Arthur Avenue and The Bronx Zoo
What this foodstroll is
Our favorite things to eat on Arthur Avenue, aka the “Real Little Italy”, near the Bronx Zoo.
Why this foodstroll works
It’s tough to argue that any one ethnic group has a stronger legacy in New York City than Italians. Certainly from a culinary perspective we’d consider the above statement to be pretty uncontroversial. But while the legacy is as strong as ever, the neighborhoods and communities where Italians actually live continue to shrink and disappear. One of the few remaining is the Bronx’s “Little Italy” in Belmont, which happens to be a few blocks from both the Bronx Zoo and New York Botanical Garden. Both the Zoo and Botanical Garden are big, but Arthur Avenue and Little Italy are small, making for a perfect day trip combo.
Strolling
Many shops in Little Italy close around 5pm, and earlier on Sundays, so plan your foodstroll accordingly. The New York Botanical Garden Ticket Counter is 1.2 miles from Arthur Ave and the Bronx Zoo, and if your kids are on scooters you’ll be asked to check them at the entrance of both attractions.
If arriving by subway, we recommend you stop at the East 180th Street station. Not only is it closest to the Zoo, but it’s entrance also happens to be a Designated New York City Landmark, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building dates back to 1912, when it housed the administrative offices of the New York, Westchester, and Boston Railway. The NYW&B went bankrupt in 1937, but the administrative building has been continually used as the main entrance to the subway station since its opening in 1917.
We probably don’t need to tell you about The Bronx Zoo. They have over 650 different species, including Lions, Tigers, Rhinoceroses, and our family favorite - Giraffes. Allow for several hours to fully explore all 6,000 animals!
Founded in 1899, it’s the biggest metropolitan zoo in the United States, and one of the best in the world. Over the years it has played pivital role in animal conservation, saving many species from extinction. The Zoo’s Belmont Entrance (pictured) is a 5 minute walk from Arthur Avenue.
Just a few blocks west of the Zoo is Arthur Avenue, “One of the Great Streets of America”, and not just according to this mural. It was voted one of "America's Greatest Streets" by the American Planning Association in 2016.
In the 1890’s Italian immigrants began arriving as laborers for construction of the Bronx Zoo. They settled along Arthur Avenue in what is now known as the Bronx Little Italy. It’s far less touristy than Manhattan’s Little Italy, with lots of generations old family run businesses. You won’t find as many t-shirt and coffee mugs for sale, but the food is way better!
The street is closed to vehicle traffic on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, and your kids can scoot up and down all afternoon long on Sundays. The quiet neighborhood has long been a favorite getaway for celebrities, like Frank Sinatra, Clint Eastwood, Liza Minelli, and Cher. Joe Pesci was a maître’d on Arthur Ave before his acting career took off in 1980.
The New York Botanical Garden is the largest of NYC’s four botanic gardens. When we say largest, we mean fives times larger than the next biggest, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It’s also a major center for academia and global plant research. They have several seasonal pumpkin arrangements throughout the grounds, and fall is definitely a nice time to visit, but with 250 acres to explore, the NYBG is great to visit year round. It has been a National Historic Landmark since 1967.
Chazz Palminteri was raised in Belmont, and his famous gangster story A Bronx Tale (1993) takes place here. Filming locations were all over NYC, but the one and only commemorative mural is right here in the neighborhood.
Food Spots
Joe’s Italian Deli is the quintessential NYC Deli. You’ll find staples like Soppressata and Aged Parmesan, trays full of Baked Ziti and Lasagna, and the best sandwiches in the neighborhood. Our go to orders are the DSNY sandwich and Uncle Frank (pictured). Also don’t visit without trying their famous homemade Fresh Mozzarella.
Artuso Pastry is a generations old Italian shop famous for classic desserts like cannoli and tri color cake. It’s our favorite spot in the neighborhood for Lobster Tails, cream stuffed croissants dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Tra Di Noi is a relatively small, quiet, family run restaurant on 187th, just off the hustle and bustle of Arthur Ave. For our money, it prepares the best Calamari Fritti in the neighborhood, no small task given the abundance of fried calamari in Belmont!
