Suffolk Spotlight: Amici's Pizza Cafe

The second place on my summer "to-dine" list that I visited this week was Amici's Pizza Cafe, a locals' favorite in downtown Suffolk.

I must admit that I wasn't too impressed with Amici's the first time I ate there, earlier this summer with two girlfriends: the food was delicious, but the service left a lot to be desired. Last night, though, my friend Meredith and I had a great time. We sat out front on the shaded patio, munched on bread with garlic butter, and sipped pinot grigio (well, I did at least; she's preggo) while we waited for our entrees. Thankfully, the wait wasn't nearly as long as last time.

What I Ate:

• The first time: Penne ala Vodka - spinach & andouille sausage over penna pasta in a tomato cream sauce
• The second time: Veal Piccata - veal cutlets with capers in a light lemon-white wine sauce over spaghetti

Amici's menu also includes a great selection of pizzas, a huge Greek salad (which my friend Kim got on my first visit), and salmon & artichokes over asparagus risotto (which I plan to try next time). Bottom line: Amici's is good, and I'll probably eat there again. But it's more casual than Primo 116, both in atmosphere and in cuisine; so for a special occasion or fancy night out, Primo 116 is still my favorite Italian in Suffolk.

The Scoop:
Amici's Pizza Cafe is located in downtown Suffolk at 157 E. Washington Street. You can reach them at (757)923-5300. They don't take reservations.

Gluten-Free Italian on the Upper West Side

Anne (my good friend and maid of honor extraordinaire who I visited in NYC this past weekend) had to work at Alice's Tea Cup on Saturday afternoon, so I had a few hours to kill by myself. I went to see a play -- Manhattan Theatre Club's production of Donald Margulies' "Collected Stories" starring Linda Lavin and Sarah Paulson -- did some shopping at Columbus Circle, and then read for a while in Central Park.

When Anne got off from work at 8pm, we were both starving, and she suggested an Italian place on the Upper West Side called Sambuca. The real draw for her was their gluten-free menu (she has a wheat allergy).

I haven't tasted a lot of gluten-free foods, and although I tried desperately, I wasn't able to get her a gluten-free cupcake at my wedding last spring. So I was surprised by how well the chef at Sambuca was able to mimic the texture and consistency of real bread and pasta.

They serve their entrees family-style, so we shared a plate of gluten-free (tapioca/rice) ravioli filled with spinach & ricotta cheese, and I sipped a glass of 2008 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo with mine. Sure, the ravioli didn't taste 100% like the real thing, but it was awfully close. And Anne loved it: It was the first time she'd been able to enjoy pasta in years!

Suffolk Spotlight: Primo 116

Remember Cheers, "where everybody knows your name"? Our Cheers is Primo 116, although it's a cozy, hole-in-the-wall Italian place instead of a sports bar (thankfully). Our waiter Chris greets us by name when we walk in and brings our drinks to the table without us having to order them.

This is all started on Valentine's Day, 2009. The day before - Friday the 13th - I moved back to Hampton Roads after living in DC and Cleveland for work for nine months. Needless to say, my husband (then-fiancée) was very glad for me to be back, and I was pretty excited to be home. We wanted to do something special to celebrate, so we decided to try the new Italian restaurant that had recently opened downtown. (Are you sensing a theme? Celebrating, for us, almost always involves a great meal.)

We were shown to our table by the very friendly head waiter, Chris. Thankfully we had reservations: that night, their 15 or so tables were all full. After skimming the menu, I quickly made my selection: veal saltimbocca.

My husband, however, likes to talk to the waiter about the menu, find out what his recommendations are, etc. and that night was no exception. He introduced himself to Chris, and they immediately started talking sauces, spices, and cuts of meat, all of which went right over my head. I don't remember what my husband finally ordered -- it might have been the osso bucco -- but his conversation with Chris assured Primo 116's status as our favorite local place.

Plus, at the end of the meal Chris presented me with a single red rose (it was Valentine's Day after all) for being "the most beautiful woman in the restaurant" that evening -- a slightly unfair contest, since I was the youngest female there by several decades. ;)

Since then we've been back many times: for a fancy dinner with my in-laws; for a relaxed meal with friends; and for just a quick bite after work when we didn't feel like cooking. We've never been disappointed.

