Graze by Sam

The food was great! We got the sliders and dumplings to share. It might seem like a weird combo but we didn't care. The ingredients for both tasted fresh and now we can say we've been to one of Sam the Cooking Guy's restaurants.

I am a huge fan of Sam the Cooking Guys youtube channel, thanks to my brother. The flat bread pizza was good but a bit small in portion size. Might be because we traveled from Nevada and just got into town, so we were starving. But still good! The charcuterie board was delicious, had the right amount of smooth cheese, salty sides and sweet sauces. Great relaxing vibe, definitely chill. Super friendly staff, the bartender kept checking in and was super friendly.

Very nice outdoor dining during the weekend. You can choose to share appetizers or have a main entrée and cocktails are served as well. You can hear the live music from the street performers and when your done, stroll through the Saturday Farmers Market where you could find fresh produce and many other delicious organic items. The restaurant is located in downtown Little Italy, so there is a lot to see and do. Follow me for more restaurant reviews.

Date night! Enjoyed a bottle of wine with a meat cheese and meat tray. Products were quality ingredients with great seasoning. Especially loved the honey and the olives. My husband loved the pickles and cheeses. Just a nice, relaxing end of the day activity.

We ordered to go and had it delivered to resort by doordash to eat poolside. The Max Charcuterie Board was wonderful. Good mix of cheeses, meats, and dippings. They spicy mustard and pesto were great and the honey and jam were nice surprises too. They also include some fruit/veggies/nuts for a salty taste. We also good the Gorgonzola Bacon Flatbread which was wonderful. I wasnt sure how the fingerlings would work with the rest, but it was all great. Highly recommend for a snack or in place of lunch, but doesnt open until 4, so late lunch i guess. My one complaint would be that they didnt have any blue cheese options to add to the boards, at least not through delivery. I partly ordered the flatbread just because I wanted some good gorg. Overall very happy with everything though.

We had a casual visit and enjoyed a meat and cheese (and lots more) board with a wine and beer…and really enjoyed the casual chic vibe. It’s on the edge of the Little Italy area. Lots to do and experience in that area after you get your fill here! We will be back! VictorB

Great spot on a square of little Italy with lovely outdoor seating and a lively atmosphere. Shareable comfort food, an ok wine selection, friendly and efficient staff. We enjoyed the prosciutto flatbread and the brisket sliders.

My friend and I checked out this place while walking around Little Italy. It's on a perfect spot across from the new food hall. Great outdoor seating and dog friendly. The only downside were the prices for the amount of food, but it is Little Italy. We paid $62 including too for 2 drinks and a shared board. I started off with the Burning Sage Cocktail with buffalo trace bourbon, sage , ginger, lemon juice and honey simple syrup. It was delicious! We shared the Pick 4 Board, which allows you to pick any 4 items from their bite section and salad section. Here is what we chose: -Antipasto Salad: fresh greens | gabagool | soppressata | prosciutto | mozzarella | pepperoncini | olives | tomato | roasted red pepper | red onion | red wine vinegar + olive oil dressing. This was hands down one of the best salads I have ever had. There was so much meat and other goodies in there and the salad dressing was light. I highly recommend!! -Polpetto di Mano (hand meatball) baked in puff pastry | marinara | mozzarella | parmesan. What's not to love about a pastry covered meatball? The meatball was excellent. -Marinara e Silky Ricotta chili oil | micro basil | crusty bread. They were a little skimpy on the bread for dipping, but the sauce was very fresh. -Cheesesteak Egg Rolls short rib | peppers | onions | shiitake mushrooms | wit whiz. It seems odd to get Cheesesteak at an Italian place but they sounded so good we couldn't resist. We were glad we did. I could eat these all day. It's a fried cheese steak! We sat at the bar so service was good and the bartender was super nice to our dog. I would definitely come back.

Corey is best bartender.... Come here The food is great!!!!!!!!! Chill vibe!!!!!!!!!!!

Great place to go for date night or a group of friend's. The service was good and the hummus was delicious. Not a great selection of wine but the cocktails were very tasty

Very nice cocktail lounge in the heart of little Italy in San Diego! Great cocktails and then there are snacks. We had hummus which was to die for, and charcuterie board which was so-so. Cocktails in particular were good. I enjoyed old fashioned!!! Service was pleasant and nice...