They also serve our favorite Lasagna in Little Italy, due in large part to the secret Bolognese sauce used in many of their dishes. Tra Di Noi translates to “between us”, which we’re pretty sure refers to the family recipe. Portions here are on the elegant side, so if endless mountains of family style pasta are what you had in mind, read on.
Casa Della Mozzarella is an Italian supermarket widely considered to prepare some of NYC’s best Fresh Mozzarella. You can stock up by the pound, or just stop in to taste a few of the bite sized Bocconcini. FYI we recommend ordering them unsalted and salting them yourself.
Zero Otto Nove is the best all around restaurant in Bronx Little Italy. They specialize in Southern Italian fare, with a few “Italian American” classics. But instead of Chicken or Veal Parm, think Chicken Scarpariello. Zero Otto Nove’s comes with both light and dark meat, and though we’re far from Chicken Scarpariello experts, it’s the best we’ve ever had.
If you're looking for a place with pizza options, this should absolutely be your choice. The La Riccardo comes with Butternut Squash, Smoked Mozzarella, Pancetta and Basil. Although the vibe at Zero Otto Nove is a tad more done up, like all restaurants in the neighborhood, it is very family friendly.
You can’t go wrong with any bakeries in the neighborhood, but our overall favorite is Madonia Brothers Bakery, a Sicilian operation dating back 100 years. Everything, like their Ciabatta and Olive Bread, is fresh baked on premise. We never visit without taking home some Cannoli, which they fill by hand to order.
It’s all in the name. If you want anything pork related, Southern Italy’s protein of choice, Calabria Pork Store is where you should go. If it isn’t obvious from the 10,000 pieces of pork hanging from the ceiling, their specialty is cured meat. Think Prosciutto, Mortadella, Capicola, Pepperoni, ‘nduja, and Soppressata, which is available sweet, spicy, or very spicy.
If looking at a table with mountains of pasta and eating family style is what you had in mind, Dominick’s is for you. They're cash only and open Thur-Sun. Considering how much food they bring, starting with a salad, like the Cold Seafood Salad, is a good choice.
Things like Manicotti and Lasagna are on their Sundays Only menu, but we’ve eaten their Manicotti (pictured) on a Saturday, so the rules seem flexible. Of the main menu item, we like their Pork Chops with Hot Cherry Peppers. If hot cherry peppers are not your thing, Dominick’s signature Pork Chops Pizzaiola are a great alternative.
Calandra Cheese sells its namesake and other Italian products like cured meat and marinated peppers. They offer unlimited free samples, and when we say free samples, we don’t just mean tiny pieces of cheese on a toothpick. Stand there long enough and the incredibly friendly guys behind the counter will give you practically a full meal! No matter what, don’t leave without trying their Fresh Dry Mozzarella.
Given the staggering number of vendors inside the Arthur Avenue Retail Market, you could theoretically experience all of the above under a single roof. Built in 1940 by NYC’s first Italian American mayor, the beloved Fiorello LaGuardia, the market has some of everything, including historical memorabilia, and one of NYC’s best artisan cigar shops, La Casa Grande Cigars.
Mike’s Deli defeated Bobby Flay in a 2010 Eggplant Parmigiana throwdown, and if you’re looking for a vegetarian experience along Arthur Ave, we recommend it. Aside from that, our favorite part of the retail market is the produce section, reminiscent of produce stands the earliest Italian immigrants operated in NYC during the 1880s.
Transportation
Streetside parking in Belmont is pretty easy, but Mon-Sat it is mostly 2 hour metered. There are two parking lots open full time at the Zoo, and you’ll want to take the Southern Boulevard Parking Entrance which is next to the Zoo’s Belmont Entrance. From there Arthur Ave is just blocks away. The lots close when the Zoo closes at 5pm, so you may need to move your car if it gets late in the day.
The 2 and 5 trains stop at East 180th Street, two blocks from the Asia Gate pedestrian entrance at the corner of Boston Road and Bronx Park South. The D train stops at Fordham Road, about a mile from Arthur Avenue.
