Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Remembering La Focacceria Sicilian American


The BEST VASTEDDI EVER !!!

Sadly, They are No More




My Old Pal VINNY

Don't Know who the Guy is on the Left

But I'm glad he took this picture.

I wish I would have taken one with Vinny

For the many times I ate there, and Vinny made me so many

tasty VASTEDDI Sandwiches ... Mis then both. Vinny and the Vasteddi

 


La Foccaceria? Oh where have you gone? Well, I do know actually. After more than 90 years in business, it was time to close the doors. And a sad day it was for thousands, including me. I first moved into the East Village in November 1982 .. I was working in another famed old New York Italian institution in The East Village, in John’s (Since 1908) on East 12th Street right around the block from La Foccaceria. La Foccaceria was a great little Sicilian Specialties restaurant on 1st Avenue between East 11th and East 12th Streets on the east side of First Avenue .. That was  the first spot where Vinny’s father opened the doors in 1914 … I’m sorry to say, I never went to that one but to it’s (La Foccaceria) 2nd location a couple blocks south on 1st Avenue between East 7th Street and St.  Marks Place (E. 8th Street) on the east side of the avenue. The new La Foccaceria, run by one Vinny Bondi was just one block from my apartment at the corner of Avenue A and St. Marks Place. In 1982 the East Village was on an up-swing in popularity and improvement from a sort of sub-ghetto of The Lower East Side. the neighborhood which was strongly Eastern European; Ukranian and Polish, mixed with Hispanics, Italians, and people of Jewish persuasion. When Mr. Bondi opened the doors almost 100 years before when the neighborhood was largely made up of Sicilian immigrants which included one Charles “Luck” Luciano whose parents moved to East 10th Street when Luciano was just 9 years old. In the early 80s when i first moved into East Village it was a low-rent neighborhood with apartments that were relatively cheap for the city, thus attracting artists, so-called wannabe actors and musicians and young people who wanted to live in Manhattan. In the East Village they could find an apartment (though not the best physically) at reasonable rates for the time, I did. Through a friend I was able to procure a 2 bedroom apartment for a mere $400 a month. Quite a bargain. I shared the apartment with my good friend jay F. for the first year in that apartment. Once he moved out, I kept the apartment for myself.

   Hey, I’m getting off the beaten track. Yes back in 82 the East Village was an exciting and changing neighborhood, perfect for me and other young people just starting out in this great city of ours.

    I was only paying $400 rent and had money to spend eating out. I used to eat at a Ukrainian Diner Odessa on Avenue A and Lesko’s as well, two doors down from Odessa. There I could get plates of home-made Perogis, fresh Keilbasi and other solid food for cheap. In the East Village there were a few old-school Italian holdovers like; John’s were I was working as a waiter & bartender at the time, Lanza’s (now over 100 Years old), De Roberta’s Italian Pastry (over 100 years old) Brunetta a great little Italian restaurant I used to go to which was on the same block as the original La Foccaceria and there was the current La Foccaceria on 1st Ave near Saint Marks Place .. I went in to La Foccaceria one  day, I met Vinny and I loved it from the very start. Vinny’s father and mother had started the place way back in 1914 … Vinny, I never asked his age, but he must have been in his late 60’s at the time (1983). La Foccaceria served an array of wonderful dishes; all the usual pastas like; Lasagna, Spaghetti & Meatballs, Spaghetti Vongole (Clam Sauce), and Sicilian Maccheroni, like Pasta con Sardi and Lasagna Coccati, broken pieces of lasagna pasta baked with sausage,peas, tomato, and mozzarella. Vinny had great soups like Pasta Fagioli and the best Lentil & Escarole Soup around. He sold sandwiches like Chicken Parmigiano, Meatball Parm, Sausage & Peppers, and his most famous dish of all, the famed Vastedda Sandwich of Palermo. A Vastedda (Vastedde) Sandwich as we’ve said is a very famous sandwich that is a specialty in Palermo, is made with Beef Spleen (or Veal) with Ricotta and Cacciocavallo Cheese on a small Sesame Seeded Bun. It is quite wonderful and was a specialty of the house at Vinny’s La Foccaceria. I just loved it, and at $1.60 per, even in 1982 it was one of New York’s great prepared food bargains. The average price of most sandwiches  back then was about $5.00 around town, so  a Vasteddeat $1.60 per? Wow, what a Bargain?

