Samm’s Restaurant and Lounge has been around
for six years, gaining a reputation for fine, simple American
cuisine with a few international touches. In May, Michael Brocking
bought the restaurant and, like a smart businessman, decided
not to fix what wasn’t broken.
Brocking wisely kept the original chef, Segundo Guaman, and updated
the lounge area from its cluttered sofa and chair aesthetic to
a come-to-the-Kasbah theme – complete with a tented ceiling,
a banquette that borders the room and moveable screens for privacy.
The two dining areas were tweaked slightly. They’re elegant yet
informal, a place where couples sit at beautifully appointed
tables lit by mismatched chandeliers and the music is kept low
enough for larger parties to converse without shouting.
The one thing that needs fine-tuning is the menu. Items such
as Samm’s "pupu platter" – an assortment of Asian hors
d’oeuvres; vegetable dumplings in teriyaki sauce served with
sweet potato fries; and buffalo chicken wings with bleu cheese
dipping sauce, are dated and don’t belong on a menu that, while
not innovative, are perfectly prepared and showcase fresh, seasonal
ingredients.
I loved Samm’s clams – a half dozen small, sweet clams with a
light, crisp breadcrumb topping. This is one of those retro dishes
that are often heavy and over-baked. Here the topping adds a
bit of crunch to the soft shellfish meat. With a squeeze of lemon,
they’re perfect.
Another crowd-pleaser (that can be a real dud) is a moist, pan-roasted
crab cake with very little breading and lots of crabmeat. At
Samm’s it comes with crisp coleslaw that’s a little heavy on
the mayonnaise, and house-made tartar sauce.
A milky, fresh homemade mozzarella plays the straight man to
its cloak of salty prosciutto in the bocconcini appetizer. The
little roll is served atop a thick slice of grilled tomato. That
earthy tomato pillow and the drizzle of good balsamic vinegar
that tops the appetizer deliver a blast of exciting flavor.
The pastas are not terribly exciting. I’d nix the "blackened"
chicken over porcini mushroom ravioli from the menu – blackened
foods are a fad that hung around too long and shouldn’t be reprised.
But the linguine with white clam sauce is everything I’d hoped
it would be – the ring of small clams in their shells, sweet
and tender, the brothy sauce deep in clam flavor, the pasta al
dente.
Order the grilled lamb chops and you’ll receive seven that actually
taste like lamb. They come with a crown of mustardy breadcrumbs
that cut the richness of the meat. A heap of nutty asparagus
and a mound of velvety mashed potatoes mixed with scallions and
bacon accompany the chops. The bacon in the potatoes may be a
throwback, but I wasn’t complaining.
The beef in Samm’s meatloaf is too finely ground and dense for
it to be anything but "eh." But I did enjoy the tangy
Worcestershire-spiked gravy and the garlicky pesto mashed potatoes.
Samm’s desserts are homey and pleasantly over the top. The banana
and chocolate tart with its big ruffle of whipped cream looked
like the clown cones I loved as a kid, but one taste and I knew
this was an adult’s dessert. That whipped cream is unsweetened
and flavored delicately with cinnamon. The crust is crisp and
buttery, and under a thick layer of bittersweet chocolate pudding
sits slices of ripe bananas.
The combination of service that is warm without being intrusive,
and the superb food makes dinner at Samm’s an event to remember.
Samm’s Restaurant and Lounge (8901 Third
Ave. at 89th Street) accepts American Express, MasterCard and
Visa. Entrees: $17-$26. The restaurant serves dinner Tuesday-Sunday.
Closed Mondays. For reservations, call (718) 238-0606.
