Little Italy isn’t exactly what it used to be. When walking down the streets, no one will find age old Italian families sitting on their stoops or playing in the street, one will actually be hardpressed to find some Italian families. While Little Italy used to consist of Italian-American residents actually living in the area, it has now been consumed almost entirely by Chinatown, which borders it. As a matter of fact, when walking out of the subway station (which should have thrown us immediately into Little Italy) I found myself staring at an awning with a gigantic dragon and the words Little Chinatown. Now instead of being some ethnic neighborhood, Little Italy is essentially just a strip of Italian restaurants lining the streets of Manhattan. You can’t walk two feet without a man stepping in front of you inviting you inside for his lunch special. This is not to say, of course, that it is lacking any artistic value. It just consists of it’s own unique art. The art there is different, but still inspires emotion. When I listen to Luciano Pavarotti belt out Vesti La Giubba, I am brought to tears. When I gaze upon the Mona Lisa, I am struck with awe. But none of these feelings amount to the swell of emotions I felt when I brought the first bite of Palermo’s brownie cheesecake to my mouth.
I mean, don’t you want to just die looking at it?
The rich ricotta flavor, the smooth creamy texture, the dense chocolate brownie, all carefullly constructed and beautifully placed on my dish. John Delucra (owner and founder of Café Palermo) imports all of his cakes in from Italy daily (that’s right-straight from Italy!) and to me, this slice was the truest piece of art.
When we asked around, a lot of people found themselves at a loss as to where we can find any particular piece of art, but to me, there was art on every corner. Cuisine is just as artistic as any other venue, and it was all round us.
To create a piece of cheesecake such as the one I consumed, it takes skill, craftsmanship, and extreme culinary talent. The eggs must be beaten in a delicate manner, the sugar blended with the butter just right. Every step takes careful thought and intense deliberation. One artist may wield his paintbrush, another grips in his hand his wooden spoon.
In this manner, Little Italy is riddled with the arts.
Giovanni’s, Angelo’s, Sal’s, La Nonna, Cafe Palermo; these are just a few of the restaurants that one encounters. Each one brings something different to the table, each place has a different piece that is it’s distinct artwork, and each one as good as a museum as far as exhibiting art goes. Whether they have the best cannoli, the best marinara sauce, the best clams (for a directory of which restaurant to go to for each of these, please consult our video), each one has its claim to fame, i.e; the dish that they create with the utmost artistic abilities.
While Little Italy isn’t too immersed in any street art or performances, it is still the best source of Italian cuisine. If you approach a random passerby on the street and say “Where’s the best place to get lunch around here?” they will hesitate, fumble for words for a second, then each one will have a different answer. And everyone will be right.
So if you want a place to view gorgeous pictures, listen to amazing sonatas and watch mesmerizing shows, Little Italy may not be the place to go. But if you want to tantalize your tastebuds, and stimulate your mind through a blend of ingredients, it is the place to go. Maybe I’ll see you there, I know for one that I will be going back for that cheesecake pretty soon…