I had tried most of the dishes at La Foccaceria in my first year eating there, but there was one that I loved by far most of all. Yes, the Vastedde. Most times I would have a Vastedde and a bowl of Vinny’s wonderful Lentil & Escarole Soup, the best I have ever had. If it was Thursday or Saturday, the days that Vinny made Arancini (Sicilian Rice Balls) and Sfingione (True Sicilian Pizza), I might get a piece of Sfingione and Lentil & Escarole Soup, or Sfingione, a Vastedde, and Soup. Yeah! 

I often ate at Vinny’s on Thursdays and Saturdays, as they were the two days in the week when Vinny made Sfingione, which is real Sicilian Pizza, that comes from Palermo. This type of pizza is made in a pan and is thick just like what is know as Sicilian Pizza all over America, and has tomato and Mozzarella Cheese baked on top. Sfingione on the other had doesn’t have tomato or mozzarella, but minced Anchovies that are suteed with onions and breadcrumbs. This breadcrumb mixture covers the dough and then is backed in the oven, and “Voila,” you’ve got the true Sicilian Pizza known to Sicilians and Sicilian-Americans alike as Sfingione. 

Very made a great version of Sfingione, and I’d get a piece of it every week for the 11 years before I moved over to the west side in Greenwich Village. Saturdays was a very special day at La Focacceria as that the day that all the old guys who grew up in this neighborhood, but later bought homes outside of Manhattan, Saturday was the day many of these guys would take a ride into the hood to get a Vastedde, see Vinny and habg out with old friends, one coming from Staten Island, one from Brooklyn, one from Jersey, etc., etc., and they’d all meat up at Vinny’s for a nice lunch together and remember their old times in this old Sicilian Neighborhood.

Boy did I love Vinny’s. There was nothing like those Vastedde and Vinny making them. Vinny had a special stattion at a counter up front of the place where he cut the cooked Beef Spleen, fry it in lard, cut the bun, cut some Cacciocavallo, he’d lay the spleen on the bun, add some Ricotta, and sprinkle the cut Cacciocavallo Cheese over the top. Yumm! And I’d have a little chat with Vinny as he made my Vastedde right before my eyes. When i ordered it, all I had to say to Vinny, was, “One with everything.” That meant everything; the spleen, Ricotta and Cacciocavallo. Some people would order them minus the spleen. Why? Amateurs.

Sadly, Vinny closed his Foccaceria a few years ago. it was a sad day for me, no more Vinny, no more La Foccaceria, no more Vastedde.

Ode to La Foccaceria

Ode to My Pal Vinny

Ode to My Beloved Vasteddi

I Will Miss You All So

 

Daniel Bellino-Zwicke





La VASTEDDA

A Beef Spleen Ricotta & Caciocavalo Cheese Sandwich

This Sicilian Specialty from Palermo is called Pane Muesa

in Palermo (Palermitana Dialect). It is also called Pane Milza

Both names translate to Bread and Spleen.

In Bew York, Sicilian New Yorkers named these sandwiches after the Bread,

thus the name Vastedda (Singular), and Vasteddi for mor than one Sandwich.





SFINCIONE

This is real SICILIAN PIZZA. Vinny made it on Thursdays and Saturdays and all the guys that used to live in the neighborhood but bought homes in Brooklyn, Staten Island or where ever, they’d come in to La Focacceria every Saturday for a VASTEDDA and some SFINCIONE and ARANCINI. It was quite a place.







"One of the Saddest days of my life"

...  Author Daniel Bellino Zwicke, on the closing of La Focacceria ...





The following is from The New York Times, 1996


When the authors reviewed LA FOCACCERIA, a bright little restaurant, it was already 50 years old, having opened in 1914. It has moved from its old address, 195 First Avenue, but judging from the old review, not much else has changed.

One of its unusual specialties is still the vasteddi ($1.50), described in the book as ''a bizarre Sicilian sandwich.'' It is made of slices of calf's spleen, layered with ricotta cheese and shavings of Parmesan and served on a little bun. The authors describe it as ''mild and quite tasty,'' which holds true.

The words al dente may never have been uttered here, and wine is poured from big jugs into carafes. The regulars look as if they have been coming here for years, and food is plentiful and cheap.

A bowl of white bean, pasta and pumpkin soup ($2.95) is earthy and filling. Fusilli is overcooked, but comes in a tomato sauce with slivers of pork subtly flavored with garlic ($6.50). Veal stew ($7.95), tender chunks of veal with potatoes and beans in a simple gravy, is excellent.

Monday, February 13, 2023

Congradulations to NEW YORK ITALIAN Instagram Friends

 



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"CONGRADULATIONS" !!!


