Hellooo Joyce W-it's called "Little Italy"-not Little Ethopia or Little Japan.

I tend to avoid "Hip" places these days....

The first comment quoted above (by "Myr") was almost certainly a shill. I don't think it says much about Baltimore's thought about Little Italy.

Helloooo Bob C-it's called sarcasm.

Comfort and familiarity is the whole point of Little Italy. Nothing against those who want something more exotic - perhaps you want it in Little Italy because you dig the comfortable, familiar, happy vibe there? When I need the type of comfort only food can provide, I head straight for Sabatino's and a plate of baked rigatoni - which, BTW, does nothing to diminish my standing in my own mind as a foodie. But I love Little Italy for more than the food. Time feels suspended in this tight little enclave, even with the shops and services of Harbor East just steps away. The only thing missing are my friends who grew up and grew old and passed on here.

I love Little Italy the way it is. If a change should be warranted, it should be initiated by the residents.

Some of the places just don't try very hard to make good, homemade food. There are several places in Philly that have stayed traditional, yet make awesome food.

Many places in Little Italy are just bad, period. Not comfort food, just plain bad food. And extremely dated. Sure there's charm and comfort in keeping things how they are, but that should apply only when it's good to begin with.

I agree with DBJS - she hit the nail on the head that when I go to LI, I feel as though I've gone back in time. Comfortable and familiar.

Besides there are some serious highlights in LI. Bookmakers at Sabs, Germano's calamari, Isabella's ICC and pignoli at Vaccaro's are all outstanding. Not to mention my latest love the Amicci's Pane rotundo.

Skippy, I think Bob C. got it...

Pretty sure the only thing in Little Italy that should change are the Christmas lights that make up the "entry way" sign for it on Eastern Ave. So many of them have burnt out that it's almost impossible to read it.

Little Italy is a destination in Baltimore for exactly what it is. The place is a mecca for comfort food and good times. When I take go to LI, I like the laid back atmosphere of the neighborhood, and the last thing I want it to have to deal with the mess a exotic night club will bring. I think the new "ultra-lounge" will be an empty rotting hulk again in a few years. It's the wrong restaurant in the wrong place, during the wrong economy.

It goes to show that the more you give some people the more they want. Little Italy isn't for everyone and it shouldn't be. LI is fine they way it is. I don't think Little Italy is the problem. It is you who think they should change to accomodate you is where the problem lies.

There is no comfort or family charm in a $30 dish of pasta.

If Little Italy were filled with places like Grano in Hampden... simple, affordable, and absolutely delicious... maybe I would actually go once in a while! For now, Vaccaro's is the only thing there I'm interested in.

A "$30 plate of pasta" might sound unreasonable when you put it in those simple terms. But when the pasta is topped with an array lobster, shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels and crabmeat,then the $30 price tag doesn't sound unreasonable at all.

You can go to Sab's and get a huge plate of various pasta dishes for under $15. I love their baked rigattoni, their clam sauce, and the "Ala Gus" sauce. I'd be winning to bet most pasta dishes there are $15 or less, and you get more than enough portionwise that most people can't finish it all in one sitting.

Sounds like comfort food to me.

I think what's changed with Little Italy is that it really isn't an Italian-American neighborhood anymore. It is a neighborhood with a lot of Italian restaurants.

Neighborhoods evolve and change. IT would be great if LI was still filled with a combination of people right off the boat from Naples mixing with 2nd and 3rd generation Italian-Americans. Since that isn't the case, if LI isn't allowed to change and grow it will end up, if it is not already there, like an Disney version of an Italian neighborhood. Do we the neighborhood to be like Epcot?

I have fond memories of Little Italy and still go there on occasion. However, the overall quality of the food in Little Italy is generally poor.

This past June, I took my then girlfriend to Sabatino's because she wanted Italian and I had positive memories of the gnocchi. She ordered the lasagna and it was absolutely inedible - read: disgusting. It was one of the very few times in my life that I wanted to spit out the food as soon as it hit my palate.

Our server was warm, friendly and congenial but the food was so bad I won't go back. Instead, I'll limit myself to occasional ventures to Vaccaro's for cannoli and La Scala - quite possibly the only place left worth eating in Little Italy now that Boccaccio is gone.

The problem is that you have to choose between having a full-fledge three-course meal or a shooter at Dago's. There's nowhere to 'hang out' after work and just have some wine, cheese, and peppers.

Most of the restaurants in that neighborhood wouldn't make in a major city. They're lucky the people in Smalltimore put up with their price gauging.

Wonderful food can be had in Little Italy at Rocco's Capriccio.

I wish the mob would come and clean up the city. seems wrong that we have a little italy, but no mob presence.

I live in Little Italy and there are still many Italian-Americans living here. As far as the restaurants, I would agree that many of them are just too pricey for what they are. We have kids and some places charge over $10 for a small plate of buttered noodles. Absurd! And I'm reluctant to spend $20 on a mediocre pasta dish for an adult too. We usually eat out of the neighborhood-Lebanese Taverna, James Joyce, Lemongrass etc are reasonably priced and have more nutritious options for kids. Amicci's is one exception. There are a few restaurants here that are good and the owners try hard but often we find the price not comparable to the quality. I do like that the restaurants are family owned and that some owners live in the community, I think that is probably pretty unusual.

