Arthur Avenue in the Bronx

Arthur Avenue in the Bronx is New York's "real" Little Italy. I do enjoy Manhattan's tourist-infested Little Italy but I love coming here (also known as Belmont), where people drink cawfee and tawk like real old-school New Yawk'is.  I usually combine Arthur Avenue whenever I visit the New York Botanical Garden. Arthur Avenue is about a 20-25 minute walk from the nearest subway, so it's not easy to get to. Have a Bronx car service number on hand just in case.

Start at the Arthur Avenue Retail Market (2330 Arthur Avenue), a true Italian food lovers' paradise and a great lunch stop--there's bread, pasta, fish, fruit, sandwiches (one of the best sandwiches I've had in NYC was at Cafe al Mercato in the market), coffee, meats, cheese, and more.  Take note of the characters behind the counter-guaranteed to be jovial and real Italian New Yorkers.

Cafe Al Mercato in the Retail Market

Arthur Avenue Retail Market

Other famous restaurants include Giovanni's, Mario's, and Ann & Tony's. There are Italian bakeries lining the street, where you can pick up biscotti or a cannoli.

Giovanni's

Ann & Tony's

BiscottiArthur Avenue has Hollywood heritage too--Joe Pesci was running a restaurant here when DeNiro and Scorcese cast him in Raging Bull. Frank Sinatra was a regular visitor.  And Mario Batali is a huge fan of Arthur Avenue. In this video about his favorite New York spots, he says "For the Italians looking for a more Italian experience, Arthur Avenue in the Bronx is one of the most spectacular places. One of my favorite restaurants is a place called Mario's, just simple, southern Italian done as someone has done it for 80, 90 years.

Christmas in Little Italy

I love Little Italy. There, I said it. I love every inch of tourist-trafficked Mulberry Street.  I love this dog that I sometimes see enjoying a meal in Little Italy with his owner.  Ok, not so much on a summer Saturday when throngs of people clog the sidewalks.  In the winter, Little Italy can be downright enchanting, especially dressed for the holidays.

I love Angelo's on Mulberry Street for a more upscale Little Italy dining experience, but I also love Puglia (which surprisingly has the best Caesar salad I've had in New York), especially when the long tables are packed with people and whatever musician is playing "That's Amore" gets people dancing.

Puglia in Little Italy

San Gennaro Festival in Little Italy

We checked out the annual San Gennaro Festival in Little Italy this week.  It was a bit of a chaotic mess, but we walked through all the food stalls (fried oreos anyone?) on Mulberry Street.  I love this photo because of the line-up of the NYPD posse. New York's Finest. 

The Coolest Dog Ever Lounging in Little Italy

Just chillin' enjoying a plate of pasta in Little Italy. This is why I love New York.