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Sam's is a vestige of old-world Brooklyn, improbably surviving since 1930 amid changes that have transformed Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill into trendy restaurant rows. Sam's itself could be a set from "The Sopranos," with red-leather banquettes, a first-name-basis clientele, pre-90s music, and faded photos of forgotten celebs and friends' cats on the walls. Except for the faint, stale smell of a 1970s basement, it's comforting to those nostalgic for the era when "Italian restaurant" meant veal Parmigiana and all the sauce was red. Sam's fulfills promises of a trip to yesteryear with gut-busting entrees like veal-and-chicken scallopini a la Sam's, thin slices of meat layered with prosciutto and mozzarella in a thick wine sauce, and pizza pies with a nearly perfect crust--both crispy and chewy without being brittle or leathery. The menu is as limited as it was back in the day, so don't expect "modern" touches like fresh mozzarella. Service, though backslappingly friendly, can be slow—mainly because one man often serves as waiter, busboy, and bartender. But after a few ultra-cheap $6.50 cocktails, you may not mind at all. — Michael Y. Park

Scallopini ala Sam's, $18; large pizza pie with one topping, $20.50