Little Italy’s most prominent street festival is in full swing again: The Feast of the San Gennaro! What once used to be a one-day-ordeal has turned into a 10-day-worship of Saint Januarius and it has caused the streets Read More »
Tag: Little Italy
The Feast of San Gennaro: Overcoming the Masses in Little Italy
Smoke rising in the air, pizza scents drafting through the streets, masses and masses of people trying to claw their way throw the crowds. There is possibly only one time of year during which Little Italy is about as crowded as can get: during the Feast of San Gennaro. If you are in New York during the fall season, you should possibly swing by and see what this part of Lower Manhattan has to offer in any culinary means.
As the story goes, the San Gennaro Fest was dedicated to only one saint and only one day – as is usual. Over the years from 1926 to now it has turned into a 10-day-mass-worship and extended onto several streets along Mulberry Street. And voila, here you find approximately a million people squeezed into the smallest space possible over the duration of less than two weeks, trying to digest every Italian sausage out there and stuffing themselves with about every cannelloni they can find.
This overcrowded street festival has to date remained a mystery to me. For some reason I had strictly avoided the parts of Little Italy during this crucial time period. However, after spending two falls here already and looking forward to exploring something new every year, I followed my friend’s advice and jumped into action or rather into a suicide attempt by walking Mulberry Street on a sunshiny Saturday. I should have known better, I suppose!
“Of course every tourist in this city will be out and about in this part of town”, is all I thought when I hopped off the R-Train and stood in front the Spring Street section of the festival. Around me cops, kids, strollers, overweight Brooklyners and camera-carrying tourists. I felt like turning around and forgetting about my very best intentions. Luckily I decided against my initial impulse and threw myself into the masses. Eventually you learn how to be carried away by the persons in front and behind you…
Not without eyeing almost every single stand in the first half hour or so I was there. It started off with the vendor offering “free refills” on cocktail mixes coming in huge glass tubes. “Neat! This reminds me of Coney Island and some awesome summer nights I spent here”, were the thoughts racing through my mind before I went on to the next vendor. Spanish food served with rice and beans. “Looks like every other street festival I’ve been to” was my next train of thoughts. Finally, a T-shirt seller offering some fine collections of shirts with the imprint “San Gennaro – Festival New York 2012.” How original, how mind-blowing, how very much… touristy. And indeed, it seemed to work. A swarm of people was standing around him and practically fighting for a plain black T-shirt with a cheap imprint.
As the path lead on I discovered my first cannelloni stand. Yay too stuffed dough in small and big variations. Nay to the price tags on them: 5 bucks for a medium sized piece and 2 Dollars for a tiny sample. I went on to the sausage stand. Spanish speaking servers selling “original sausage” in curled up format. I was fascinated! And of course the pizza could not be amiss right next door. While I had lost my appetite when looking at the grease swimming in pots and pans, the food was still nice to look at and it started to feel more original.
When I passed the candy apple and caramelized fruits, I was mesmerized. Determined to get a least a little piece I turned to wait in line – and lost my determination to frustration over the long waiting time. It seemed to be one of the only ones around and I wasn’t going to turn around and walk past in the other directions. The way towards Canal Street led past many typical Little Italy restaurants. Albeit already filled to the rim with hungry festival attenders and tourists about to be fed, the host waved a menu into my face and asked me if I wanted a table by myself. I even overheard him say “Free Sangria all night long” to the group behind me, which made them burst out in laughter, demanding the food to be less than 50 Dollars per head.
One highlight I found, also completely unrelated to San Gennaro but nonetheless pretty to look at, was a Cuban cigar roller sitting on a lone chair in the middle of all the hustle and bustle. After watching him wrap his hands around the leaves and rolling them into a tight mass, I felt much calmer.
And at the very end, or the very beginning, depending on which way you go, I saw a little festive character mounted inside a niche, open for viewing and familiar-looking. Indeed, it was a small San Gennaro figure, just like in the pictures of the saint, surrounded by an array of candles and single dollar bills flying ahead of it.
