Coffee Bars « Radicchioblog

Genuinely Italian Lecture Series At NYU’s Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo’

April 27, 2010

Food is a topic that is on everyone’s mind and these days what is genuine Italian is a hot topic. This evening, three owners of Italian Specialty shops in New York city will share their secrets and talk about smart shopping. The lecture is part of a series of six educational lectures organized by Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo’ and the Gruppo Ristoratori Italiani.

The panel includes Lou DiPalo of Dipalo’s Fine Foods whose family originally hails from Basilicata. DiPalo’s family opened its first shop in 1910. Today’s store is much larger than any of its previous incarnations and Lou’s son has opened his own wine shop next door.

The second guest at the lecture will be Louis Coluccio Jr of DColuccio & Sons in Brooklyn. Louis Jr. is very entertaining and passionate about food, especially those that his family has been importing for decades.

The third speak is Antonio Magliulo of Buonitalia in the Chelsea Market. Buonitalia is very well known in New York restaurant circles and many order directly from his wholesale business. There is also a lovely cafe’ within the premises and many consider it to have some of the best espresso in New York. All told, the evening should be exciting with tidbits and new information. I’m looking forward to going.

-Susannah Gold

8 Comments | Cheeses, Coffee Bars, Cooking, Cured Meats, Dining, Events, Fresh Pasta, Fruits, Grains, Ingredients, Restaurants, Uncategorized | Tagged: Anthony Magliulo, Buonitalia, Coluccio & Sons, Dipalo's, Gruppo Ristoratori Italiani, lectures on food, Lou DiPaolo, Louis Coluccio Jr., NYU Casa Italiana, Zerilli Marimo' | Permalink
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Espresso Bars Abound in New York City but Traditional Italian Espresso Remains a Rarity

June 23, 2009

The Espresso Bar used to be a foreign concept in the United States. While that is no longer the case, it still is rather difficult is to find a good Italian espresso, the kind that brings you back the next day for more. The problem is usually that the coffee is too bitter, the portion size is wrong and often there is much too much milk in the espresso macchiato. This doesn’t even begin to touch on another problem, the cost of an espresso in America which hovers around $2 and $2.50 for an Espresso Macchiato.

Italians all agree on very few things but the uniformity of their views on New York’s espresso scene is quite remarkable. Most Italians go to Sant Ambroeus, Via Quadronno, Tarallucci e Vino and Buon Italia. Are these the only bars in town then, one could legitimately ask? The answer is not by a long shot. What is amazing though is that top New York newspapers cite the city’s best espresso bars without ever mentioning one owned or run by Italians.

On the last count there were more than 30 espresso bars in New York City. While the Italians may prefer only a few spots, the rest of the coffee drinking population has decided to embrace espresso-based drinks: cappuccino, espresso latte, mocha and café au lait offered at a variety of locations. Many of the bars have plans to expand in the coming months or have just recently opened a new branch of their store.

Truth be told, there is a difference in the taste of the coffee and in the ambiance in the different bars. They can be divided into three distinct groups: espresso bars run by Italians or with an Italian barista, espresso bars run by non-Americans from countries with a strong café culture, and espresso bars run by Americans or third wave espresso bars whose roots tend to come from the US coffee heaven – Seattle, not Italy.

Whatever your personal preference, espresso bars, it seems, are a permanent fixture on the New York scene to the joy of many happy consumers.

1 Comment | Coffee Bars, Restaurants | Tagged: Buon Italia, Espresso Bars in NYC, Italian Espresso Bars, Sant Ambroeus, Seattle Coffee, Tarallucci e Vino, Via Quadronno | Permalink
Posted by radicchioblog

Alta Cucina Society

Corte Visconti and Risotto with a Count in Lombardy November 29, 2011

Once upon a time....In a remote area of Italy's Lombardy region, there lives a count, Edoardo Visconti di Modrone, whose family's noble history dates back to the 1300s.

New Authentic Italian Bar and Cafe' opens in Midtown Manhattan November 22, 2011

LESPRESSO BAR is now open at Alta Cucina Epicurean Center in Midtown Manhattan in New York City.

L'Espresso Bar at Alta Cucina Epicurean Center now open for breakfast and lunch November 19, 2011

L'ESPRESSO BAR is now open at Alta Cucina Epicurean Center in Midtown Manhattan, serving breakfast, lunch and afternoon coffee, tea and pastries.

December 12 - Hands On Cooking Class and Dinner - from 6.30 to 10.00 p.m. October 28, 2011

Porsena, Sarah Jenkins' Pasta Restaurant in New York October 15, 2011

It's clearly meant to honor the many ways she learned to prepare pasta, when Sarah Jenkins's year old East Village eatery bills itself as, "Porsena, a Pasta Restaurant". I first encountered Chef Jenkins promising style of cooking several years ago at the Northern Italian trattoria, I Coppi, two blocks to the north.