Germano Fabiani has brought the passion of Italian cooking to Baltimore.

Germano's Trattoria specializes in the food of his native Tuscany, the most famous of the five central Italian regions, the very heart of Italy. From Tuscany comes the best bread and the purest extra virgin olive oil, as well as the Chianti Wine. How can we define Tuscan cooking in a few words? It is a cuisine that is light, lean, tasty, and full of character and fragrance.

Start with pappa al pomodoro -- Florentine tomato and bread soup seasoned with garlic and sage -- and sapori -- skewers of shrimp, beef carpaccio, served with clams casino and a side of bruschetta -- grilled flatbread drizzled in extra virgin olive oil and rubbed with garlic, topped with fresh tomato and basil or fagioli -- followed by linguine carrettiera -- linguine sauteed with fresh tomato, chili peppers, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and fragrant spicy Italian herbs -- and fresh whole branzino or rockfish grilled in aromatic herbs, or try osso buco con risotto allo zafferano e funghi -- veal shank braised with white wine in a light brown sauce of fresh tomato and herbs, served with a risotto of saffron and wild mushrooms, and bongo bongo -- an extraordinary confection of puff pastry filled with sweet cream and topped with the highest quality of dark Belgian chocolate and drizzled with white chocolate sauce -- . . . the taste of Tuscany.

On Thursday, May 1, 2008, GERMANO’S debuted its Thursday-evening cabaret, featuring performers from the worlds of theatre, popular song, jazz, classical music and opera. Shows begin each Thursday at 7:30 pm.

The total experience of an evening at the Cabaret at Germano's - a wonderful performance in an intimate space by great entertainers, fine food, the most attentive wait staff in town, in the heart of Baltimore's own Little Italy, a vibrant urban neighborhood - is a unique reflection of what is best about Baltimore.

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