Influential ’90s Italian Trattoria Coco Pazzo Returns With a Fast-Casual Bent
Legendary Italian restaurant Coco Pazzo of the ’90s and early aughts is fully back in action — this time in Soho and with a very 2018 fast-casual portion. Storied restaurateur Pino Luongo, who used to run an empire of Italian restaurants in New York, has joined forces with partner Alessandro Bandini to open the new location at 160 Prince St., at th...
Visit This Ardsley Italian Eatery For Heart-and-Soul Hospitality
Consistently well prepared food, a comfortable ambience, and on-point service are all essential characteristics of a successful restaurant. There’s another element, however, that is just as important, but many restaurants neglect either out of ignorance or inability. Call it the “heart and soul” factor but it’s the person (or people) that gives t...
Bronx’s Little Italy shines with fresh cheese, baked goods, pizza and more
Worth a trip from anywhere in the city, the Arthur Ave. area of the Bronx is less than a mile from the B train stop at 182nd-183rd Sts. There are dozens of worthwhile restaurants and shops in this Little Italy, a part of the neighborhood called Belmont. These three are a great starting point. You can buy dried pasta, cured olives and countless oth...
Italian American Club Shares the Wine!
The Mahopac Italian American Club held its fourth annual Wine Tasting Festival and Competition at its clubhouse on Buckshollow Road on Sunday. Nineteen of the club's members entered their homemade wines in the tasting competition. Awards were given to the third, second and first place (Mastro del Vino) finishers, as well as a People's Choice Award...
Italian breads & cookies by the thousands at Rosemarie Bakery on Staten Island
Unassuming and seemingly quiet from its facade, Rosemarie Bakery might surprise bread and cookie consumers of the borough. This bustling behind-closed-doors Port Richmond operation turns out Kaiser rolls, artisan Italian loaves, three-footers, heroes and cookies -- by the thousands. To grasp the scale here, 50,000 pounds of flour is pumped from a t...
Growing expectations for the Gala Italia
Expectations continue to grow for the 33rd edition of the GALA ITALIA that will be held on March 26th in the Ballroom of one of the most prestigious hotels in Manhattan, under the patronage of the Italian Ambassador to Washington and with the participation of some of the most prestigious Italian winemakers. This edition of the GALA ITALIA, which wi...
RESTAURANT EXPERIENCES: Uncle Joe's Pizzeria
The other night, we paid a visit to an old family favorite, Uncle Joe’s Restaurant on Genesee Street in Geneva. The place was established in 1978, but you’d never know it by looking at it. With a quaint atmosphere, classic red-and-white tablecloths and old-timey portraits and memorabilia on the wall, it feels like it’s been in that neighborhood for...
Da Piera: Crafting Southern Italian dishes at a tiny new restaurant
Chattering in Italian, the Da Piera kitchen crew toiled over lunch specials in the kitchen at the back of the shop. In the meantime, scents of freshly chopped oranges and roasting pizza wove their way through the tiny restaurant. "Everything I do, it's from the heart," said Piera Vendra, the proprietor and cook for whom the Castleton Corners eatery...
'Il Gatto Nero' Brings Italian Fare To The Upper West Side
A new Italian spot, offering salads and pizza, has debuted in the neighborhood. Called Il Gatto Nero, the fresh arrival is located at 2758 Broadway (between 106th St. & 107th St.) in the Upper West Side. This newcomer—located in the former Macchina space, which closed late last year—"specializes in simple, healthy, delicious food with a whimsical e...
Celebrating Carbonara Day at Barilla Restaurants
The other night, I visited the Barilla Restaurant in Herald Square to celebrate pre-Carbonara Day. Carbonara Day was established in Italy last April 6 as a way to hail a particularly delicious pasta that most believe was first made in mid-20th Century Rome as a hearty meal for Italian charcoal workers. Barilla Restaurants will bring Carbonara Day M...
Sinatra's restaurant sets move to new building
Sinatra's, the classic Italian-American restaurant on Kenmore Avenue, will move to its new building across the street following a charity auction on March 19. The new Sinatra's at 945 Kenmore Ave., Tonawanda, can hold twice as many people for dinner, said manager David Ortolano. New features will include gluten-free pasta, a broader selection of It...
Does This Under-the-Radar Italian Joint Have the Best Bartender in the County?
It was a gloomy, wet afternoon when I stopped by Tino’s Cucina in the Fleetwood neighborhood of Mount Vernon. But as soon as I stepped into the restaurant, there stood a man at the bar with a warm, bright smile. Many in the area know of Charlie Firneno, a 66-year-old Bronxite who’s been serving drinks at 546 Gramatan Avenue for more than a decade....