The Best of Arthur Avenue, Bronx's Little Italy, According to Me...Sans The Candlestick Maker

There is something very special...No! Let me re-phrase that. There are so many things very special about the tradition that surrounds Arthur Avenue in The Beautiful Bronx and to me it all starts...and ends... at Teitel's Brothers Grocery on the corner of  Arthur Avenue and E. 186th St.
There is not another grocer specializing in Italian products anywhere else like this...and I'd like to think I've seen them all, even in Manhattan! It's not big in size, however it's huge in selection with unsurpassed quality and it's fair prices. Not to mention personality!
Parmigiano Reggiano @ $11.99 lb. Proscuitto de Parma @ 14.99 lb. A fair barometer...right?



What really makes Teitel's a truly fun shopping experience is the staff. They know exactly what they are doing and know how to treat their customers. Want a taste? No worries...you've got it and with a smile!
This all comes from the top. Meet Gil, proprietor extraordinaire and his sons Eddie and Mike. (I'll have to get the name of that photo bomber I just noticed in the background) You see? Personality!
Their way filters down to the entire staff and they make it fun to spend your hard earned bucks at Teitel Brothers since 1915.

Gil and son Michael 

Eddy, Bert and Michael

Michael Teitel. Now that's a smile!

Eddie with friends Kathleen and Larry

How about a little history? The Teitel's are a Jewish family originally from Austria and have operated their store selling Italian groceries on Arthur Avenue since their inception in 1915.

"Although the store seems to follow primarily in Italian footsteps, the Teitel's still keep some of their Jewish traditions". According to Gilbert, they were raised in a kosher tradition and they close on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur"

Star of David greets you on the entryway floor

How about olive oils named after family members. My personal favorite is Edda EVOO, named after Michael's brother Eddie. Don Luigi Sicilian EVOO, my friend Freddy's favorite, was named after their uncle.

Out in front of Teitel's I stand with pastas, large cans of extra virgin olive oil and tomatoes. A pretty effective visual merchandising tool...ya think?  Hey fellas, my 3 lb. piece of Parmigiano Reggiano is almost gone. Needed it to make a Caesar Salad for 28 this week. B back soon.

Next up...Peter's Meat Market...Arthur Avenue's Favorite "Meating" Place in the huge Arthur Avenue Retail Market. Inside you will find a fresh fruit and vegetable market, tableware, more Italian deli's with tables to sit and enjoy, fresh coffees, Liberatore's Garden with a professional flower and non-GMO seed grower with seeds from many places including Italy and a fresh rolled cigar stand. 

For me, this is the best meat market I have ever experienced. This is my prefered choice for any meat product from veal chop osso bucco to chopped beef, veal or pork. Nine types of sausages are made fresh daily, hamburger meat is ground on the spot. Their veal cutlets, our favorite anywhere, comes from the hind shank and not the shoulder. This is important as the shoulder can contain too much sinew and connective tissue. I simply won't buy sliced veal anywhere else. Kudos to Peter and Michael!

Peter, Bert & Michael

BetsaPasta Veal Francese' 

                                         

                    Rich @ Liberatore's Garden

Smack dab in the middle of the Arthur Avenue Retail Market is none other than our favorite beer expert pouring craft beer at the Bronx Beer Hall ...and.. .already famous graffiti artist who travels the world showing off his art.

Folks...Meet Branden Rodriquez!

The Bronx Beer Hall 

Did I say speaking of coffee?

Coffee at The Arthur Avenue Market

Meet barista Josephine at our pick for Arthur Avenue's best bakery. It's really sooo hard to pick a favorite pastry shoppe, however at Delillo's there happens to be dessert in particular that simply "wow's" me.

Artuso's Pastry Shop is another winner!

 This is a vanilla coated lady finger with a custard middle...my favorite pastry in the Arthur Avenue domain

These are all delicious

Wow!

Italian Babka

This entry wouldn't be complete without mentioning our favorite bread bakery.

Sure, there is biscotti and cookies...however from a standpoint of BREAD, it's a tie between

Madonia and Addeo. I'm still wondering if they are related. More to come! 

Some of my favorites!

Let me sum up.

There are pizzerias, restaurants, cafes and bars, seafood shops, cheese shops and restaurants galore. 

