Despite the change of hands of the last of Trenton’s glory day Italian restaurants, former proprietor Jimmy Kamies and new owner Javier Moreno say patrons will notice no difference in the menu and the quality that have defined Amici Milano over the past several decades. So I decided to taste and see for myself.
Selecting a Monday night, typically a slow dining day, my wife, Lorraine, and I reserved a table for 6:30 p.m. Seeking the voice and palate of Chambersburg dining experience, we invited our friend Carla Sanfilippo to join us.
Sanfilippo responded to my invitation with understandably mixed emotions. She remembers fondly those frequent outings when her mom and dad would pack up the whole Sanfilippo household and drive from their Lawrenceville home down to Chambersburg in its heyday to see friends and spend a leisurely evening dining in the elegance of one of the ’Burg restaurants.
The ambiance felt like an extended family with “aunts” and “uncles” constantly greeted at the surrounding tables. Now that was Italian. In fact, Sanfilippo’s sister, Rose, became so enchanted with the food artistry that she joined Trenton’s Mill Hill Saloon & Eatery staff, becoming head chef, before moving on to other culinary establishments in California and New Orleans.
As we parked and strolled down Chestnut Avenue, Sanfilippo took in the condition of the neighborhood. “It used to be that every woman would come out of her house in the morning, sweep the street and sidewalk, and tend to the flowers,” she stated. Then, as we came to the restaurant entrance, she eyed askance the small marquee that invited passersby with “Bienvenidos” — Spanish, not Italian, for welcome. Yet from the instant the door flung wide, all three of us felt at home.
“Jimmy, how have you been?” said a man as both he and his wife embraced Kamies warmly and shared news of the family. With smiles and proffering a glass of wine in each hand the former owner stood, still presiding, and greeting his friends.
Hostess Lisa greeted us, showed us to our table, and introduced us to Christy, our waitress. Within moments owner Moreno came over and welcomed us, reminding us of the restaurant’s long tradition that regardless of what’s on the menu, if you can name the dish, our chefs will create it exactly to your order.
Amici Milano provides patrons with an atmosphere of simple elegance. The flowing white tablecloths, wide spacing of the open main hall, and refreshingly subdued music in the background set the tone that you are invited to “indulge in a unique dining experience.” And for nearly three hours, we did.
It is good to see that the ideal of gracious dining excellence in an oasis of generoso cordiale will remain with us as we move forward.
The service was carefully timed with our own pace. We started off with the latest flavored martinis (an adventurous move for inveterate single malt drinkers). As we selected appetizers, Christy knowledgeably rendered us the full recipe of the clams casino. The escargot was markedly fresh. Later she guided us through the list of Chiantis.
No one should enter this restaurant and bypass the special Amici Milano salad — an antipasto blend of lettuce, tomato, olives, ham, Genoa salami, plus several cheeses, sopressa, and more.
To garner a full sampling we had ordered frog legs, veal rolantina, and the evening’s seafood special. Every bite was scrumptious, and the tomato sauce tasted like real tomatoes — Amici Milano makes its sauce as sauce, should be.
As we ate, we could not help but notice that the restaurant was far from full. Granted, it was Monday, but even by mid evening, more tables were empty than filled, with never more than a couple of folks seated at the bar.
The ethnic shift of the neighborhood and the questionable perception by those outside the city are some the primary reasons for the drop-off that has been taking place over the last few years.
As much or more than any American city, Trenton changes and accommodates each new ethnic wave. We adopt the best of each culture. And as such, it is good to see that the ideal of gracious dining excellence in an oasis of generoso cordiale will remain with us as we move forward.
Amici Milano, 600 Chestnut Avenue, Trenton. Lunch served Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Dinner, Monday through Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 4 to 11 p.m., and Sunday 1 to 10 p.m. For more information call (609) 396-6300 or visit their website.
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