My Best Night Out in a long while -- Sample

[DSean]

Last Sunday, I met some friends in Brooklyn and it has inspired me to join Chow Hound and give kudos to a Bar/Tapas joint called Sample. Sample, located on Smith Street, is amazing. It provided me with one of the best nights out I've had in a long long time. So, friendly, so cozy, I really felt as if I were at a private party. They had great selction of bourbons and a buttery, butterscotch gouda cheese that is making me salivate as I type. They also had this band there call the Winterdrinks that kept bringing willing people out of the audience to participate, to sing, to play maracas... Thouroughly entertaining but not overpowering because I was able to sit and chat and eat and drink without every feeling, one, that I was being rude to the band or, two, that I didn't have to scream to communicate. A pretty good selection of cured meats, too, procuitto is excellent and portions pletiful. (Back to the band for a moment) there was a harmonica player who sang the weirdest song about losing his wallet in Las Vegas. Hilarious. It's been in my head ever since. Oh! Prices! Perhaps they didn't charge me for eveything we had, maybe I got a few freebies. Because I was there for four hours and was outta there for 40 (and that's plus a heafty tip.)

[waxpaper]

I moved away from Brooklyn recently, and on our last night we tried to go to our family favorite place, Sample, but they were closed for renovation. It really is a Smith St. gem! The small plates and selection of cheeses were a favorite of my two vegetarian kids, and my husband and I loved the martinis. I'd love to see what it looks like now, post-renovation.

[mrnyc]

my pal loves the place, he is friends with the staff and so we go all the time. they are always doing music and different kinds of events, if that's your thing. we get breaks there too, they do that sometimes. however, chow-wise overall i think SAMPLE is nice, but both the food and the wines are just average at best.

[Nehna]

I have to disagree on the food. Not if you judge it for what it is...nothing is 'prepared' / cooked there. the point of the place is that its imported canned/preserved/etc foods from around the world. other than that, its meats and cheeses --- and Maio is excellent at selecting both. I've discovered countless favorite cheeses over the last couple of years thanks to her.

And I think the wine list is small but particularly well chosen too, particularly for the price range they hover in. I discovered an unknown fondness for sherries there when she did a sherry tasting one evening too.