Every Christmas, I make a stop at Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Market in Elmwood Park. I walk through the aisles of shining fruit and veg, ogling the tempting sausages and cheeses, getting way more exotic olives than we probably need, and picking through what is probably the area’s largest selection of holiday panettone. I adore the place.

And that adoration is not just for the food, but also for the general vibe: during the holiday season, Italian nonnas in black Italian grandma attire kibitz in their native tongue, geezers in Sicilian sailor caps scrutinize the massive selection of pasta and the whole place is filled with the scent of spices, bread, meats and cheese. Having grown up in a (more or less) Italian American household, going to Caputo’s is a little like returning home.