Cute little place with bar stools outside in the plaza, a full bar, and cozy seats inside. I had a good spicy margarita and I also ordered their plate of Spicy Dumplings (6). Dumplings are deep fried, and the filling is edamame and corn. I am more of an Asian dumpling fan!!!! Would I make a special trip just to come back here, probably not. But I'm always in Little Italy, so ya never know. P.s. There was no red wine on their menu that I thought was good, mostly cheap stuff or Costco cheapies.

Went the other night to try out their new menu items. I tried 2/3 of the new pasta items, braised short rib mac n cheese and bucatini puttanesca. The chopped salad was refreshing as well. Highly recommend their spritz mocktail. Very impressed overall!

Cute little spot to get a snack and a drink in little Italy. Friendly bar tender the night I stopped in, and super helpful. I didn't catch their name otherwise I would mention them. They had face tattoos and short hair, super helpful and quick service. The seating it right in the piazza della famiglia so you're right in the middle of all the excitement. Definitely recommend this spot to chill and hang with friends.

Just stopped in for a cocktail. Service was fast! Grab a menu and order at the bar. We were a little confused at first if we needed to wait for our drinks or if they would bring them to us. We sat outside on the patio with a fire pit, but unfortunately the cushions must not be covered because they were damp inside and got my clothes damp after sitting for a long time.

We really wanted to like this place. I have been wanting to go for awhile as a love a good charcuterie! We were told we would get 2 cheese and 2 meats with the board. It came with 3 meats, which one was not edible and 1 cheese. It was not worth $28. The drinks were ok. We checked in on yelp and showed the serve the free appetizer. We finished our board and drinks and asked about the appetizer. The server said "I don't know how to redeem that sorry" Will not be back. Bummer could be a cool place.

This spot is located in the heart of Little Italy in that plaza area. It was interesting because when we got there, the hostess stand was unattended and the sign said please wait to be seated. So we patiently waited and I noticed that a few staff were looking over at us but not coming up to us. Eventually a staff hollered at us telling us it's open seating, didn't even walk up to us. There's an array of seating inside, outside, at the bar, cozy couches, etc. We were just looking for a quick drink and dessert so my partner got a beer and I got the Butterscotch Pot de Creme. Very creamy and a hefty dessert so can easily be shared. It is in Little Italy so be patient for parking!

I went here for brunch on a Sunday. A lot of other nearby restaurants were booked and had wait times up to hours long. There were plenty of unique and comfortable seating options available and I was able to get seated immediately. At least during brunch time, this venue is extremely causal and open. It feels like eating at a friend's house. I had an order of a French Toast Mountain and an Italian Benedict. Despite the relatively small crowd, it did take a bit for the food to arrive. The French Toast came with three small containers. One had whipped cream, another had syrup, and the last one had some sort of jam. The whipped cream wasn't overly sweet. It might've even been some sort of butter. The Italian Benedict had a bit of a spicy kick to it, which I did not expect but did enjoy. One mistake that I made was not starting on this soon enough. The French Toast came first and I wanted to finish it before moving on, so the juices from the tomato made the bread a bit soggy. Overall this is a decent place to have a nice brunch, especially in a time crunch. It has a smaller menu than alternative brunch spots.

I came here just for dessert on a Saturday evening. I ordered the Butterscoth Pot de Creme and it was delicious! Very creamy and rich - perfect dessert to share! Overall the service once seated was great, however it took us a while to get seated in the first place. They had signs that said to wait for a host to be seated but staff never came over. Eventually after about 5 mins someone from the bar hollered over and said that seating was open. Was just a weird way to kickoff my experience there.

Slider Board: Brisket, Pesto Grilled Cheese, & Baby Italian Flavorful but a little too greasy for me. Felt really heavy and salty at the end.

