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

radicchioblog — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:00:12 +0000

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

Filed under: 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'

Espresso Bars Abound in New York City but Traditional Italian Espresso Remains a Rarity

radicchioblog — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:25:17 +0000

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.

Posted in Coffee Bars, Restaurants Tagged: Buon Italia, Espresso Bars in NYC, Italian Espresso Bars, Sant Ambroeus, Seattle Coffee, Tarallucci e Vino, Via Quadronno

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

Espresso Bars Abound in New York City but Traditional Italian Espresso Remains a Rarity