Italian Feast back open with new owners
You’ll see a lot of Curt Giacobbe at the Italian Feast these days, and there’s a reason for that, as he is the new owner of the restaurant, the first he’s purchased in New York. Giacobbe was born in Ilion and stayed there until he was 13 when they moved to Long Island. He said that he’s been there until he was about 50, but always kept a house up h...
Barboncino’s Naples-Style Pizza Elevates Dates
Pizza is officially the favorite food of American adults, according to a report from USA Today. On any given day, around 13% of people in the country will eat pizza, as reported by a U.S. Department of Agriculture study. Pizza can even be good for romance. The USA Today report showed 63% of singles said they would be more likely to swipe right if s...
The Architecture of Brooklyn Amaro - What it Means to Make Amari in the New World
Fernet Branca—the dark, mentholated, Italian elixir that helped popularize amaro culture in the United States—contains zero Italian-sourced ingredients, or at least none that it admits to. In classic amaro tradition, Fratelli Branca maintains tight-lipped secrecy around its recipe, but what we do know is that it is composed of rhubarb from China, g...
Trapizzino Reopens in NYC With Aperitivo and an Expanded Menu
Trapizzino, the Roman-inspired street food eatery nestled among the gritty landscape of New York City’s Lower East Side, has finally reopened after last year’s mandatory pandemic closing. It reemerges, premiering a cocktail menu, expanded food offerings including lunch and weekend brunch (coming soon), plus al fresco dining. These new additions fur...
Macelleria Greenwich Opening Brings Good Food and Italian Tradition to Byram
On Sunday, South Water Street bustled with activity at the grand opening of Macelleria Greenwich. Co-owner Anthony Lala and his brother, Frank, greeted diners at the red-carpeted entrance with drinks and good spirits. The brand new Italian steakhouse in Greenwich is the third in the area, along with renowned locations in Armonk and Pelham, New York...
A taste of the old country: Annual tomato jarring event now a highly anticipated weekend for South Shore family
A time-honored family tradition for generations that originated in the old country, canning or jarring tomatoes is a much anticipated custom that many of Italian descent have enjoyed since childhood. Considered a labor of love, the two-day process is usually reserved for a weekend when it’s easier for family members of all ages to gather to partake...
With Grandmas Fully Vaxxed, Staten Island’s Maria Enoteca Restaurant Returns
When COVID hit the city, Jody Scaravella, the owner of Staten Island’s Enoteca Maria restaurant, decided his chefs — a rotating posse of grandmothers with roots from around the world — were too vulnerable to keep working. He closed up shop. But some of the restaurant’s nonnas –– Italian for “grandmothers” –– couldn’t quite keep away over the past 1...
Sampling Italian street food at salsa Greenpoint
It is paradox that although many of the most iconic Italian dishes were created in Naples, Italy, the quintessential food of Naples, its street food, is still largely unknown in Brooklyn. Mike Bancale, chef, and co-owner at Salsa Greenpoint, is passionate about ending this local ignorance by introducing Brooklynites to the delicious street food of...
Basilio Italian Sausage Is Longest Running Food Stand At The NY State Fair
Basilio Italian Sausage is known as the longest running food stand at the New York State Fair spanning more than 60 years, and while ownership has changed, the Basilio name lives on. The food stand opened at the fair in 1956 and was started by Carmen and Paul Basilio and their legacy is evident in the people who run the stand today. Paul Basilio, w...
Experience Brooklyn like a local at these 10 old school neighborhood Italian bakeries
When it comes to old school Italian bakeries in New York, Brooklyn takes the cake. For this list, we've narrowed it down from the two dozen-plus choices across the Big Apple's most populous borough to a pastry-centric group of bakeries with that cozy neighborhood institution feel. Each one is slightly different in terms of what's popular, café or t...
Ciro Iovine, a Neopolitan in New York
Born and raised in the heart of Naples, Italy, Ciro Iovine is a Vesuvius of enthusiasm. A man of 39 years with a shiny dome and shining eyes, he began the craft of a pizzaiolo at the age of 13 after his father gave him two choices: school or work. After mastering the trade in the cradle of pizza civilization, young Ciro traveled around Europe makin...
New Alpina Restaurant Brings Alpine Dining to the North Fork
Greenport’s newest restaurant is offering a brand of food the town, and maybe all of Long Island, has never seen before. Alpina, which opened to the public on July 17, is a Swiss-Italian restaurant which features, among other things, pastas, schnitzels and wine. The idea of a New York eatery that focuses on Alpine cuisine came from Christoph Muelle...