Undiscovered New York: Is the “Real” Little Italy in the Bronx?

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Welcome back to this week’s installation of Undiscovered New York. New York has a longstanding love affair with all things Italian. From the Feast of San Gennaro to some of the world’s best pizza outside Italy, to our town’s infatuation with the Cosa Nostra, it’s hard to deny that Italian culture has strongly influenced New York culture. In fact, many visitors come to New York specifically to check out Little Italy, a well-known strip of Italian restaurants and shops around the intersection of Mulberry and Grand Street in downtown Manhattan.

For those who came to check out Little Italy, have a cannoli and grab some calamari at Umberto’s, it’s certainly a fun time. Seems like a good dose of Italian culture, right? What if I were to tell you there’s another, some would even say better, Little Italy in New York? Well that’s just what I’m trying to tell you paisano, and it’s in the Bronx.

Curious? Why not click that link below and find out the story behind Arthur Avenue, New York’s other Little Italy.
What is it exactly?
When discussing the Bronx’s very own Little Italy, we’re generally talking about the intersections of 187th Street and Arthur Avenue also known as Belmont by locals. The area surrounding this intersection is a virtual feast of Italian American and immigrant culture in New York, offering a huge array of authentic Italian food markets, butcher shops, bakeries, old school red sauce joints and plenty of Italian gift shops.

Enough with the chit-chat, what can I eat?
If you like Italian food, welcome to paradise. Ground zero is probably the Arthur Avenue Retail Market, a one-stop Italian bazaar full of all kinds of hand-made Italian foodstuffs like sausages, olives and freshly made pasta. Once you’ve worked up an appetite (probably immediately) stop by Mike’s Deli for one their amazing sandwiches stuffed with Italian meats like prosciutto. Don’t forget to hit some of the other area favorites, including Teitel Brothers for Italian specialties like olives and anchovy paste, Terranova Bakery for some hearty Italian-style loaves, Calandra’s Cheese for some mozzarella, and Madonia Bros. for some superb cannoli filled on the spot.

What else should I check out?
The best part about Arthur Avenue is that you can make a day out of your visit. Not only is Arthur Avenue home to Italian culture – lately it has become home to a large populations of residents from Mexico, Kosovo, Montenegro and Albania. The Bronx Zoo and Bronx Botanic Gardens are also both within easy walking distance of Arthur Avenue. Both sites are as good a spot as any to take a leisurely stroll or nap and perhaps sleep off that sausage and peppers you had for lunch. And if it’s baseball season, you’re no more than a 10 minute subway ride from a Yankees game.

How do I get there?
Perhaps the closest subway stop to Arthur Avenue is the Fordham Road stop on the B and D lines. From there, you can jump on the Bx-12 or just walk your way a few minutes east. Another alternative is the Metro North Fordham Road Station, which stops nearby.

A very special “Thank You!” to Steph Goralnick, for all the awesome photos in this story.

Undiscovered New York: Who’s Got the Best Slice?

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Pizza. Is there any food more symbolic of New York? Sure, Chicago’s got some pretty awesome deep dish at places like Pizzeria Uno and in California you can easily find a pie with toppings like goat cheese and duck sausage. But no pizza seems to have as great a hold on the American food consciousness as the New York style pie. Say what you will about your own local specialty, but there’s something about that thin, crispy New York crust, the flavorful sauce, some milky mozzarella and a few fresh basil leaves that always gets my mouth watering like nothing else.

Yet in a city as big as New York, finding the best pizza spot is a source of controversy. Ask a hundred New Yorkers where they go to get a great New York slice, and you’re likely to get hundred different answers. Strong opinions are offered. Questions arise. Which Ray’s is really the original Ray’s Pizza? Does Brooklyn have better slices than Manhattan? Is it the New York tap water that makes it so good? Is Grimaldi’s worth the wait?

There’s enough uncertainty out there that visitors might find themselves paralyzed with indecision. Want to know where to find some of the best pizza spots in New York? Click on through below to get our take on New York’s top five spots.
Number 5: Joe’s Pizza
Love it or hate it, but famous Joe’s is a New York pizza institution. Though New Yorkers have long flocked to Joe’s for the no-nonsense slices, the restaurant gained its first taste of national prominence for a cameo in Spiderman 2. Movie star status aside, pretty much everybody from Zagat to New York Magazine agrees this is one of the best spots in NYC for a slice. Personally? While we find the slices to be quite good, we think Joe’s can be inconsistent.

Number 4: Grimaldi’s
Warning – if you want to visit Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, be prepared to wait. Tourists and locals alike have long made the pilgrimage to this holy site of Brooklyn pizza, and I have to admit, the pizza is outstanding. Grimaldi’s fresh ingredients, meticulous attention to detail and “what’s the hurry?” attitude all demonstrate their relentless pursuit of pizza perfection. What really distinguishes Grimaldi’s for some of the other entries on our list is that they don’t do slices – hence the wait. But perhaps that’s just part of the charm? So grab a few friends or bring the crossword puzzle, and you will be rewarded with a first class Brooklyn pie.