Fortunately for me, I did not get discouraged by only one visit. After all, I wanted my candy apple! So I made my way back on a random Thursday weekday and indeed, the streets were less crowded, the people less aggressive, the mass less touristy. I got my tasty piece of fake red apple after all.
The Feast of San Gennaro took place from September 13 to 23 this year. It shall return next year. highlight of the fest were fried oreos sold in half a dozen and a garlic press that left you with “a lot more garlic” than if you had cut it with a simple knife.
For more pictures go to The San Gennaro Street Festival in Little Italy (1) and The San Gennaro Street Festival in Little Italy (2)
Tasty Delights: Italian Food in New York
Let me tell you something about Italian food in New York. If you want to eat decent, if you want to eat authentic, if you want to experience the ultimate highlight in taste, then avoid Little Italy! At least the one in Manhattan. Disregard those tourist tips you find in New York in your Pocket or NFT (Not For Tourists). This is a simple rule and easy to follow.
Last week my friend took me out to the West Village. Now the West Village can have some really awesome food, as I already told you about Diablo Royale (go here to read post). The Italian counterpart to this tasty delight would be a hidden gem called L’Artusi – a restaurant with top-notch service and absolutely unique creations.
We dropped by on Wednesday, just us two people, no reservation, just popping in after a long day at work. My friend had already warned me that this place tends to attract the snobbish, rich upper-class of the Hamptons. And, fair enough, I didn’t see too many representable New Yorkers in this joint. More of the thoroughly dressed, over-styled, perfectly trimmed-and-manicured-nails kind of crowd. So in short, the crowd was too much for New York and easily recognizable as the Hampton people. However, they can have taste, these Hampton folks. And L’Artusi is surely going to challenge your taste buds, even if you don’t believe it. At first we started out with a nice glass of a 2006 Savuto. We then went ahead and ordered a roasted beets appetizer and a side dish of brussels sprouts to start with. Our main entrees consisted both of pasta, but in different variations: I chose filled pockets of tortellini with squash while my friend took the special of the day evening, which was truffle fettuccine.
Despite us having to wait a teeny bit too long for our food (I think at least ten minutes too much for my taste), the food was absolutely stunning. And to give L’Artusi some credit, the restaurant was crowded at this point in time. They have an open cooking area in the back of the restaurant, in case you really want to see how your meal is prepared.
So my favorite part about the appetizer was the brussels sprouts dish. Crisply cooked in a garlic-sauce, peppered up with pecorino cheese on top. The main dishes were equally appealing: My squash in the pasta pockets melted in my mouth! And the dessert, a tiramisu, which we shared, was the right roundup for both of us after a culinary feast like this! It had just the right level of sweetness and was freshly made, convincing us both that it had indeed been the best option of the night. So don’t let the small dishes fool you, you can feel full after those in no time.
The prices might be a bit steep, with 16 to 28 dollars just for an entree (which is actually not too bad for Manhattan). You could use this restaurant for a special treat for yourself or an anniversary dinner. Unless you come from the Hamptons, then you can snag in your brunch here before heading off to Gucci and Versace.
Eating Italian in Manhattan – this had been indeed the first restaurant I liked. Back in May a friend and I had tried out Little Italy in Brooklyn – and yes, it does exist. Maybe a bit remote from the rest of the crowd, as we took the D train to the 18th Ave Station and walked a good 20 minutes to the Tommaso Ristorante. Or rather some creepy 20 minutes past some deserted industrial area until we found those four restaurants that make out Brooklyn’s Little Italy (right next to their Chinatown). Here we ordered a prix fixe for 25 bucks each (even in the evening hours), which included an appetizer, an entrée, and a dessert. All of these were very tasty! Starting out with some mussels in white sauce and mozarella with roasted peppers. Compared to restaurants in the City, the dishes are significantly bigger in Brooklyn! Then a fine-spiced Filet of Sole Francese with a meat dish combined with some of the best roasted potatoes I have ever come across. Dessert consisted of Italian Cheesecake and Panna Cotta. And don’t ask me how we both finished our dishes, but I assume we were quite stuffed when we exited the ristorante!
