The displays and the aromas in the market on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, New York are intoxicating. The air is redolent with garlic, fresh basil and the sweet smell of sausage and peppers. Colorful deli stands are filled with plump focaccia breads, ready to serve as the pillowy base for layers of provolone, prosciutto, hot peppers and breaded eggplant topped with a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. There are buckets of briny green and black olives, long salamis strung over the meat counters and round bocconcini balls just begging to be taken home.

Welcome to Arthur Avenue, also known as the Belmont area or the "Little Italy of the Bronx." According to the "Arthur Avenue Cookbook," the area is "a unique, living memorial to the labors and determination of a vital community of Italian-American immigrants." In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Italian families moved to the area from Lower Manhattan, setting up pushcarts and shops, creating a tight-knit community.