Vinny's Nut House

Mulberry Street, the main restaurant and tourist alley in Little Italy, is usually closed to automobile traffic on weekends so the locals and tourists can enjoy browsing and hanging out in the neighborhood. One of the regular vendors on the street is Vinny's Nut House, which sells nougat candy (egg white, sugar and almonds), candied apples, marzipan (almond paste) fruits, lemon iced cookies and different types of biscottis.

I tried the nougat candy once and I didn't like it very much. It tasted like a dense, sticky version of mashmallow and it stuck to the inside of my mouth. Eck! Biscottis, on the other hand, are devine. I can eat those for breakfast, lunch and dinner...with a good cup of coffee.

So have you ever tried any of these sweets mentioned above?

We Accept Euros

The decline in US dollars has made NYC an affordable vacation spot for many Europeans. This week alone, I saw a couple of stores advertising, "We Accept Euros" on their windows including this restaurant in Little Italy.

So if the situation was the other way round (i.e. US$1 = €1.50), where in Europe would you like to go? For our European readers, where in the US would you like to visit aside from NYC, of course.

Mangia Alfresco

The weather last Saturday was perfect and Mulberry Street in Little Italy was closed off to automobile traffic -- only pedestrians were allowed. The restaurants lining the street took full advantage of the situation and moved all their tables out to the street. As you can see, everyone was having a great time dining al fresco. Even I got into the mood and had dinner here (but not at Ristorante da Gennaro). I had penne pasta with Italian sausage and meatballs.

So when was the last time you ate a meal outdoors?

Brooklyn Bridge After A Snow Storm II

Apparently, we weren't the only crazy ones to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge during a snow storm on Friday afternoon. After having the right side of our faces frozen by the howling wind, we stopped in at Ferrara in Little Italy for some cappuccino (me), hot chocolate (Carl & Emeline) and cookies.

So what is your favorite way to stay warm during a cold winter's day?

Italian Sausages

Here is a photo of a booth selling italian sausages at the San Gennaro Feast in Little Italy last weekend. The hot or spicy sausages are usually served in crusty roll/bread and topped with grilled onions and peppers. You can see the onions and peppers in the two metal containers on the upper left corner. Every time I go to a street fair in NYC, I get one of these delicious italian sausages on a roll. But I didn't this time because I had just eaten lunch before coming to the San Gennaro Feast.

What do you usually get at a street fair?

San Gennaro Feast @ Little Italy

The weather on Sunday was simply perfect -- it was dry, sunny and cool. I headed downtown to meet some friends for lunch and we came upon the San Gennaro Feast in Little Italy. Actually the music was what alerted us to the street fair. There was at least a mile of booths selling food and drinks, games and candies, and there was even a stage where a live band was playing.

The Trecels, a cover band that played mostly doo-wop music from the 50s and 60s, were excellent. We stayed for both sets of the concert and swayed to songs like Teenager in Love and Why Do Fools Fall in Love. Some audience even went up to the front and danced, like the couple in this photo. All in all, it was a wonderful Sunday.

So what kind of music do you like?

Fire Escape 3

This is another beautiful fire escape of a building in Nolita (North of Little Italy), which is located between Bloome Street and Houston (pronounced as House-ton) Street. Nolita is currently a hip retail district where small boutiques sell clothes and home furnishings by up-and-coming local and international designers. Recently, there has been a push by local businesses to bring in higher-end Italian retailers like Armani, Versace and Gucci to establish the area as an extension of Little Italy.

Ferrara @ Little Italy

Ferrara is one of the oldest and most well known family owned cafes in New York City. It is located in Little Italy on Grand Street between Mott and Mulberry Street. The cafe, initially called Caffe A. Ferrara, was opened by Italian immigrants, Antonio Ferrara and Enrico Scoppa in 1892. Antonio Ferrara's nephew married Enrico Scoppa's daughter in 1929 thus uniting the business under one family.

Today, Ferrara has expanded to include a number of cafes, bakeries, and a very successful mail-order business. It is well known for its delicious Italian pastries and cakes, and every Italian-American bride orders her wedding cake from the store. The business is still owned and run by the 5th generation of the original owners.

This photo was taken from the entrance of the flagship store in Little Italy. The cafe is always packed with patrons and getting a table at the cafe is almost impossible, especially during after-dinner hours.

Click here for another photo of the cafe.

Deli @ Little Italy

Little Italy, as the name suggests, is a section of Lower Manhattan where Italian immigrants first settled after arriving in New York City at the turn of the century. Today, the neighborhood has diminished to about half its original size due to the ever expansion of Chinatown, as well as the decrease in the number of new Italian immigrants to the US. Most of the first and second generation Italians who grew up in the area have moved on to other parts of the city or to the suburbs.

What makes Lower Manhattan so interesting is the dynamics of its population over time. Prior to the arrival of Italian immigrants in the 1900s, this area was inhabited mostly by Irish immigrants who came here in the early 1800s. Now, Little Italy is slowly being engulfed by a newer immigrant population, ie. the Chinese.

This photo was taken inside an Italian deli and it shows a big wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese being cut up into smaller pieces. The yellow cubes of cheese on the right are Pecorino Romano and you can see someone walking by with a tray of freshly made canolis.