The evolution of the so-called Arthur Avenue Little Italy in the Bronx, just west of the Botanical Gardens and the Zoo, goes on at an easy pace with newcomers taking over storefronts and old-timers staying put for decades upon decades. Mario’s, Enzo’s, San Gennaro, Roberto’s and Zero Otto Nove are the mainstays of a food culture now added to by Eastern Mediterranean restaurants like Gurra Café, Çka Ka Qëllu, Cakor and Avenue Gyro.

One of my enduring favorites, as much for its cordiality as for its superb Italian food, is Tra di Noi (“Between us”), where chef/owner Marco Coletta, from Abruzzo, offers an extensive blackboard menu (as well as a table menu) of dishes based on what he finds daily in the extensive markets in the neighborhood.