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Sunday, January 29, 2023

New York Italian Instagram Food Pizza Pasta Recipes

 




SOPHIA YVONN & GINA

LOREN DeCARLO LOLLOBIGIDA


OUR FAVORIT INSTAGRAM PAGE !!!






Have You Checked Out NEW YORK.ITALIAN




You will find lots of Great Stuff on @NewYokr.Italian . It's our favorite Instagrame Feed of All, and for good reason. They have the Most AMAZING Content. Some instagram pages have the same old thing posted over and over again. Not NewYork.Italian ... Their content is amazing ! It's interesting and will captivate you. It will inspire and teach you knew things, mostly based around Italian Food, Restaurants, Cooking, Socilaizing, Eating, Travel (to Italy & ?), Music, Italian Actors and Italian Themed Movies, Italian Language Lessons, and everyday life of Italian peoples in New York, Italy and all over America. You will absolutely love getting your daily dose of @NewYork.Italian.

You get Sinatra, Pacino, movies by Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola, famous Italian past and present, in Italy and America. You get wonderful music from Enio Morricone, Sophia Loren singing Tu Vuo fa Americano, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett and more, but most of all, the Foloeres of NewYork.Italian Love the post of Italian Nonnas from New York, New Jersey, Italy and ? And you will too. The Italian Nonnas of NewYork.Italian are the Best & Beautiful Most Loved ,  in the World. You will adore them. Nonnas like Nonna Pina, Nonna Gina, and the most beloved Nonna of them all Nonna Pia of New Jersey, who cooks lots of Great Italian Dishes that people love. But most of all, they Love Nonna Pia herself, and you will too. She's a Star.






NONNA PIA

Nonna Piza Making Little Meatballs

For Italian Wedding Soup Recipe







CLEMENZA PACINO SINATRA & ISCHIA

Italian Cookbook author Daniel Bellino Z. The Guy
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In ITALY





See GREAT ITALIAN MOVIE Clips

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Wednesday, January 25, 2023

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AUTHOR PAGE AMAZON.com


Monday, January 16, 2023

The Truth about JOES PIZZA NYC

 

The TRUTH ABOUT JOE'S PIZZA ?

I'm Sorry to day, "IT'S NOT VERY GOOD"

What it is, Is the Most Overated Pizza in New York ?

Joe's Pizza, Carmine Street



JOE'S PIZZA

Greenwich Village, New York

"NOT VERY GOOD"



Despite what you might have heard, Joe's Pizza of Carmine Street is not very good. In fact the pizza is quite "Mediocre" and of just moderate quality. I have felt this for ary long time, every since I moved to New York City 39 years ago. How Joe's Pizza gets rated by many as one of if not the best slice of pizza in New York is beyond me. I just don't get it.  It's not that very the pizza is very good and you could debate of the numerous slices of Pizza in New York City, which of the Top Rated Pizzerias has the best pizza. The Pizza at Joe's is not in the same league as the top eselon Pizza Parlars in New York City. "Not even close. The Pizza at Joe's is merely sub-par, and I would surmise that the only reason that Joe's is rated so highly amongst the media, is for the reason that is often the case, the people writing for magazines and newspapers on food, often are not really qualified to be writing about food, and are put into improtant positions simply because they are writers, and they go along with the crowd ( general public & other writers), simply because it's the easy way out, the can write the piece, though it may be very inaccurate of the facts, as in the case with writers writing that Joe's Pizza is one of the best in the city, and that the Pizza at Joe's is good, it's just not true.

Though I don't really like Joe's Pizza, and never have thought highly of it, I have eaten it numerous times over the past 30 years or so, simply because I have a good friend who likes it, as well as my cosuin, and I'd end up in Joe's many times, eating the pizza, simply because I was along for the ride. Some times it was OK, but it never knocked my socks off. "Never."