I will explain why I don’t think too highly of insider tips given in tourist guides for New York. One I had tried out was the infamous Totonno in Coney Island. When we walked in, the place had the feel of a fast-food joint rather than a notorious pizzeria. The waitress was indeed the same person displayed on the cover of the fancy magazine 10 years ago, but now significantly older and even with a hump. That’s right, a hunched back! So whatever photo-editing devices these glamour mags use, I’ve seen living proof of that they must be severe! Before eating my friend and I wanted to wash our hands so we each took turns to squeeze into the little booth Totonno calls a restroom . We disregarded the dirt on the floor and the hair in the sink because we both weren’t in the mood to puke. We then ordered a simple cheese pizza topped with some basic ingredients such as mushrooms and peppers. Even though we were both starving we both weren’t too impressed by its taste! Best pizza of Brooklyn – pah! Maybe best overpriced pizza of Brooklyn!
Grimaldi’s Pizza right in Dumbo always has a queue waiting outside that reaches around a few blocks. I wonder why. After experiencing Totonno, I doubt their pizza is any better. And the best thing about it: The last time I checked they had a sanitary “C” grade, which is about as bad as it gets in New York. After seeing this red flag I definitely did not feel in the mood to try them out.
Now, there is hope! There is a location in Bushwick called Roberta’s which has gained increasing popularity not even among the locals anymore. I have yet to try out their delicacies to give you an authentic food update on them. However, my friend, who happens to share my taste, has let me know that not only their pizza but also their pastries are supposed to be a tongue-tingling experience… If you get there before I do, let me know!
The Exotic Side of New York: Chinatown
Before the hurricane and the turmoil connected to it, I made my way out to Chinatown to get some last-minute-souvenir-shopping done before I wouldn’t get a chance to do so this week.
I assume everyone has heard of Chinatown in New York before. It is supposedly the largest Chinese population outside of China and it makes up 100,000 of New Yorks’ citizens (legally, that is). People’s opinions range as to where Chinatown starts and where it ends, and I do not feel qualified to give you the right answer to this, either. What I can say for sure is that it tries to get rid off its neighbor Little Italy and might even succeed in pushing the Italians out of its way completely within five years or so. In days long gone Little Italy used to be the superior area size-wise, being far more impressive in area covered and dimension displayed than its Chinese counterpart. Now it is quite the opposite, as Chinatown has more immigrants than the Italian area does.
To get to Chinatown, you can easily take the train. The most common stop is the Canal Street stop on the blue and yellow line and, I dare say, it is also the most touristy part of Chinatown. Other stops are East Broadway and Delancey St on the F and M, or Grand St on the B and D. When you get off at the East Broadway stop or the Grand St stop, you can easily make your way to the notorious Chinatown buses, which I have talked about extensively here. If possible, I try to stay away from the huddled, souvenir-polluted part of the Chinese neighborhood and go straight to its heart around Grand St or East Broadway. Here you can still find very authentic Chinese cuisine (if this term can be used appropriately in this case), buy fresh fish and other ingredients hard to get outside of Chinatown (my roomies swear they have never had a bad experience with buying fish here, contrary to the initial feeling of repulse I had), and purchase old-school Chinese items for fun or for serious. It is also great to inhale life-time Chinese flair and sometimes I do believe I am transformed back into an Asian city jungle, finding myself among foreign-looking faces and within an unfamiliar chatter of words but with the strong sense that I am still somewhere in New York.
Another thing I really like about Chinatown is that everything is incredibly colorful: The signs, the decorations in some windows, the lanterns… I would really like to witness one of those famous Chinese New Year’s parades, just to get a look at the great costumes and traditions displayed during the walk. These parades typically take place in February; regretfully I ‘ve missed out on it this year, but I wouldn’t mind observing it in 2012 (gosh, does this sound far, far away!). So even during the gloomy, gray winter months the Chinese do not fail to impress here in New York.
