13 Questions with Lauren and Ron Barnette of Amicci's

I haven't known Lauren and Ron Barnette of Amicci's of Little Italy for long, but as soon as I met them, I knew they were my kind of people. They are incredibly kind and down to earth and they love taking care of people. True natural hospitality. I first met Lauren through a mutual friend, Naomi Karzai and anyone who's friends with Naomi is good with me. Good people are such a treasure, no?

A little while after we met, I decided to go to Amicci's and it was for two reasons: I like supporting small, locally owned places and because I remembered that I had liked it very much the last time I went. Oh, one other reason...I saw a photo of their famous Pane Rotundo on Instagram. Here's what it is: a round half loaf of Italian loaf of bread, glazed with garlic butter, toasted and filled with jumbo shrimp in a creamy garlic sauce. Sam Stern of Baltimore Food Scene had shared it a few times and I trust her recs completely. (Legit.) My friend Aly and I shared the smaller version, The Panino, and it lived up to my high expectations! I need to get back to Amicci's soon. It's comfort food time. Give me garlic bread, lasagna, baked rigatoni, gnocchi with vodka sauce...it's very hard to choose a favorite. I also love that you can create your own entree by choosing a type of pasta, a sauce, then adding a protein, veggies, whatever you want. And, they have a three-course carryout special. It's a house or Caesar salad, entree and the choice of cannoli, tiramisu or bread pudding for $20. And the portions are large, so it tends to be way more than one meal.

Thank you, Lauren and Ron, for working so hard to make people happy. Keep doing what you're doing. Amicci's is such a Baltimore gem.

Cake or Pie? And what kind?

Ron: Angel food cake with fresh berries and maybe a little whipped cream...

Lauren: Pennsylvania Dutch Funny Cake. It's an upside down cake and frosting in a pie crust- the best of both worlds. Great memories of my grandmother and my childhood.

Your most prized possession?

Lauren: My fur babies Jesse Pinkman & Walter White, both SPCA rescues who have been a part of our lives for a decade and always make the world a little easier to take.

Ron: My wedding band. It keeps me grounded and reminds me of what's really important.

What's your favorite thing to order out at restaurants?

Lauren: I'm very veggie forward. I love a good salad or farmers market find. When a restaurant wants to introduce me to kohlrabi, I can't wait to taste it.

Ron: I try to keep an eye on the newest trends. I love when a restaurant teaches me something new. Lately, I'm locked in on all the different varieties of oysters.

What's your favorite to cook at home?

Lauren: Comfort foods – recipes that my mom taught me over the years. We never really followed recipes in my house growing up. My grandmother would say, you "just dump" which basically meant cooking to taste. That's the way she was taught & what she learned from the important women in her life

Ron: Anything on the grill!

What's your morning beverage and how do you take it?

Lauren: Topo Chico and sometimes a brewed cup of coffee with a splash of cream

Ron: Brewed coffee with a little bit of cream.

What's your personal motto?

Lauren: "How can I help?" Everyone needs it and few want to ask for it.

Ron: Attention to detail. Having served in the Navy on a Battleship, it's the little things that are really important to me.

What's your favorite holiday and why?

Lauren: Day of the Dead, a time to remember those who meant the most to you and are no longer here. Sometimes just by a photo, but others by a food or drink they loved. Keeping their legacy and love alive.

Ron: Thanksgiving. Good food and family, what else could you ask for?

Best advice you were ever given? And from whom?

Lauren: "You have two ears and one mouth, so learn to listen more than you speak." – my grandmother

Ron: "Life's a bitch and then you die." – my mom's philosophy since I was a child or "If it ain't one thing, it's your mother." – Wynonna Judd

What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?

Lauren: Maintaining a work life balance. I get to work with my best friend every day and go home with him at night. We've worked together for many years without building resentment. Working together in the building and outside of it, and still finding the grace to love your partner is truly amazing.

Ron: I'm not done yet, but as of now, it's living in my home that I've owned for the last twenty three years. It means everything to me. I was raised by a single mother and moved frequently as a child. I've lived in the same place for nearly a quarter of a century and it's a tremendous source of pride. I finally have a "home".

The last text you sent?

Lauren: That's crazy – lucky us...

Ron: I'm at the Restaurant Store.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Lauren: A couch, my husband and two pups.

Ron: Spending time at home. I love being home.

What do you love most about food?

Lauren: Watching the effect it has on people. Typically, people leave commenting on how much they love something or what the experience meant to them.

Ron: How happy it makes people.

What's your favorite place in Baltimore?

Lauren: St. Mary's Park.

Ron: My home.