I never thought it was possible to visit another country without a passport and in such a short amount of time. Trattoria Amalfi proved me wrong.
Located at the southern end of Route 28 in Salem, New Hampshire, the restaurant is owned by Italian natives Gerry and Sandra Cammarano. It has been in service for over thirteen years.
My parents and I decided to eat someplace new for my mom’s 60th birthday. As we drove into a dull shopping plaza that featured a hair salon, an Allstate Insurance Agency, a FedEx Office, and so on, I was skeptical. Since my family is Italian, we have eaten at many Italian restaurants, and had mixed experiences.
From the outside, the restaurant seemed underwhelming. A faded life-sized decal of the Italian coastline covered the windows with a sign above that looked like it belonged in front of a Chinese quick service joint. But when I opened the front door, my jaw dropped and I was suddenly in Amalfi, Italy.
Greeted by three hostesses, one brought us immediately to our table despite arriving early for our reservations at six o’clock. We walked over to the right side of the restaurant for sit-down, whereas the left side was for the bar.
White flowers with fairy lights weaved above the ceiling as we walked into the warm lit dining room. Along the sides of the wall were private alcoves each with booths inside. Above each table was a beautiful hand painted wall mural of the Amalfi Coast, each correlating to the one next to it. Round tables were seated in the center of the room, but we were lucky to be seated in one of the alcoves. The private booths had more of an intimate feel.
The venue was decorated with autumnal décor. Tables were dressed in fancy white tablecloths with candles in the center. Other people had gifts at their tables, which indicated this must be a good place to celebrate an occasion. The aromas of garlic, olive oil, and herbs wafted through the air and soft Italian music played around the room.
Our waitress was very friendly and attentive. Unlike experiences I have had at other restaurants, she wasn’t gone for long periods of time and made sure we had everything we needed. We were there for under an hour.
The menu had a variety of cuisine to choose from, including specialty soups and salads, veal and chicken entrées, pasta, seafood and more. There were so many options that my dad needed more time to decide what he wanted.
We were served rustic bread as our appetizer. The dough was fresh and savory, and the crust had a dusting of powder. The first loaf we ate was a bit cold, but the second was straight out of the oven.
I had the chicken parmigiana with spaghetti ($19) for my main course and to say that it was good would be an understatement. The oven-baked meat was cooked thoroughly and delicately breaded, topped with melted mozzarella, Romano, and parmesan cheese. The spaghetti was covered in creamy marinara sauce. I was salivating in anticipation before each bite.
My mom had the cheese ravioli ($18) and my dad had the veal saltimbocca with penne pasta ($21); they both enjoyed their dishes as well. We each had a decent portion size and plenty of leftovers. The high-quality food perfectly captured Trattoria Amalfi.
We left with full bellies and smiles on our faces. While celebrating my mom’s new milestone, we hit our own milestone of finding a new favorite restaurant.
Trattoria Amalfi will have you yearning to return, and tempt you to cancel your flight to Italy since it is a short drive away.
385 South Broadway
Salem, New Hampshire 03079
(603) 893-5773
https://www.tamalfi.com/index.php
Hours:
Sunday-Monday (Closed)
Tuesday-Wednesday (4:30-9:30 pm)
Thursday-Friday (4:30-10 pm)
Saturday (3-10 pm)