We stopped in for their amazing charcuterie board and drinks while in the area. What we enjoyed about this restaurant: Awesome location Indoor and outdoor seating Delicious menu items Beer and wine available for purchase We ordered the The Jordan Charcuterie Board with 2 meats and 2 cheeses. I must say, I've had many charcuterie boards but this by far was one of the best! Great service, quality food and awesome atmosphere, I'm a fan & I can't wait to return to try more of their menu items!

Stopped by this nice little spot when we were walking around Little Italy. We just wanted a snack and this place hit the spot. Our server was really nice and friendly and explained everything really well. When our charcuterie board came out it was really good. It's a perfect spot to stop in for some food and drinks. I'll definitely be going back! Highly recommend!

Stop by this place during taste of Little Italy to only notice this is "Sam the cooking guy"! Although I immediately was a fan girl the food was amazing that we went back and had the full experience. I can't say enough, it's delicious! You must try if your in the area

Even though this restaurant is a little pricy, everything tasted so fresh and delicious. Service was outstanding. Emma was a great waitress. She was very friendly and attentive. It's hard to believe how skillful she was. She was the only wait person when we were there and she was able to take care of all the tables on a busy Saturday lunch time. Her service was excellent. Also the restaurant has outdoor seating and the ambiance was great. I highly recommend this restaurant and will visit again next time we are in San Diego.

I had been waiting to visit Graze by Sam because I have followed Sam since he had his tv show many years ago. I was super disappointed with the quality of the food and the service. Luckily I was with my cousin who didn't mind, but I will probably never dine there again.

We were at the Food Hall getting gelato after dinner, so I decided to get something to go from Graze for lunch the next day. I had tried a few of the appetizer items previously, thanks to Graze being a stop on the Little Italy Food Tour. I got the Shrimp Udon noodle salad, since I knew that would be good cold the next day. Salad was delicious, with seared shrimp, spinach, noodles, edamame, etc. I'll have to recreate this some time at home! I also added the Polpette di Mano, since it was free with a Yelp check-in offer. Good tasting meatball, wrapped in a pastry shell (hand meatball, because you can pick it up and eat it). I'm always looking for a good meatball, and this was tasty. Just a little pricey, but I got it for free, so not complaining. The order process was easy, with the staff at the entrance. The have those portable Toast type machines, and can take your card on the spot. Super efficient, and they texted me when my order was ready. We sat outside while we were waiting, in some super comfy couch-style chairs. Our table even had a fire line in it, which comes in handy on a chilly night! (Just keep your gelato away from it, LOL). They brought my to go order out to me when it was ready. Staff was friendly and efficient. I'll be back to try out more of the offerings!

Graze by Sam exceeded every expectation I had of it. Located in a beautiful people watching spot right across from the little Italy food hall it is the perfect place for a drink and a nibble. If you are lucky you can even catch celebrity chef and owner Sam "the cooking guy" hanging around. The food is so incredibly delicious and fairly priced for how much they give you. I recommend the "best of Sam" board. You will not regret it. Every item was great. The service was fantastic and friendly, and food and drink came out quickly. If I could give 6 stars I would. TL:DR - Try Graze today. This is as sure fire as it gets

We Love Sam! This was the first time we had tried any of his restaurants.. The Food hall had been on our bucket list for a while. And then we learned there was a Sam restaurant there we finally got to check it off our list.. We went on a Wednesday and they have WINE WEDNESDAYS , So I got a bottle of wine- Raonstorm Pinot Noir - ( $24 ) which was a great deal! Wine was great! Normally $48 for the bottle! We got the Pick 4 Board with lots of fun exciting food! It must have been on a happy hour menu, which looks like i missed getting a picture of .. Was fun to have a little bit of everything! We had the Brisket Sliders, Szechuan Dumplings, Cheesesteak Egg Rolls, and the Meatball Slider.. They were all tasty! Overall we loved the place! It met all of our expectations! And we will return! Service was Great ( EMMA D. & MALLORY ) - WINE WEDNESDAYS 3-10PM - Saw Sam

We stopped here for a drink while waiting for our reservation at Morning Glory. I guess they'd accidentally given us the lunch menu instead of the brunch menu because there were no breakfast bevvies on it and I was bummed because I really had my heart set on a boozy coffee of some sort. Anyways I got a raspberry lemon drop which was tasty and packed enough of a punch that having it on an empty stomach gave me a light buzz which was nice. I was bummed once again when I checked in on Yelp and saw that you get a free meatball app for checking in, and when I ordered it the bartender let me know that that menu isn't available until later in the day. Oh well! Will try another day. Cute spot though with a big open dining room, indoor and outdoor bar seating, and outdoor tables as well.

