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....
New restaurant: Sneak peek at EAT Italian's mouthwatering menu
"Chopped" champ Franco Franzese gave us a sneak preview of signature dishes anticipated at EAT Italian, his upcoming restaurant in Rossville. The casual lunch-dinner and egg-centric Sunday "colazione" concept is under construction at 655 Rossville Ave. "We're excited," said Franco, as he smiled and chatted up dishes on display in the kitchens of th...
Bruno Italian Grill to dish up quick-serve Italian downtown
The people behind Rachel's Mediterranean, relocated to 235 S. Elmwood Ave., are opening a quick-serve Italian spot in the former Rachel's spot at Chippewa and Delaware. The space, at 235 Delaware Ave., will be called Bruno Italian Grill. The restaurant's setup echoes Rachel's, with an Italian accent. Customers choose pasta, wrap or salad, then cust...
Ribalta Is as Close to Eating in Naples as you will Find in NYC
A cliché becomes useless not because it is untrue but because it becomes fatuous or all inclusive. So let me use a cliché about food that I think cannot be stressed nearly enough: Good food requires the best, freshest ingredients that should never be complicated by many others. The fact is, despite the constant repetition of this idea as a promotio...