High 5: BYOB restaurants

Samos

You know you're in Greektown when the man standing outside the restaurant gesturing and screaming into his cell phone is doing so in Greek.

If there's a fault to Samos' dining room, it's that it's a bit too family friendly, bright and happily Greek. We prefer the ability to slink into the shadows when necessary. Besides, why are pictures of the Greek islands and the Acropolis the only images anyone ever hangs in Greek restaurants? Most of Greece is rocky, mountainous and a bit gray. Hmm...that may answer that question.

Amid those rocky mountains, the Greeks learned to raise lamb, and the Greeks who run Samos learned to cook it better than anyone else around. The often tough, often gamey lamb is delivered from Samos' kitchen melt-in-your-mouth tender and zestily seasoned. Combined with great pita and a fresh Greek salad, it's no wonder Samos is the best-known Greek restaurant in Baltimore.

Samos expects guests to bring their own bottles, and is armed with glasses, corkscrews and bottle openers as the case requires. Although there's a $2 charge for each drinking adult, we never saw it appear on our tab. We were about to tell the waitress when...we forgot.

Drink recommendation: A strong red wine, like a Cote du Rhone or Cabernet, to stand up to the robust flavors of Greek cooking and remind you of Homer's wine-dark seas