nights of disappointment at the soggy calamari, and the over-priced menus. However, two beacons of hope still shine.

The first is Amicci's, located at 231 South High Street. This is not only one of the cheapest Italian restaurants in the area, but also, in my mind, the best. The food is generally filling (plan on taking some home with you) and hearty, but still light and enjoyable. The tomato and mottzerella appetizer features rich, delicious mozzarella cheese, the calamari (plan on sharing this with someone as it is huge) comes light, crisp, with minimal breading and an excellent marina sauce. Main courses of note include the eggplant Parmesan, made with silky eggplant, crusty breading and lots of cheese, the pasta amicci, pasta with peppers, mushroom, Italian sausage, and other interesting bits, and the gnocchi, which is light and airy in a pleasant pesto or cheesy marinara sauce. Be prepared however, to wait a bit for a table.

However, Amicci's does not serve dessert. So, if you are still mobile, go one block over to Vaccaro's. Some of you may know Vaccaro's from its outpost in Union Station; however, the one in Little Italy is the original. The menu consists purely of dessert beverages including various types of coffee and liquors, and Italian desserts; everything from cannolis to gelato, granita, tiramisu, sfogliatelli, etc. The servings are generally large, the quality is excellent, and the wait is long. Specific items of interest include the granites, which are fat-free, the wide variety of gelato, and the colloseos, which are enormous sundaes on a Belgian waffle. Additionally, on Monday nights, you can order an all-you-can-eat option. Should you try this, come very hungry, as the servings are enormous and you cannot order the next dish until you have eaten at least half of current one (note: you can order half-dishes for some of the larger items). At the front of the restaurant is also a take-away counter. For more information about Vaccaro's visit http://www.vaccarospastry.com