Nice try lires...throwing in amiccis so subtlily

Little Italy just needs some good community initiative and it'll be back on it's feet. I think if the patrons of Little Italy worked together, this would in turn influence the cuisine and ambience of the whole place. Maybe a monthly event, similar to the summer movie screenings...perhaps something more food-centric. I envision more bustling on High street, the "Little Italy" string of lights actually WORKING and just general charm in the air. No need to reinvent menus, etc. just a stronger sense of community? Does this make sense?

Some of the Little Italy defenders should post on chowhound.com. Little Italy regularly gets raked over the coals there. For my part, I love it. But then, I grew up on homestyle Italian American cooking, so I like most of the food. Not in spite of the fact that it's unsophisticated a lot of the time, but because of that. I'm also semi-active in the community, which makes me appreciate it more than others might. I think it's harder to criticize a particular restaurant when you also know how generous it is in donating food once a week to feed the homeless.

I just can't bring myself to spend real money for food I can make at home. I wish LI would be a place of Italian magic, foodwise. Wouldn't it be wonderful if a place like Pasta Mista was there, and you could go to a fun, affordable place that does something you don't normally do yourself? How about the "real" italian pastries you see on those food shows from the LI of NY or Philly? Time for some new reasons to go there!

Amicci's is my wife's favorite and I am so sick of going there...it's really no longer a cheaper alternative to its neighbors, just a more casual one (and still very kid-friendly). Every time I go I wish I could be next door having a Chip's salad.

I see it a little differently. I hope Little Italy doesn't have to change and can sustain itself as a nice little Italian enclave. If the number of shuttered, empty restaurants grow the folks that put up resistance to new ideas should take a second look at the situation or else they might find themselves reminiscing about when almost a third of the lights still worked in the strings of lights that spelled out Little Italy.

I'm glad some folks like Grano, but I've given them a few shots and they fall short big time. They feel like the Olive Garden of the Avenue, minus the never ending breadsticks or bottomless pasta bowl. I think 95 percent of the charm there is the unique atmosphere, and I buy that completely. How they make that arrangement work is quite entertaining and makes it easier to overlook the pasta+sauce business plan. At least it was when they were at the original, small spot. Did they move yet? I'm more looking forward to the Cuban place that will take its place.

Luke, get thee to Piedigrotta on Bank St. for Italian pastries.

I'll second Piedigrotta. I didn't know I liked cream puffs until I was in there. Don't bother with their bread, though.

Isabella's has great sandwiches. You can eat well in LI. You can also spend a lot on what would have been a decent and exotic dinner in 1970.

Little Italy has alot going for it. I love going to church at St Leos and grabbing a cup of coffee on the walk home. I like the festivals. I love the fact that people can walk through this neighborhood late at night and don't have to worry about safety. This is what happens when you have third and fourth generation families living in the same house. COMMUNITY. Couldn't the rest of our town use some of this?

I love good food and have been terribly disappointed by Little Italy. We make our own pasta at home and when I go there, it often tastes like I am eating pasta from a box. Where is a good place that makes great fresh pasta?

I'm with you, Charlotte. I grew up with an Italian Grandmother who was an amazing cook. I learned how to eat and how to cook from her, and I venture to say that on any given night my cooking beats anything that you can get on High Street. Keep making your own homemade pasta, Charlotte, you will have to look very hard to find any in Little Italy.

I heard they were going to make fresh pasta, desserts and breads at that new place on eastern, but I heard form a food rep that the Chef just quit, so they are going to be buying everything in from sysco.

I'm not an expert, but from what I understand homemade pasta isn't the correct pasta for all Italian pasta dishes.

I was SO hoping that OMG would speak up on this one, but he seems to be MIA.

There's wayyyy too much to answer person-by-person. For those of you who are interested in seeing the Little Italy lights working again, please contact the Little Italy Restaurant Association through their website at http://www.littleitalymaryland.com/ They own and are responsible for those lights.
Matt- you crack me up!
RoCK- That's definitly true; there's a real mix of people here now. LI is changing, and it is up to residents, restaurants, and city gov't to work together to keep it vibrant and attractive.

You are absolutely correct Hal, but for those dishes that do require fresh pasta there is no way you can get the proper texture and flavor out of a box or a bag - even if you use one of the high quality imported Italian pastas. While dried boxed pasta can be substituted successfully in some dishes, it doesn't always work. Try making a seafood lasagne with thin sheets of homemade pasta vs. those dried slabs of dough, or a lamb sauce with fresh made egg pappardelle instead of dried fettucini. You will see what I mean.

Too many of the establishments in LI serve "Olive Garden" Italian. Very little is homemade and very little is authentic Italian. It's tough to call this a destination when you can get this level of quality almost anywhere!

The neighborhood just ain't what it used to be ,period!
The restauarants are so over priced it's pathetic.
$8 for a glass of wine.!!!!!
$18 for spaghetti,oil & garlic!!!!
The best imported spaghetti is 1 .25 per pound.4 oz is a serving ,a little oil & garlic.
Unbelievable!!!
A lot of outsiders came into the neighbor hood ,opened restaurants with Hollywood prices .
Outside of one that closed last year,the food is not worth the money.
What it needs is a good family restaurant with simple Italian cooking

I agree pettirosso,
unfortunately it's getting an overpriced nightclub with sushi