In my blog over the years I have written about pizzerias (Full Moon and Egidio Pastry Shop on 12-14-13 and Ivana's on 9-30-13 in the blog archive). What I like may not be what everyone likes, however you can trust my taste for the most part and use this as a guide for your first day trip to Bronx's Little Italy. You may want to combine your visit with a stop to the Botanical Gardens as we do or The Bronx Zoo, both of which are within walking distance just a few blocks away from each other.

Last...but not least...as I will be filling in going forward...

Borgatti's Ravioli & Egg Noodles!

Do not miss this stop.

Borgatti's is to Ravioli and fresh made pasta in the Arthur Avenue domain as Teitel's is to the world of Italian markets!

T.H.E. BEST!!

Oh yes...Many thanks to all who wanted to be a part of this entry and letting me write about you. See you again!

A Bravo Encore at Luigi's in Manhattan. Sincerely...My Favorite Chicken Salad Anywhere!

                                                                      Bravo Luis...2017!

Hi folks!
It's with great pleasure that I bring to you an update for my favorite chicken salad anywhere.
To refresh your memory from my original entry in April, 2012, it's not that kind of chopped chunky chicken with mayo we are talking about here.
Simply put, it's a salad of baby lettuce mixed greens, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, and grilled vegetables with the biggest and best tasting pieces of  grilled chicken (or fried chicken cutlets) in town...and we're talkin' NYC here.
Top that off with an in-house proprietary vinaigrette with exact ingredients I cannot divulge and you've got a recipe that can possibly be imitated, but NEVER duplicated.
I ask the fellas to make mine with a blend of fried and grilled cutlets. Some even cover their's with mozzarella. Yum City!

                                                                             Mine

Short and sweet...I'm back again to validate the consistency and taste that greets me every time
at Luigi's at Luigi's on 8th Avenue between 55th Street and 56th street in NYC!


Like most Italian restaurants, Luigi's has a full menu with pizza, main dishes and hero's. When I go, a casual conversation can easily take place with other diners as tables are sometimes shared. Everyone loves what they've ordered...no exceptions. For me, however, I've never gotten past the variations of the chicken salad. Not such a bad place to be stuck, huh?

A quick aside...
There is something to be said for the consistency here. The same fellas are standing proud behind the counter since I first visited back in 2012.
Again...You know what they say about happy people...Yes?

***Check out the original Luigi's discovery entry right here!
Either Google "phoodographsandfinds luigi's nyc starring the chicken salad" OR go to April 7, 2012 in the archive to the right. Hit 'Older Posts' until you get to Luigi's NYC Starring The "Chicken Salad"

As usual...please feel free to comment below....and remember...it's more fun NOT to be shy!
Enjoy...
Mangia Baby!

South Seas Plantation Harbourside Restaurant on Captiva Island, Florida...Yes!

Our favorite vacation destination in the USA is Captiva Island, Florida. We stay with the friendly folks at the South Seas Plantation and always look forward to the ambience set for dinner at their premier restaurant...the Harbourside.

Of course good weather always plays a part in assessing most any destination or a nice table outdoors. On our most recent visit, we lucked out with a nice breeze, no humidity and a phabulous Italian waiter by the name of Christian.
After just a minute or two, we knew we were in good hands (he passed the test with a firm grip on the definition of al dente') and we went along with his suggestions for dinner starting with a Champagne sangria. Wow! Sooooo good.

Christian started us off with  their Florida Citrus Caprese salad with a really nice EVOO, a balsamic reduction that tasted quite similar to my fave Massimo Buttura "Manodori" balsamico and some phabulous heirloom tomatoes. The addition of a nice slice of orange and/or grapefruit is something I will be contemplating as an addition to my menu. 

After a few questions regarding the preparation of some of the main dishes, Christian suggested for me the barrel cut filet mignon prepared with a mushroom ragout (not ragu') and a California cabernet. 

The difference between ragu' and ragout: A ragu is a class of Italian pasta sauce made with ground meat, vegetables and sometimes tomatoes...and... a ragout is a slow-cooked French style stew in this case made with mushrooms.

Additionally for Sandy, the "Finally a Maryland Crab Cake in Florida" served with a semi-sweet Riesling.

