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?

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?