Big Sam the Cooking Guy fan! Love Sam Burgers and Not Not Tacos, but Graze was a little bit of a let down. The concept of the restaurant is mostly small bites. While they do have some entree sized options, you can "graze" over a variety of options with their choice menus. We went with choosing four items from their small bites menu that included a salad, puff pastry meatball and grilled sandwiches. Overall, the food was tasty but nothing spectacular. The price was a bit high for the size and portions. I think I'd prefer to stick to the other Sam the Cooking Guy options. While the atmosphere here is beautiful (located right across the Food Hall with indoor and outdoor seating), the food and pricing is just okay in comparison.

For a company event, I hired Grit & Grain Collective, which is Sam the Cooking Guy's catering company featuring a menu that is a mixture of Graze by Sam, Samburgers, and Not Not Tacos. Everyone at the event absolutely devoured the food upon arrival and raved about the sliders, tacos, and even the salads--which was saying something because we'd also provided breakfast less than two hours before. As the person planning, not only did I enjoy the food, but I also could not have asked anything more of the staff. They were super responsive during planning and highly professional on the day of the event. They made sure the food was ready upon attendees' arrival and replenished regularly. Furthermore, they took care of all the clean-up, even bussing empty plates as the event went along so there wasn't trash just lying around. Would highly recommend both the food and the catering team!

The flatbread was amazing. Cute spot in little Italy. Highly recommend the mashed potato flatbread. The baby Italian slider was a little underwhelming, very small indeed. The inside is nice for dining.

Grew up watching Sam stopped by his booth at San Diego food and Wine festival very disappointed by his staff. When I asked what the dish was I was corrected by a girl with a attitude handing out plates. Then rudely told you can see the description right there. Another team member laughed and said haha I like how she did that, as Sam watched. Then was served smoldering hot Mac and cheese balls that didn't have time to rest enough and burnt my mouth. Sam watching this all happen, very upsetting experience. Was going to confront them but I was having a great day and wanted to keep it that way... As a restaurant General Manager I was shocked to be treated less then by people serving mac and cheese balls. Every other booth with high caliber chefs had some class and was friendly.

Was down in Little Italy for a quick lunch. We spotted this place as it was relatively empty compared to the rest in the same plaza at 11am on a weekend. The servers were nice, and took our orders quick. However, they missed 1 item which delayed our lunch for 20 minutes. Not complaining since they had apologized. The review is mainly for the food. Zach Board (4/5): - it was a pretty standard charcuterie, nothing really stands out particularly but it's nice with a glass of wine for teatime :) Best of Sam's Board (3/5): - there is a bunch of stuff on this board from their tapas menu. Not all the food was good...I'd recommend getting only these items from the board: eggroll, italian slider, and dumplings Overall, it's not special but definitely make good drunk food if u got the munchies

Graze by Sam exceeded all expectations for my wedding. The service was impressive and our guests are still raving about how good the food was. We will definitely be using them for future events. Thank you!

All I can say is WOW!!! This place was super good and delicious. Basically tried everything on their menu!! Only thing we didn't care for was the shrimp salad. Was the only thing we didn't really finish and we all agreed we wouldn't order it again. The sliders were all perfect. Highly recommend getting the best of Sam board. Everything delicious. Only thing is the bread for the Maranara sauce we wish was a little different but it was good enough. The drinks were also very good. Loved the skrewey Louie and and margarita was fresh, strong, and delicious!! I can't wait to go back to this place!!! The service was great and the food even better!!