The filet was phabulous and Sandy and I both agreed the crab cake(s) were among the best we've ever tasted. As they say nowadays..."seriously"!

For dessert, what else by Florida key lime pie. Another social success!

We were so impressed by the service and the meal, we asked to see the manager.

Thus...let me introduce Sasha...a sincere fellow doing the best he can to make the Harbourside a special place on your trip to South Seas Plantation.

You know what they say about happy people...Yes?

And it filters down to the servers and the phood.

Fellas, we'll be back!

Bert...Sasha...Christian

Oh yes...one more thing. I have a menu suggestion. A super deluxe burger made with a blend of beef and short ribs or brisket...or...hmmmmm...both!

As always, please feel free to comment below. Always love hearing from you.

Until the next entry...

Mangia Baby!

Chef Bert

Vino 2017 Grand Tasting of Extraordinary Italian Wines...ie...Vino 2017 Grand Tasting di Straordinari Vini Italiani

I attended the Vino 2017 Grand Tasting wine event with 95 exhibitors in NYC a few weeks ago and would like to feature some of the wines I found truly 'extraordinary'. One of those is a wine called "Friulano".
Friulano, formerly known as Tocai Fiulano, is a white grape variety of Fruili-Venezia Giulia.
Although Fruili has a well regarded reputation for producing white wines from other varietals, it is the Friulano grape that is by far the most important to the region.
Friulano's smooth acidity and texture make it a versatile food wine, pairing well with antipasto, fish and poultry. I took a glass of this wine back and forth to the food bar just loving how it paired with prosciutto...ie...'salty ham flavor cleansed by tastes of apples', minerals and that smooth acidity alluded to above.
Of course, what one enjoys is subjective. Just like the restaurants I choose to include in my blog, not all pizza's or pasta's are created equal. I write about what I enjoy. If, however, you trust my taste in food, so it will be you will most likely enjoy my picks of  Friulano and a couple others from the varied wine regions of Italy.
And now, I'd like to introduce you to Bert's best!

                           Martina Moreale / Il Roncal Friulano / Friuli Venezia Giulia / info@ilroncal.it

                     

Margherita Bidoli / Bidoli Vini Friulano / Friuli Venezia Giulia / bidolivini@bidolivini.com

Daniele Pasquali / Vespa / ordini@bvfutura14.it

www.bvfutura.it

Elena Gallo / Fattoria di Corsignano/ Tuscany/ info@tenutacorsignano.it

www.fattoriadicorsognano.it

Erik Klein / Quota 101 Organic Wines / Veneto / info@quota101.com

www.quota101.com 

Some vineyards are not yet represented in the USA...ie...no distributor. That said, they will be here soon through the distributors that find them. Until then, seek out Friulano. You WILL love it!

*Wanna know more...just Google "Friulano, an Italian White Wine That Makes Friends Easily"

Next up... 

Typically, at any wine event, I walk from table to table tasting and spitting out white wines and then follow it up doing the same route for the red wines, After that, it's the same route for dessert wines 

With 95 tables to choose wines to taste, it was impossible to do them all.

After about 3 hours I was about to depart when I heard a voice call out "Bert"!

Bert with Sophia & Jonathan @ Pazzione Wine Imports

I turn around and there's Mr. Jonathan Warner of garment center fame. Jonathan bought hangers from B Free back in 2015 and when I went to drop off my Holiday Hanger at his office, he was gone and I never knew to where he had traversed...until now.

Guess what?

He's now a wine importer with great tasting portfolio.

He works as the New York Director of Marketing (although how could it be work if you love it) with Mr. Andrea Posani at Pazzione Imports Wine Imports based out of Bradenton, Florida.

Bert with Andrea

 He and cast members then proceeded to offer me the deluxe wine tasting tour of wines that ARE available.

Jonathan, Andrea, Francesca & Sophia

You know what they say about happy people!

Wanna learn more?

Simply go to www.pazzione.com

Every wine tasted was impressive and that doesn't happen often. 

That's all for now folks. Enjoy my picks!

As always, would love to hear from you with any comments or suggestions...or even reviews.

Remember, it's more fun NOT to be shy!

Mangia Baby!

Bert

BestaPasta

www.phoodographsandfinds.com

www.phoodographsandfinds.blogspot.com