Valentine's Day 2009:

• Vitello Saltimbocca: Scallopini of veal topped with prosciutto and mozzarella over a bed of spinach in a sage demi-glace, served with a side of polenta
• Belgian chocolate gelato

Dinner with My In-Laws:

• Funghi Farciti Cotti: Baked mushroom caps stuffed with bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, pignoli nuts, parsley and herbs - stuffed mushrooms done right
• Rockfish with onions & tomatoes over orzo pasta
• A limoncello

Dinner with Friends:

• Bruschetta with basil, red peppers and pignoli nuts
• Halibut with saffron citrus sauce over orzo pasta
• Tiramisu

Dinner with Friends Again:

• Cioppino: Jumbo shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels and fish, simmered in a light fish fumet, seasoned with basil, fennel seed, garlic and a touch of tomato
• Ravioli dell' Aragosta: Ravioli stuffed with lobster meat and ricotta with a roasted red pepper cream sauce

A Night We Didn't Feel Like Cooking:

• Rockfish with capers in a tomato cream sauce
• Braised short ribs over risotto with gravy

When We Wanted a Light Dinner:

• Antipasti Freddo: An assortment of imported Italian meats and cheeses, peppers, ripe olives and artichoke hearts - this butcher's plate plus a glass of red wine makes a great light dinner for two

• Pasta e Fagioli Napolitano: a classic Neapolitan soup of white beans and pasta in a light tomato sauce
• Insalata della Casa: Mesculin mix of greens, imported goat cheese, toasted pignoli nuts and a balsamic glaze - this salad plus the soup above is a light, healthy meal

What I'll Order the Next Time We Go:

• Farfalle alla Vodka: Bow tie pasta in a pink vodka cream sauce with baby peas, pancetta and mushrooms

The Scoop:

Primo 116 Bistro Italiano (www.primo116.com) is located at 116 W. Washington Street, Suffolk, VA 23434. Their hours are T-R 5-10pm, F-Sat 5-11pm (closed on Sun-M). Reservations are available by calling (757)923-0116.

Il Giardino and the Shamrock 8K

About two months before our wedding, my husband ran the 2009 Shamrock 8K in Virginia Beach with some friends from work. He had been doing CrossFit with them for several months at that point and was in terrific shape. I, sadly, was not. He wanted me to run with them, but I wiggled off the hook: my maid of honor planned a bridal brunch in Philadelphia for me that weekend (thanks, Anne!).

This year, no such luck. March 20th was wide open on my calendar. So in January, I reluctantly agreed to train for and run the 2010 Shamrock 8K with him (and some friends from our church). Neither of us likes to run, but he's much better about it than I am. I HATE running. Throw me in a pool and I'll swim for hours, but lace up my tennis shoes and I'm toast.

The race started at 8am in Virginia Beach, about an hour drive for our house, so we got a hotel room on the oceanfront the night before. Our good friends Jen & Rob were also at the beach that weekend, so the four of us decided that we should carb load together at Il Giardino.

The meal was amazing, but I was most impressed by Jen & Rob's six-year-old daughter: she special-ordered a dozen clams steamed in butter & garlic and proceeded to eat them all by herself!

What I Ate:

• Calamari Fritti - Squid, lightly dusted with flour & deep fried, served with marinara sauce
• Capellini Piselli e Proscuitto - angel hair, tomato cream sauce, mushrooms, peas, & proscuitto ham
• Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc, Napa, 2005
• Caymus Conundrum, California, 2007

The Scoop:

Il Giardino Ristorante (http://www.ilgiardino.com/) is located at 910 Atlantic Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA 23451. Their hours are 5-11pm. Reservations are available by calling 757-422-6464.

Back to the race: Since I had promised my husband that I would run the 8K with him, I did. Or at least I tried. He runs a 9-minute mile. I run/walk a 12-minute mile. After trying to stay together for the first half mile or so, I let him beg off and run at his own pace. He finished about 20 minutes before me, but we both finished. I'm proud to say that I've done it, and I'm pretty sure I don't want to do it again.