I stopped in during the Sat Little Italy Farmers Market for a quick bite & a beer. Plenty of seats & the location is convenient. Seat yourself and there are QR cards on the table that say order & pay. I was preparing to do that when a lovely young lady brought me a menu & shortly after took my order. Food & drink weren't fast but understandable and not too slow. I ordered a hard kombucha & the whipped ricotta so nothing complicated. After that though, I was on my own. It seemed similar to what was happening to those around me too. I made eye contact a few times with servers figuring they were just busy but nobody came by. Finally I called someone over& they asked how the food was. I said good but I would like my check. He left & sent someone else over who couldn't find my check in the system so they took my card & disappeared for a bit. Not sure of the technical difficulties but there were not a lot of warm & fuzzies for being there. Finally the server came back and recreated my order & ran my card. All in all... I am going to try to keep an open mind & try them again.

My husband and I stopped by for a drink and to split a meal. My biggest question is what kind of sorcery is involved in the rigatoni in the short rib mac & cheese...? I seriously do not understand how he was able to get it so perfectly al dente and also the thickness of the rigatoni confuses me. Certainly, that's not something I can buy in the grocery store myself... But I don't understand where I can get it l... but I also MUST know. Black Sheep cocktail was also fabulous for the old fashioned lovers out there.

Cool spot to sit, drink, eat, watch people and the sights and sounds of the Little Italy community this eatery serves. The restaurant interior is small so my group of half a dozen plus opted for the outdoors area since it was so close and very comfy. Our group sat immediately outside on the couch area and pulled some chairs around to accommodate us all, the spot was quite relaxing and very chill, a major plus. Within about 15 minutes another couple showed up and the eight of us were still able to spread out enough to enjoy the fresh air and still maintain a more than adequate distance for social distancing from other groups outside of our immediate party. All menus are via QR Reader, menuless touchless ordering and contactless service and paying is the standard here and all health safety precautions seemed to be in play here. I ordered several items off the menu for our party, the Sezchuen Dumpling potstickers were just delicious full of flavor with just enough "crunchy" sear yet succulent and delicious, the grilled D2 Buffalo chicken flatbread freshly made, loaded with hot grilled chicken and "buffalo sauce" was enough but not overpowering and very tasty dish, it was more than enough to share amongst our group. The BBQ sliders were my fav and so much so I ordered a second on them. Comfortable seating outdoors, attentive staff and a decent menu and drink selection are all here. A bonus of this location is all the surrounding food and drinks available if you happen to not like whats for offer here. Some of my party opted for food from neighboring establishments and the management and staff are okay with that, since we were ordering from them as well. 4 Stars - a chill and relaxed eatery thats doing it right in Little Italy 00723

Except for the shrimp udon salad everything was delicious. And we almost tried everything on the menu. Drinks are good. I had the classic margarita and it's better here than any Mexican restaurant I've been. The Basil strawberry field drink was nicely refreshing. The Skrewie Louie was good as well. Definitely get the Best of Sam sampler board. In that sampler, the toasted bread with marinara sauce was our least favorite. If the bread was a focaccia, it would probably be better. The marinara sauce was spicy good - the bread was the let down. But after getting the shrimp udon salad, we all agreed that that was the dish we would never order again. The edamame in that salad was mushy like baby's food. We weren't able to try that donut dessert since we were full. But there's always another day. Definitely coming back here.

Oh man. After having one of the most delicious meals from this place, on my last night in San Diego we decided to have it delivered. The delivery was an hour late, okay Friday night no big deal, but the food was not worth waiting for. All of it was cold, the egg rolls were old and burnt, they messed up my order, and the bread was rock hard. Very disappointed. 1/5 stars for today's food, so averaging my rating to a 3. I hope this is just because they're busy on a Friday? I don't know. I would recommend not going on a weekend if you're going to try, and I will hope that they still serve good food (amazing!) and haven't lost their pizzazz already. Also seemed extra greasy. Super bummed after all that I am now heading to the store for something to eat.

I come here for dinner and the location is beautiful. There was live music and just charming. The food was super unique, absolutely delicious and reasonably priced. I recommend this for someone looking to eat and do something differently.

