Every Italian sausage sandwich at the New York State Fair, ranked
The sausage sandwich is among the quintessential foods of the New York State Fair. But with nearly two dozen vendors offering some version of the pepper-and-onion-topped sandwich, I wanted to find out which sandwich is most worthy of your hard-earned meat link money. All the vendors were judged on a single, unannounced visit.
Fast Break: Classic Italian at New York Pizza and Pasta
I am a sucker for a good slice of pizza, so anytime a pizza place opens in Baton Rouge, I get excited. New York Pizza & Pasta—a newer addition to the Jones Creek Road area—offers classic Italian flavors in a fast-casual, counter-ordering atmosphere. Still, the warm, family atmosphere offers up service just as good as any sit-down restaurant. When...
Policano’s Italian Sausage – Simply Perfect
The best lunch around Linden Mall is at Policano’s Italian Sausage truck. Doug Policano has been parking his truck on the north side of Linden Boulevard at 79th Street since 1978, right on the border of Brooklyn and Queens, and locals claim you won’t find a better sausage in either borough. Policano’s Italian Sausage is about one thing, and one t...
Prospect Heights gets a new wine bar: LaLou
A new neighborhood wine bar has debuted in the neighborhood. The fresh arrival to Prospect Heights, called LaLou, is located at 581 Vanderbilt Ave. Taking over for Korean cafe Tygershark, the new business preserves that spot's open-kitchen design and offers a wide selection of natural wines from Europe and California. The wine bar comes courtesy of...
Dolce Cafe & Gelateria Churns Traditional Italian Treats
Crossing over Hempstead Turnpike headed south on Franklin Avenue into Franklin Square, you’re greeted for the most part by blue collar storefronts featuring a certain and undeniable air of industrial manufacturing. But that slate of gray and brown got an injection of brightly hued color with the opening of Dolce Cafe & Gelateria this past July. Ser...
Restaurant review: Panza's in Saratoga Springs
Nothing annoys Italians more than mushrooms in their carbonara. And at Panza's in Saratoga Springs, a saucy version not only has wild mushrooms but also peas. Fortunately, despite the unorthodox approach, it's delicious and prompts my Italian guest to declare, "It's not carbonara so it needs a new name, but whatever it is, it's good." Frankly, this...
Prince Street Pizza, Where the Sfincione Becomes the Classic ‘Sicilian Slice’
Five hundred years ago, wooden crates full of round, golden, Aztec berries creaked and slid around the cluttered hull of a massive Spanish carrack, swaying in harmony with the momentum of the Atlantic Ocean, as compasses, quadrants and astrolabes directed the ship and its crew back to the shores of the Old World. This New World nightshade was the 1...
Tomato Weeks at Eataly NYC Downtown
Get ready, amici: tomato season is in full swing! From juicy heirlooms to sweet and tangy cherry tomatoes, it's that time of year to enjoy the glorious bounty of the season. Meaning "golden apple" in Italian, a perfect pomodoro is one of life's simple pleasures. And, even though the tomato is not originally native to Italy (hard to believe, we know...
Due Baci Italian Restaurant Opens In Port Jefferson
A new Italian restaurant has opened on the waterfront in Port Jefferson. Due Baci Italian Restaurant opened last month in the space that housed The Graceful Rose at 154 West Broadway. The owners, Maria and Patrick Aubry also own Amarone, an Italian restaurant that opened in Connecticut in 2018. Due Baci's menu includes traditional Italian pasta di...
Arthur Ave Eatery Celebrates 100 Years in Little Italy
Joseph Migliucci and his family, personable proprietors of Mario’s Restaurant on Arthur Ave. in the Bronx, are marking ‘Cent’ Anni’, a remarkable 100 years of serving their robust Neapolitan Italian-American cuisine. Joseph’s great grandparents left Naples in the early 1900s and actually opened one of the first Italian restaurants ever in Cairo,...
At Daniela, adding a new pizza to Buffalo's menu
Even with the abundant lineup of Italian American restaurants on the Buffalo landscape, the places keep coming. Consider it a testament to the deep and profound love we have of Italianate cuisine across the spectrum, from spaghetti and meatballs to elaborate housemade pasta and shaved truffles. When Daniela opened on Forest Avenue, and I got my fir...
Il Fornetto Celebrates 20 Years in Sheepshead Bay
This August will be twenty years since Angelo Viscoso gave up on a career in engineering and opened il Fornetto on Emmons Avenue – continuing his family’s tradition of serving good food to good neighbors. Vicoso, 45, grew up in the business – his parents owned and ran Vesuvio, the beloved Bay Ridge pizzeria. His roommates in college joked with h...