Many stereotypes are in circulation when it comes to Chinese immigrants in the US, and even though I am not a big fan of these, I have to admit that at least one is true: Most Chinese do not speak English. It is fairly common in the Big Apple to stick to one’s language if one plans on simply staying in one hood and not venturing out. Spanish-speaking boroughs and Dominican/Haitian areas would be more examples of people who solely know their mother tongue and speak only rare bits and pieces of English. Chinatown does not pose too much of an exception to this rule, as most inhabitants live, work, and exist here on a day-to-day basis, being in constant interaction with their fellow natives. Albeit I heard there are x amount of different versions of Chinese, Mandarin being the most common one, I guess interacting with each other does not cause many difficulties.
I can also imagine living in Chinatown to be fairly an adventure. I used to have a Chinese-American co-worker who was halfway fluent in Mandarin and took on a room in the midst of it all. Her rent was very cheap, possibly the only incent for her to take it: an enviable $320 a month! When I compare this to my rent it is roughly 3 times lower, a cost that could be advantageous in the long run. However, her commute does become an occasional problem, as she first has to take the train and then a bus for 20 mins straight to get to her apartment. Buses are pretty unreliable here in New York and this does not exclude mass transit in Chinatown.
Back to my souvenir story: Of course I got off at the Canal St stop with the Q, desperately trying not to look like one of those tourists who are just there to be ripped off. I found a nice store with two figures I wanted to have and haggled the price down from $11 to $7. Until then I had only done this twice, but found that haggling is easily done here: You simply start off with half the price or a bit less than they are expecting and soon you are in the middle of a nice back and forth until they got what they want and you don’t feel stupid for paying the ultimate rip-off price. Done!
On my way out I was on a mission to get a pair of sunglasses I had wanted to purchase since the BEGINNING of this summer: Mirrored aviator glasses which I thought might be cheaper here than anywhere else. In Midtown you can buy them for some (loud-scream) cheap $3, but I was still looking for a better deal. The first guy who offered them said they were $8 a pair. Naw, I thought, and offered him $2. He declined, even backed away from me, and put them back. And so it went throughout the entire street. Sometimes the seller even laughed as if I was making fun and then retreated as if I had insulted him. “2 Dalla? Noo, I couldn’t do tat! Pah! They cost 10 Dalla, Miis.”
I really had no luck at all in buying them there. Eventually I gave up and started seeing the other beautiful things on my way to Grand St. Such as, for example, a few cute bakeries, which ultimately reminded me of the great time I had in Boston’s Chinatown. I will surely come back to try some of their pastries and get a supply of these for home. Chinese cakes are fluffy and taste a bit different than anywhere else plus you can get a good amount of pieces for a low price.
During this excursion I once again noticed my lack of knowledge when being in certain neighborhoods. It could definitely be fun to spend some exciting 24 hours in Chi-town and one day I even plan on doing so!
Now, I heard there is supposed to be the equivalent of Manhattan’s Chinatown and Little Italy in Brooklyn. Up to now, I have only made it out to the Italian restaurants and bars (disappointingly small) and wouldn’t know the real comparison between these two. Albeit I hate to admit this, there is still so much left to discover here!
Off to Beantown!
Last Saturday afternoon. Birds are chirping while people are passing by or lying on the grass. The sun is not at its full height, but just about right for us to catch some rays as my friend and I are walking around, trying to get to know the area better. We are in Boston, one of the oldest colonial cities on the East Coast, one of the remainders of the first 13 colonies, and filled with monuments, churches, and ruins depicting American history before the Revolution and after.
I just came back from a lovely (albeit too short of a) weekend I spent in Beantown. It was my second time I visited but it will always be worth coming back. The first time I drove up in March of this year: It was still cold but the sun was beaming and I had, aside from having to wear my winter gear, a great time exploring the Commons, the Square, Harvard, Charlestown with the Navy Yard, and the Harbor. Please find some pictures beneath from my first trip.