Wonderful evening at Graze! Our waiter gets 5 full stars. We mentioned that we had another table in mind when the current group left and he later swung by and said "fire pits open." We jumped up and headed to those seats. We would have been perfectly happy with a fountain view but fire pit was even better. I am ashamed that after 3 tasty cocktails, I forgot his name. Wonderful gentleman. Every one of the menu options sounded so good, it was difficult to decide which to go with. We settled on the "best of Sam board" and a charcuterie. Both were delicious. Cocktails weren't too sweet and packed a punch in a good way. Wonderful ambiance, food and service. There were a few cons- that won't impact our return plans, but worth mentioning. I am a dessert loving woman and there was only 1 option for dessert, which sounded like it was definitely worth trying. It was not good at all. It was a dry, slightly burned tasting pastry of some sort- kind of croissant like, with a minuscule drizzle of caramel and flavorless whipped cream and dried out burned pecans. I barely ate it and decided it wasn't meant to be. Another con was that we had to-go boxes for our many leftovers but none of the lids wanted to fit onto the sauces, the cups kept collapsing when we tried to put them on. Not a big deal but something to note if taking charcuterie to go. Overall, it was a fantastic evening and an excellent way to celebrate 22 years of marriage. I'd give 4.5 stars if that were an option.

Mediocre cocktails that are overpriced. Long Island cost $17 - I can most certainly say this ended up being a total rip off since there was too much 'sour' in the drink. Charging $17 for a drink is worth while if the drink actually tastes right; unfortunately this doesn't make the cut.

I came here because I watch your videos every week I ordered a 14.00 lemon drop that was literally two sips. When I questioned the server she said the glasses were too big!!! Completely dissatisfied

Cute eatery right in Little Italy. Sweet waitress Jess who recommended these 3 yummy dishes. Nice clean place and good vibe

Real nice charcuterie board, Accoutrements of hot honey, jam and a real good pesto. Pickled haricot verts! Meats and cheese were fresh Well done

Just a stop to enjoy a glass of wine while waiting for my gals. Like the brightness and openness into the food plaza . Love the interior color scheme ...olive green and the bold word "graze" on one side of the wall. For me I love good customer service ...and this place has GREAT customer service ! From the time I walked in and wasn't sure what I wanted to drink ; my server let me try different wines...all the servers were all smiles and friendly !

I was excited to try a restaurant by Sam the Cooking Guy, but was a little disappointed on my visit a couple months ago. It was nice that I was able to make reservations, even though they normally just take walk-ins. I do like that the bites are small, so you can try a few different menu items. My friend and I shared the polpetto di mano, char siu, and brisket slider. The polpetto di mano, was basically a meatball baked in a puff pastry with marinara and mozzarella. It was small, but quite tasty. The brisket slider was cute and pretty good. The char siu was surprisingly a big portion of sliced bbq pork with Chinese sweet hot mustard on the side. The meat was on the sweet side, so the mustard helped balance the flavors. For dessert, their was only one offering, so we shared the butter sauteed glazed donut. It didn't taste like a traditional donut and I wasn't a fan of the texture. My friend seemed to like it though. Overall everything was alright.

Stopped by for a drink while walking around Little Italy. Inside was empty for a Friday night so we found a seat at the bar pretty easily. Just went for one cocktail each, I chose the Harvest Moon. It was really really sweet, even a little too much for me. Also, an old guy kept staring at me because he wanted to take the seat my friend was using even after I told him the seat was taken. Weird. We didn't stay long.

Came here on a Sunday evening and had no problem getting a seat at the bar. There were a few other groups in there, but not crowded by any means. The bartender was super nice and made us yummy drinks. They unfortunately didn't have the drink I wanted initially ("Happy Camper": skrewball, four roses, chocolate bitters) so I ordered the "Burning Sage" (Buffalo trace, sage, ginger, lemon juice, honey simple syrup). I was super happy with it and would recommend. For food we ordered the "Best of Sam" board and it was exactly the kind of snacking we were looking for. Genuinely enjoyed each item (Szechuan Dumplings, Cheesesteak Eggrolls, Brisket Slider, Baby Italian, Polpetto di Mano, Marinara e' Silky Ricotta w/ crusty bread). I imagine this place gets a ton of traffic on the weekends with its location. Would be a good spot for a date night or hanging with friends during the week.

