A Classic Dinner at Sac’s Place

Founded by brothers Domenico and Anthony Sacramone in 1989, Sac’s Place is an Astorian institution. Their goal is straightforward:  serve high-quality coal-oven pizza and Italian food, with little fanfare. It’s a system that’s working: in a neighborhood that’s undergone drastic changes over the course of two and a half decades, Sac’s has remained a celebrated member of the food community.

Which is why I must sheepishly admit that until about a month ago, I had never been there! There’s  no shortage of excellent pizza options in Astoria, and while I had always heard of Sac’s, it wasn’t until I moved apartments to a new spot off the Broadway N/Q station that it was placed on my radar as a spot to try immediately. So when the Sacramone brothers offered to treat the We Heart Astoria team to a tasting of their dinner menu, I was more than down to give it a try. Special thanks goes out to Marielle Solan for the mouth-watering photos!

If you’ve been to Sac’s, chances are you’ve tried their pizzas, which is why I wanted to highlight some of my non-pizza favorites. (as well as one pie I couldn’t leave out!) Of all the pastas, meat dishes, pizzas, salads, and desserts my non-professional palette sampled, these were my Top 5 favorites:

1.) Gnocchi Quattro Formaggio: This dish should really change its name to “Little Pillows from Heaven.” The gnocchi, a potato pasta, was the perfect consistency:  not too dense, but satisfying-ly hearty. The four cheese blend of ricotta, parmigiana reggiano, gorgonzola and fontina was rich and silky, making this dish extra indulgent.

 

2.) Ravioli Pepperoni Arostito E Mozzarella Affumicata: Don’t be intimidated by this dish’s hard-to-pronounce name; it’s essentially a  smoked mozzarella and roasted pepper ravioli, with a lovely red pepper cream sauce. The homemade pasta actually has peppers inside the dough, which provides an extra layer of flavor.

3.) White Pizza:  No sauce, no problem! Simply made with olive oil, fresh mozzarella and ricotta cheeses, grated romano cheese, and spices, this pie was fantastic. (White pizza pictured on the left half of the pie!)

4.) Vitello Scaloppini Alla Domenico: What do you get when you combine pan-seared veal with mushrooms, tomatoes, and artichokes in a pinot grigio sauce? A winner. If you’d like to add some meat to a carb-heavy meal, this is a satisfying way to do it.

5.) Melanzane Rollatini: When eggplant is prepared well, it’s fantastic. That’s the case with this dish, which features a rolled eggplant stuffed with ricotta and mozzarella in a tomato sauce. It reminded me of a heartier manicotti with extra texture.

 

 

 

Thanks again to the owners of Sac’s for a complimentary meal. If this post makes you hungry, go check them out for yourselves!

Sac’s Place is a sponsor and a neighborhood friend.  Thank you for supporting the businesses that support We Heart Astoria.

Sac’s Place 2541 Broadway, Astoria  (718) 204-5002  Facebook