There is nothing like a trip to an Old World Italian Neighborhood during the holidays – one of those areas that make you feel like you’ve traveled back in time. It is an educational treat to return to a place that still has the strongest of connections to the era when parents or grandparents had just arrived from Italy. The Christmas season is a time when many Italian Americans visit these neighborhoods – a magical time for all to reflect on their history, while maintaining the traditions that have shaped our lives and will continue to do so into the future. Arthur Avenue, located in the Belmont section of the Bronx, New York, is such place. Through the years, this section has remained proudly Italian and fiercely loyal to its heritage.
With Christmas Eve almost upon us, you’ll want to visit Cosenza’s Fish Market located at 2354 Arthur Avenue; or call John at 718-364-8510. The market specializes in all kinds of seafood and is renowned for their clams and oysters. Get all of the seafood that you’ll need for a seven fishes dinner and whether its cod, calamari, scungilli or shrimp, you’ll find the freshest selections at Cosenza’s.
For a tremendous selection of Italian groceries and great prices on a full range of imported products, visit Teitel Brothers, 2372 Arthur Avenue, or call 718-733-9400. In these days in giant food markets offering all manner of “international’ foods, there remains a small, 900 square foot grocery store called Teitel Brothers. Products from pasta to canned goods surround you. The smell of fine aged cheese lifts your spirts as you’re greeted. The store is well known for excellent prices for exceptional products. You will find the finest imported cooking ingredients, a dizzying array of olives, the most incredible Italian sausages that you are likely to have tasted, judged to be the best in New York by the Daily News. Teitel Brothers opened over a century ago on Arthur Avenue. Now in the third and fourth generations at the 2372 Arthur Avenue location, Gilbert, Benjamin, Louis and their sons continue to bring ‘appassionato’ to their wholesale and retail establishment.
For your pasta, order a few pounds of egg noodles, ravioli and fresh dough for lasagna and manicotti at Borgatti’s, 632 East 187th Street, 718-367-3799. Their huge variety of homemade specialties have had customers returning to the store for generations and with good reason. Their reputation is such that at a high-end salon in the western suburbs of New Jersey, one of its patrons was recently heard espousing the quality and authentic taste of the pasta from Borgatti’s. Several patrons smiled knowingly. Borgatti’s has been part of their annual holiday pilgrimage for years!
For over 80 years, the Addeo family has owned their famous bakery at 2372 Hughes Avenue in the Bronx’s Little Italy. The family’s heritage of being a premier maker of traditional Italian bread and biscuits began three generations ago when founders Gennaro and Vincenzo opened their bread shop. Today their grandsons Thomas and Laurence have taken the mantle of leadership of the family legacy from their fathers, Salvatore and Laurence.
Family history and great traditional bread, coupled with the Addeo family’s belief that “our family proudly serves your family” will ensure that this bakery will remain a staple in the community for generations to come. Pop in to smell the aroma of the freshly baked bread. You are sure to leave with your arms filled with loaves that will delight family and friends. Call Addeo Bakery (718) 367-8316 to place orders for pick up.
Vincent DeLuca arrived from Calabria, Italy in 1945 and at the age of 26, opened his first shop – Vincent’s Meat Market on 151st Street. He and his wife Sylvia, resettled in the Belmont area of the Bronx and raised three sons, Phillip, Peter and Vincent. All three boys helped out in the market, learning about the industry and the business their father created. When Vincent passed tragically in 1979, Peter stepped in to run the family business so his brothers could continue earning their law and medical degrees.
In 1981, to honor his father’s legacy and expand the business, Peter moved Vincent’s Meat Market to its current home at 2374 Arthur Avenue, where it continues to provide New York with high quality, fresh meat and poultry. Sourced from the finest farms and ranches, their meats are always fresh, never frozen. The family believes that buying meat should never be a guessing game, which is why the market only employs highly-skilled butchers. Your meat selection is hand-cut to order and delivered to your front door by the next day. Through the use of traditional recipes and innovative techniques, Vincent’s Meat Market guarantees that they will exceed your expectations. Visit their website at www.vincentsmeatmarket.com to place online orders or call them at (718) 295-9048.
In between shopping and strolling in Belmont, take a break at a café for an espresso and Italian pastry. You’ll find shops with varieties of all of your favorite pastries and specialty sweets. Once you’ve been to Arthur Avenue for holiday shopping, you’ll likely become a customer for life!