We had so much fun here, with very comfortable sofa seating. The ambiance and decor are perfect. We went on a busy Saturday night, luckily we found somewhere to sit. The staff here are awesome, Eva was attending us and she was great! Super nice and attentive. The food there is also great!! We had the Brisket + Baby Italian sliders and the Buffalo Chicken Flatbread. Soooo good!!

I was pleasantly surprised, Moscow mule was tasty and generously sized. Steak and cheese rolls were perfect. Nice ambience. Very attentive staff during happy hour. Would definitely stop back here again.

Had an amazing time here at Graze by Sam. It is the perfect spot to stop in at for finger foods & drinks. Warning you might get full of of the "best of same" board & the Zach charcuterie board is perfect size for 2. Our drinks were so good ! The burning sage is the perfect drink for bourbon drinkers and the fire & ice Is great if you like a little spice. Basil fields forever has a nice after basil flavor that isn't so over powering.

We stopped by because we had an hour before our dinner reservation elsewhere and I couldn't have asked for a better experience :) Jaz was so wonderful and helpful in seating us and helping us decide what to enjoy. I definitely would come back just to be in her company again! Happy we found this little gem in little Italy

To start off, my party had the olives and charcuterie board containing brie, aged cheddar, and a Spanish aged cheese. There is nothing wrong with going to this restaurant, but I would only go again if there was nothing open in the area. If the prices were lower, a 4th star would of been added. All my plates tasted good, and service was great. The only problem I had was the quality for the price. Each dish felt something was missing, for the price. I believe this restaurant banks on a great interior design and a good hang out spot to over charge for average cheeses and meats.

Okay Sam, you make a terrific spicy meatball (Polpetto di Mano), and although I liked your Caesar, I did feel it need more in the area of flavor, specifically with the actual dressing; and at $9, a little more salad would be nice. The puff pastry and meatball combinations were quite successful. The meat ball was very well seasoned and offered great texture. The combination of ingredients were just right, especially the binder. The puff pastry was nice too. It was light and crisp and a nice vessel for the meatball. The liked the Sam's Caesar and its accompanied ingredients, but the yogurt base dressing needed more flavor. It needed more anchovy flavor, garlic, and acidity from the lemon. The greens were great, the bacon was terrific, and I enjoyed the Cotija cheese and corn, but going off the beaten path sometimes, hinders reaching expectations with tradition. Oh yes, don't forget the croutons! Service was very good as the bar. Jacqueline was super friendly.

I saw on the news that the latest venture from Sam the Cooking Guy had just debuted. This wine and tapas bar is actually an extension of the Little Italy Food Hall but on the opposite side of the Piazza Della Famiglia in a corner suite. There were several tables set outside on the patio, bar seats along the perimeter of the suite, and an inside dining area too. I didn't order a cocktail, wine or other drinks that were available so I can't comment on the beverages. There were two short pages for food items. The first was for small plates, shareables and one dessert (butter sauteed glazed donuts). The second featured flatbreads, cheeses, and charcuterie. I selected the following from the initial page... * Brisket Slider ($8 each) - brisket, sauteed onions, and a horseradish white cheddar spread on a seeded roll * Char Siu ($8) - sliced BBQ pork with a hot chinese mustard for dipping * Polpetto di Mano ($6 each) - meatball baked in puff pastry covered with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese The polpetto came out first in a small cast iron skillet. I liked the puff pastry which the meatball was resting upon. It wasn't a large serving for $6 though. The char siu arrived next on a long cutting board. I guess the board was needed for presentation as the pieces of pork rested on the bottom end while a swipe of mustard was painted on the top end. The meat was fatty as expected, but a dozen thin slices were rather paltry. Last was the slider which was also served in the same type of skillet as the meatball. The brisket was dry, however the horseradish rescued it with moisture and spiciness. I loved the setup and ambiance of this new eatery. My biggest issue was the portion sizes relative to the pricing. The slider would be a prime example. For $8, there should have been at least two of them in an order. You can get a full-size burger for that cost at another establishment along India St (e.g. Shake Shack). A 4% surcharge was added to all checks too. For quality, quantity, and value, I gave my dining experience a three star rating.