Homestyle grub at Ammici's

Amicci's

231 S. High St.

Phone: 410-528-1096

Price: $10-$14

Location: Little Italy

Hours: Mon.-Fri.: 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

Sat.-Sun.: 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.

Web site: http://www.amiccis.com

Amicci's, located in a charming rowhouse in the middle of Little Italy, is one of the culinary highlights of Baltimore. Compared to many of Little Italy's restaurants, Amicci's is moderately priced, making the Italian dining experience a bit easier on the wallet. A sizeable dinner entree will cost you $10 to $14.

In line with its moderate pricing, Amicci's calls for only casual dress. The atmosphere is decidedly unfussy and informal, although the food is anything but mundane.

Amicci's signature dish is Pane Rotundo, a hollowed-out Italian bread bowl filled with jumbo shrimp in a delicious creamy scampi sauce.

Other Italian classics served are baked tortellini, gnocchi, chicken marsala and chicken parmigiana. If you're in the mood for seafood, the shrimp scampi, pasta with clam sauce and shrimp cacciatore are lauded favorites. Vegetarian options include eggplant parmigiana, penne primavera and veggie gnocchi.

While the menu selection is somewhat limited, all dishes are of the finest quality, prepared in authentic Italian fashion. Also authentically Italian are the helpings, which are large enough for even the biggest appetite. I ate my leftover tortellini for the next couple of days after my visit.

Amicci's casual atmosphere is made extraordinary by the Italian-style decor. The front room of the restaurant is quite formally furnished, and as one moves towards the back, the decorations become increasingly casual. The farthest room is similar to a comfy Italian kitchen, its walls adorned with Italian movie posters.

The food comes surprisingly quickly for a Saturday night; our appetizer, fried calamari, was ready in just a few minutes. All appetizers, which include antipasto, fresh mozzarella and fresh-steamed mussels, are perfectly sized for two.

The presentation is truly impressive; lavish helpings of simple but top-quality Italian favorites are presented in an elaborate display. You can top off your meal (if you have room) with a cup of hot espresso, which has a pleasantly smooth taste, or, if you're over 21, a glass of Sambuco or Anisette.

A dinner for two, complete with an appetizer and dessert, might run you $35 to $40 -- throw in two glasses of wine, and you're still under $50.

While the food is undeniably fantastic, the trip isn't terribly easy. A 15-minute cab ride adds quite a bit to the dinner tab (and as is the case in most of Little Italy, parking is almost non-existent). For this reason, Amicci's is more of a "special occasion" kind of restaurant, for perhaps a friend's birthday or a first date. One should also plan ahead, as there is an inevitable wait on weekend evenings. The small entryway has limited room for waiting, and there is usually a line of customers seated outside the door.