One of my recent favorites is Sampino’s Towne Foods, a wonderful and quirky Italian deli and gourmet meat market on 16th and F Street. I may have never noticed it, tucked away next to 16th Street Donuts. What I really like about Sampino’s comes down to two things. First, of course, is the quality of the food – magnifico!
And second, the warmth of the place. I swear, I feel more at home at Sampino’s than I do in my own apartment. The staff at Sampino’s will do anything you want with the pastas, salads and meats you see behind the glass. You can point to a lasagna and ask them to heap it onto their chicken marsala, then skewer a pastrami sandwich, two porcini mushrooms and a meatball onto the lasagna with toothpicks. And they’ll do it.
OK, that’s pretty absurd. But the point is, they’ll work with you. When I’m at Sampino’s, I feel like I’m hanging out in my friend’s kitchen. Oh and my friend is a butcher with one of the finest delis in Sacramento.
I’d recommend you check it out the next time you’re downtown, if you’re into casual high-protein Italian dining.
The Sac Rag 
Good food, unorganized and distracted service.
I’d go again, but I’d schedule a half-hour for a take-out sandwich.
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I adore Sampino’s! I have to agree that you need to plan ahead time-wise when getting a deli sandwich, but I enjoy looking around so much I don’t really notice the wait, and it’s always fantastic (so worth it in my book).
No one has mentioned the desserts, beautiful yummy cannolis and more!
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