I’m not here to bore you about the historical facts and figures you can probably look up on the Internet in a glimpse anyways. So aside from the usual sightseeing tour I had the chance to go out in Cambridge, sleep over in Cambridge (thank you Sophie for being such a great host to Tom and I!), and to check out some other hotspots (not necessarily in Cambridge). My friend and I happened to stop by at another friend’s place and not far from her house there is Massachusetts Avenue close to Central Square which offers great nightlife for young people (but also suits an older crowd, in case you wondered). We ended up standing in line for the Zuzu’s,which turned out to be a really fun dance-bar with great American music. Not the typical Top-100-charts-music, but original, almost forgotten, American oldies from long long ago. The DJ that night mixed these pieces in various styles and everyone seemed to have a great time shaking it off on the dance floor. In case you’re claustrophobic, though, you shouldn’t bother showing up after a certain time, because this hotspot gets PACKED from 12AM on. And when I say packed, I mean crammed-full, body-touchy, dancing-against-strangers packed. Just for your information.
There is another bar right next to it on the right side (right as seen in entering the club, not exiting). This pub was less crowded and offered an entertaining live music band rocking the house. Also, there was no cover charge to get in, whereas Zuzu charges you a fee of $5 (and guys, this is really not a lot; I’m guessing a bunch of spots over there have student-friendly prices!). In case you get hungry, just cross the street and there will be a pizza joint open until everything closes down (which in Boston is, regretfully, an early 2AM. Welcome to the typical States-side closing hours… *grrrr*). Of course nothing compared to Brooklyn pizza, but on the bright side the prices are cheaper.
The next day we went for brunch. In case you didn’t know, brunch is a BIG thing in New York and Boston offers some great deals, too. I’m not so sure about the rest of the States, but I have seen some great offers on the East Coast, at least when you stay in the Northern part. Brunch differs from Germany, as it is from 11 to 4PM (or 3PM in Boston). You don’t usually have an unlimited buffet, but the food is still great and the portions are big. Especially in Boston – I think I just stopped eating after a while with a third of my plate still filled with pancakes and eggs (this rarely happens, I can eat for two if I have to!). We went to Johnny D’s,also in Cambridge, and sometimes it has a live-band playing, or at least music tooteling in the background. It is a bright, open room, very nicely decorated and with many servers bustling around. Make sure you don’t miss out on a parrot-sized drink (a 20 oz cup meant for mimosas or other champagne mixtures).
Another place to check out just to see what sorts of (sometimes disgustingly greasy) food they have is the most touristy house ever: Quincy Market.
Pretty close to the Boston Commons, and if you come from that direction you might be lucky to catch some street performers and other artists doing a great job in entertaining people in front of the building. We saw two guys who pulled of a brilliant circus show worth the stop!
Also, Little Italy reminds me (sadly to admit) more of Italy than the one in New York. It has more blocks, more room to grow, and is great for stopping by and inhaling Italian flair. Don’t get too caught up by brands or popular restaurants and bakeries, I am not sure the line is really worth the wait. And it was a huge line when we stopped by…
Another great area to visit is…tadaa…. Chinatown. You might happen to walk by if you take the Chinatownbus from New York (a very convenient mean of travel at a reasonable price!). We stopped by at the Hei La Moon, a nice restaurant with HUGE portions of good-tasting chinese food! Really! If you feel like a dessert afterwards, try the 101 Bakery on 56 Beach Street just down the street (past the Arch). And while you’re there, don’t miss out on some honey-cake or the other flavors they offer. I have seldomly tasted pastries as fluffy as there. And I am from Germany (need to say more? haha)…
What I like about Boston is that you can walk to many places, despite some native Bostoners being completely horrified at the thought of this. Yeah, yeah, the goold old car can take you anywhere, or the T (subway), but walking is so much better in catching up the flair of this nice town.
And, to end this description, Harvard is a bit disappointing. I would have expected a bigger campus, a more glorious appearance,more students – in short: a more spectular place. It was surprisingly small but nonetheless definitely worth the visit.
So, what I really love about this city is the young student flair you breathe in as soon as you step of the bus and the high amount of toned and fit people you see because of the high density of many big universities in one spot.
Horray for Beantown!
German-American Abroad 