Number 3: Di Fara
The brave traveler who makes it all the way out to Di Fara in a remote strip of Brooklyn soon learns why it was worth it – Di Fara owner Domenico De Marco takes his pizza very seriously. If Grimaldi’s is like the luxury store of pizzerias, then Di Fara would be its one-of-a-kind artisan. De Marco’s pizza’s are hand-crafted circles of pure deliciousness, assembled by their master with utmost care. Once you taste the Di Fara pizza’s freshly grown basil (grown in the store), hand-dusted Parmesan and light crispy crust, you’ll understand why you came.

Number 2: Sal & Carmine’s
Although New York guidebooks frequently rave about Joe’s Pizza and Grimaldi’s, there are plenty of lesser known pizzerias which are equally good. In fact if you’re looking for one of New York’s best-kept pizza secrets, head to Sal & Carmine’s unassuming pizzeria around 101st Street on New York’s Upper West Side. Like most quality pizza spots, the atmosphere is nothing to look at – the narrow space is decorated with not much more than a bare brick wall and a few press clippings. You will also be served by two very grumpy old men. But make no mistake, what Sal & Carmine’s lacks in atmosphere, they more than make up in their unique pizza. We are particularly fond of the cheese, which has a uniquely sharp yet subtle “garlicky” flavor, along with that quintessential New York-style crispy crust.

Number 1: Joe & Pat’s
Our number one pizza spot, Joe & Pat’s, is not an easy pizzeria to get to – it’s located in Staten Island. In fact, I wouldn’t even recommend trying to take the subway to get there. But it doesn’t get any better than this when it comes to New York pizza. We can still taste that first bite: crust crispy but not crunchy, the sauce tangy and flavorful, the mozzarella like cheesy ambrosia. Are there easier New York slices to find? Sure. But this one is worth the trip if you’re a die-hard pizza junkie.

So did we mention your favorite New York slice? Think you’re a New York pizza know-it-all? Give us a “piece” of your mind on New York pizza in the comments – and don’t be afraid to be “saucy” about it.

Big in Japan: Eating Mozzarella cheese can kill you

by Matthew Firestone on

Forgive the sensational title of today’s blog, but I am a serious foodie when it comes to all things Italian…

After all, few things in life hit the spot quite like an authentic Italian antipasto of parma ham, buffalo mozzarella and marinated red peppers.

So, you can imagine my shock and surprise when I discovered that my local supermarket here in Tokyo was no longer selling mozzarella cheese.

After making this horrific discovery, I quickly asked the store clerk where I could find this necessary ingredient for my antipasto in the making.

What was their response you ask?

Well, quite simply that Japan has decided to ban all imports of Italian buffalo mozzarella cheese following the discovery of high levels of dioxin in the cheese.

Yikes!

(Interestingly enough, the store clerk then recommended that I try using sharp cheddar cheese instead of mozzarella in my antipasto!)

Anyway, turns out that as of yesterday, the Japanese Ministry of Health has been impounding all shipments of this delicious cheese after South Korean officials discovered 29 toxic samples.

Dioxin, which is an extremely potent carcinogen, hit the headlines a few years back following the alleged poisoning of Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko.

Needless to say, this is not the kind of chemical you want on your dinner plate!

Last month, Chinese-made dumplings containing pesticides sickened 175 Japanese, which launched the issue of food safety and security into the public spotlight.

Culturally, the Japanese are incessant gourmands, so issues concerning food contamination are not taken lightly here in the Land of the Rising Sun.

So, following a rash of food poisonings in neighboring South Korea, the Japanese government was quick to act.

Each year, Italy produces 33,000 tons of mozzarella, and exports 16 percent of that (or approximately 329 tons) to Japan.

So, given that there are batches of killer cheese floating around South Korea, which imports a mere 10 tons of the gooey product, the Japanese public is applauding the government’s foresight.

Of course, the Italian government is less than happy as of recent.

Paolo Minster De Castro, Italy’s agriculture minister, is in talks with Japanese, South Korean and European Union officials on the issue.

At an emergency summit in Rome, the Italian health ministry admitted that traces of carcinogenic dioxins had been discovered at some farms in Campania.

Health officials previously stated that herds of water buffalo, whose milk is used to make the cheese, could be ingesting poisons from illegally dumped rubbish.

Dioxins are usually released when plastic is burnt, though they can also seep into groundwater from decomposing rubbish.

However, the Italian government is fiercely denying that the dioxin in the buffalo mozzarella comes from improperly disposed garbage.

In fact, the Italian health ministry even went as far as to reassure the public that the problems were “limited and contained.”

For those of you living in Japan, my suggestion is to pass on mozzarella for awhile, even though the problem has thus far been limited to the buffalo variety.

And, for anyone living over in America who is fond of Italian food, perhaps you might want to consider going out for Thai this week.

** All images courtesy of the WikiCommons Media Project **