I live just one block from Joe's, and for years there was a great Pizzeria called Pizza Box on Bleecker Street, less than two blocks away from Joe's, and that's were I always went to get a slice or two. The pizza at Pizza Box was "Excellent" and that was the Pizza and Pizzeria that made the Best Pizza in the area, and "Not Joe's" And Pizza Box should have been getting all the high praise from magazines and local newspapers, Not Joe's. But they didn't. The under-qualified writers who wrote great things about Joe's, never wrote anything about Pizza Box, as these writers were followers, and went along with everyon else. People who really knew pizza, and lived in the neighborhood, they all went to Pizza Box. And besides having Superior Pizza, Pizza Box was a much nicer pizzeria physically. They had tables that you could sit in, unlike Joe's, which I always hated that you couldn't sit down, and relax while eating your slice. Not good (Joe's) at all. And the Pizza Box had a beautiful garden in the back, where you could enjoy your pizza as well. And for those who love Beer, Pizza Box sold beer as well, and they made great Meatball Parm Sandwiches, and the oner Julio was a real nice man. I

I really miss Pizza Box, a place that made superior pizz than Joe's. Though the Pizza Box is gone, there is an alternative in the neaighborhood, for tasty pizza. Pizza that is superior to Joe's pizza. The place is Artichoke Pizza on Macdougal Street, just one block from Joe's Pizza, and the pizza at Artichoke Pizza is so "much better" than Joe's it isn't even funny. And I'm not talking about the Artichoke Pizza slice that made Artichoke Pizzeria famous, but the regular Cheese Slice, also known as Pizza Margherita. The regular cheese slice at Artichoke Pizza is one of the Best Slices of Pizza in town. And not only is the pizza at Joe's not very good, but it's quite "Expensive" at $4 a slice for just average pizza. "A complete and total Rip-Off" !!!

The regular Cheese Slice at Artichoke, may be $5 a slice, but it's gigantic, almost twice the size of a regular slice anywhere else, including Joe's. And the regular slice is "oh so Tasty" you will absolutely Love it, unlike Joe's, which you will only love, if you're a Followerm and don't know good pizza if it smacks you in the face, then you probably like Joe's.

Again, in the last 2 months, the Pizza we got at Joe's reconfirmed just how mediocre and lackluster this grossly overated Pizza truly is. Again, my cousin Joe who loves it, brought me there again. We were out having dinner and celebrating my cousin Eddie 25ht Birhtday. Then we hung out at Harry's downtown drinking wine, and it was getting late and the restaurant was closing. As usual, cousin Joe wanted to go get a couple slices of Pizza, before going home. So 6 of us went over there, and our friend Max ordered a couple Cheese Pies. We got them, and started eating, and I've never seen cousin Joe get so mad. He held up the Pizza, and said in disgust, "It's friggin burnt! It Sucks"! I kid you not. Those were his exact words, and I agreed, ans d so did our other 4 friends as well. They were all apalled at how terribly BAd the Pizza was. I was not surprised. I've said for years, that Joe's Pizza was grossly overated and that I never cared for it, and for my local Pizza, I always went to the Pizza Box and theri excellent pizza, and nver to Joe's by choice unless someone dragged me over there.
 
OK, so two months later. Yesterday in fact, I decided to go to Joe's and get a slice, as I was making a video about having a Bleecker Street Double Header, of getting a slice of Pizza, and then a Cannoli at Rocco's . And so I did, and I brought them home to my aprtment a block away. I put on some Sinatra and sat down and ate the Pizza from Joe's, and guess what? Yes, "It Sucked!" Not very good, and I wasn't happy, having such bad pizza that cost me a Whopping $4 for the slice. Well, o doubt I was not surprised that it wasn't tasty at all, but aweful. Oh well. Then I opened the box with the Cannoli from Rocco's Italian Pastry Shop on Bleecker. It looked damn good. And guess what? It was. Damn good that it. I wasn't happy when I bought it and it had gone up to a whopping $5 ... Much too high in my opinion, when 12 years ago they cost $1.50, increasing more than 3 times in price since then. My salary hadn't increased more than 3 times, probably just about 10% ... Thus my feelings that the price of the Cannolo was way to high, and for that reason I don't buy them as often as I used to. I wasn't happy when they went up to $3.50 for one measly Cannolo,but what was I to do.

I picked up the Cannolo, and ate it. And damn, it was delisious. Expensive, but tasty, unlike the slice of mediocre Joe's Pizza. So? Well, even though both of those items are now highly over-priced, at least the Cannolo was tasty. It was good, and so I didn't feel ripped-off as I did with the terrible slice of Pizza. What could I say?

Well, I've given you the facts on Joe's mediocre pizza, and the much better option for a true tasty slice of New York Pizza at Artichoke Pizza on Macdougal Street. Now, the decision where you go is your. Mediocre Pizza or one of the Best in Town? You decide which pizza you'd rather eat.


