Sami’s is finally open! I picked up some baba and today’s soup (tomato w caraway, cumin, and basil oil) for lunch today… both were fresh and delicious. Can’t wait to work my way through the menu; shawarma, fattoush, etc. Oh, and the place looks great, too… that’s because Cottage By the Sea (Ocean Grove iirc) did stunning built-ins and tables! I love when everything is local. http://samistreetfood.com
Hope it is successful but the parking is terrible. IMHO Dino’s didn’t survive because of that. Now with the construction on Main St. it will be harder than ever.
Sorry if I sound defensive, but I just spent the day in/around AP with friends, and we parked three cars with no problem, first for brunch at Cardinal (YUM), then over by Convention Hall for the holiday bazaar. If anything, I think the (supposed, bc we didn’t have it) weather kept people at home! What a joy to find spots AND not have to pay!
There are also metered spots in the lot at City Hall, right across the street from Sami’s.
I was commenting about the parking situation at Sami’s. During the week the lot across the street is packed. And the side street has a large area of no parking. I know that I stopped going to Dino’s because of it.
Totally understand that parking is often an issue here…but I also think it’s the reality of businesses in a more urban environment. If you can go 1 block further away from where most of the action is, you can often find spots. My big issue here in town is having to pay for an hour (via the app, at least) when I just want to run in and get something to go. It’s not expensive; just annoying.
Finally made it to Sami’s - the short of it is, I’m glad I went.
We shared three sandwiches, falafel, chicken, and beef. Everything was good, but the garlic sauce for the chicken was the standout. We also had some very tasty potatoes that reminded me of real Patatas Bravas like we had in Spain, good rice and a salad with tiny pita chips instead of croutons and quality olive oil and balsamic dressing.
After eating I talked with Sami. He looks so young (or, more likely I am old) and he is very passionate about food. He has traveled extensively and cooked in many countries. If there is any interest, he said he would be willing to have a HODown where he would make dishes like pissaladiere and perhaps a lamb tagine, or anything we want.
Can’t remember if I posted about this, but Sami’s offered what I thought was a pretty incredible Easter deal for $75… so I jumped on it!
The amount of food was truly nuts. I shared it with friends, but still have a packed container of it in my freezer, and at least two more servings of the Fattoush salad. If you haven’t had it, his pomegranate dressing is worth the price alone!
I don’t think there’s enough chatter about this place, so I’m happy to keep giving him business–especially now. If you haven’t gone, it’s easy to call in or order online. https://samistreetfood.com
STILL OPEN - but I did a triple take as I walked up to the building to pick up dinner the other day, as there’s a big For Lease sale on the front of the place. I chatted w Sami and he told me he’ll be out by the end of November. I said how sorry I was to hear this news, as WOW did he try and try hard. Somehow made it through Covid, but I’ve always thought that was a hard location for his type of food. He did say “Well, maybe there will be something else…” with a bit of a twinkle in his eye, so I said I hoped that would be the case.
Short version: you still have a few months to get what I think is the best hummus + excellent other Mediterranean dishes.