‘Watts for Dinner’: Sami’s happy hour is something to smile about
Our next dining destination is Sami’s on Collier Boulevard, Marco Island.
Lucky for us, we were there in time for happy hour drinks and appetizers. For some that means saving a buck or two. For us, it means twice as many drinks and appetizers.
We started with the bang, bang shrimp ($7) and the meatball sliders ($6).
The meatball sliders were pure perfection. A giant meatball sitting in the middle of a sliced garlic know. And the shrimp, even better. Crispy and saucy. And the sauce, not too spicy but perfectly tangy. We loved ‘em so much, we ordered a second serving!
For our drinks we partook of the raspberry martini ($6 each) first, followed by the blueberry and orange martini ($6 each). It’s hard to say which I liked more. Perhaps the raspberry had a slight edge.
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For my main entrée, I selected the “Ginormous Calzone” ($18.99). It comes stuffed with ricotta and mozzarella cheese and your choice of pepperoni or ham. I asked for sausage instead of pepperoni. What I got was sausage and pepperoni. But I wasn’t complaining, it was only a $2 upcharge.
Crispy, chewy, hot and delicious! It was everything I asked for and more (literally). So much more that I took half of it home.
My dining companion opted for the gnocchi ($20.99) with alfredo sauce and added chicken ($7.99). It came with a side salad. The chicken and the sauce were perfect, he commented that the gnocchi were a little soft at the restaurant (and the dish was extremely hot) but he informed me that his leftovers were much better. Perhaps he’d had too many apps.
It had been a bit over a year, Nov. 19, 2021, since our last visit here. During that stop, I tried something new: the “Island Curry” with chicken, you can select shrimp if you prefer). It features a curry sauce, with carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, green peas, tomatoes, zucchini, garbanzo beans and yellow squash. It is served with a side of curry rice and a garlic naan.
This is super tasty dish. Not too spicy. Lots of chicken. And the naan is the perfect compliment. Given that the dish is already curry, I think a Jasmine rice might have been a better choice than curry rice. Just my two cents. The dish comes with a side salad, or Cesar for a slight upcharge. My dining companion had the grilled chicken pita featuring chicken breast marinated in a “special blend of spices and oils” and then grilled, wrapped in a grilled pita with lettuce, onions, tomatoes and tzatziki sauce and is served with a side of steak fries. The dish earned solid reviews. I especially liked the fries I stole. We also took home two medium pizzas, the buffalo and the “Ultimate.”
The buffalo features lots of chicken, along with cheddar and mozzarella cheese and is drizzled with buffalo sauce. It’s like a chicken wing pie, with cheese. What’s not to love!
The “Ultimate” is double crusted pizza and is filled with mozzarella, spinach, meatballs, pepperoni, roasted red peppers and roasted garlic. I love a great top-crusted pizza, and this one is thick and delicious.
Sami’s is always a solid performer. It has a full bar, easy takeout ordering and plenty of tables inside and out. And the service is top notch. Happy eating!
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Prices indicate time of visit and may vary. This newspaper pays for all meals related to dining reviews. We do not solicit or accept free food.
If you go
Sami's
- 227 N Collier Blvd, Marco Island
- 239-389-7499
- samispizza.com