Italian cuisine as conceptualized by corporate, cookie-cutter containers like Carrabba’s or Macaroni Grill lacks personality. But the masses still voluntarily subject themselves to those Disney-fied dining experiences, even waiting for tables clutching buzzing flashing devices as though the food deserved so much respect. What makes Amicci’s, the self-proclaimed “‘Very’ Casual Eatery,” the ideal elixir for people seeking refuge from all this conformity, as well as those in search of a decidedly different Little Italy dining experience, is its unique menu and relaxed setting.
Amicci’s may lack the prestige of its more traditional Little Italy neighbors like Chiapparelli’s, but that’s the point. It’s laid-back décor showcases Italian-themed movie posters, from La Dolce Vita to The Big Night, and the moderately priced menu features an impressive selection of homemade pastas and sauces, with an emphasis on creative seafood and pasta creations like penne la rosa (jumbo shrimp sautéed with fresh mushrooms and spinach in a creamy sun-dried tomato garlic pesto sauce) and shrimp fra diavlo (jumbo shrimp sautéed in hot and spicy marinara sauce). Carnivores and vegetarians fret not—there’s plenty to choose from here—from veggie gnocchi to sausage cacciatore, but be sure to order the signature appetizer, the pane rotundo: a bread bowl drenched in garlic butter and crowned with colossal shrimp. Share it with someone you love, but don’t get angry at them for wanting to lick the plate clean.
Even with Amicci’s recently expanded dining areas, there is sometimes a small wait on weekends. But unlike the aforementioned chain restaurants, here as with most every restaurant in Little Italy, it’ll be well worth it.