DBZ



PS ... La Lanterna on Macdougal Street is an unknown gem, that makes some of the Best Pizza in New York, and it's pretty much unknown,. It's not a Pizzeria, but a nice modest restaurant / caffe/ wine bar, that has an extensive Wine List of reasonably priced wine, awesome Lasagna, Salads, and sone of the Best Pizza in Town. I Highly reccomend it, if you're looking for some great Pizza, and a cool relaxed place to drink some wine, and get your self some of New York's tastiest pizza in town.

Suggested :  The Pizza with Gorgonzola, Walnuts & Prosciutto is out of this World delicious.

We Love the Potato Onion Pizza and the Margherita, or Margherita with Sausage are all outstanding.




LOOKING FOR GREAT PIZZA

"FORGET JOE'S"

Make Your Way to ARTICHOKE BASILE PIZZA



ARTICHOKE BASILE PIZZA

Macdougal Street, Greenwich Village

NY NY




THSI PIZZA is AMAZING !



The PIZZA MATGHERITA at ARTICHOKE PIZZA

"It's So GOOD" !!!

SUPERIOR to a SLICE at JOE'S a block away on Carmine Street

GREENWICH VILLAGE

NEW YORK NY






ARTICHOKE PIZZA made with ARTICHOKES

In CREAM SAUCE
 is the THING that MADE ARTICHOKE BASILE PIZZA FAMOUS



I myself, and most people who really know great Pizza really do not care for
this particular type of Pizza created by cousins Fracis Garcia and Sal Basile.
Their Artichoke Pizza is very popular with the general public, who seem to
just Love it. We don't, but we absolutely LovAnd if youe their regular slice 
Margherita Pizza. It's oustanding, with wonderful Tomato Taste with one of
the Best Sauces on Any Pizza in New York, along, with grated Grana Padana
Cheese, olive oil, and Fresh Basil, this pizza taste "Oh so Good" !!! And if 
you give it a try, and compare it to Joe's Pizza's medicore Slice, you are sure
to Forget Joe's, and find yourself making the trip to Artichoke Pizza, whether
you live in the neighborhood, as I'm so lucky to live, or you are traveling from
futher afield, you sure to Swith from going to Joe's, to opting for a superior
slice of Pizza at Artichoke Basile Pizza instead. Nuff said.

"Be smart and go to Atichoke"







The Creators of ARTICHOKE PIZZA

STATEN ISLAND COUSINS

Francis Garcia & Sal Basile












Sunday, January 8, 2023

The Day RONZONI PASTINA Died

 




RONZONI PASTINA

RIP




Stock up on your starry pasta while you can.

Pasta brand Ronzoni has announced that the company is discontinuing its pastina product, a tiny star-shaped pasta. Ronzoni, a subsidiary of Post Holdings, made what some see as a tragic announcement in an Instagram post on Tuesday.

“We hear you and greatly appreciate your love for Ronzoni Pastina,” wrote the company in the post. “After extensive efforts, we regretfully announce that Ronzoni pastina is being discontinued. This wasn’t a decision that we wanted to make.”

The company attributed the decision to a “long-term supplier” that announced it would no longer be able to make Ronzoni pastina starting in January 2023.

“We searched extensively for an alternative solution but were unable to identify a viable option to make Pastina in the same beloved small shape, size and standards you have come to expect from Ronzoni,” the company went on. “As a result, we had to make the difficult decision to discontinue this product.”

Pastina is the smallest shape that Ronzoni sells, according to the brand’s website. The petite, five-pointed stars are typically cooked in soups with cheese and eggs. One 12-ounce box of Ronzoni pastina retails for $1.69 on Stop and Shop’s website.

Online, fans reacted to Ronzoni’s surprise announcement with shock and outrage.

“Who’s the long term supplier?” wrote TikTok creator and musician Nick Tangorra in a comment on Ronzoni’s Instagram. “I just wanna talk.”

Others shared nostalgic stories about eating pastina as a child, or recalled pastina soups lovingly cooked by grandparents.





RONZONI

PASTINA  No. 155



“I am devastated,” wrote Long-Island based writer Michele Catalano on Twitter on Thursday. “Pastina with milk and butter is my comfort food. Nothing feels like home, safety, warmth, and comfort like eating a bowl of pastina when you’re sad.”

Some users even tagged one of Ronzoni’s competitors, Barilla, which sells its own pastina products.

“We appreciate your loyalty to us,” replied Barilla from its verified Twitter account.

A petition for the company to reverse course on discontinuing the product had gathered over 2,000 signatures as of Friday morning.







SUNDAY SAUCE

READ "ME & MY PASTINA"

SUNDAY SAUCE RECIPE

And MORE ... 







.