Exploring Arthur Avenue

As soon as you walk into Madonia Brothers Bakery, the smell of freshly baked goods takes over your senses and suddenly you're in the difficult position of obsessing over what to buy. The family-run Sicilian bakery has been operating since 1918 and has been churning out variety breads, biscotti, cookies and piped-to-order cannolis since then. We love their loaves of bread, which include ingredients like Spinach and Cheese, Jalapeno, and Prosciutto--but our favorite (and everyone else's favorite) is the Olive Bread!

While the vibe in 'the real Little Italy' is decidedly old-school with tons of decades-old family-run businesses that give the street its charm, Prince's Coffee House is a newcomer--it opened in 2016 and has become quite a popular destination, serving Prince Espresso and Devolli Turkish Coffee brands that are roasted in Kosovo. Even more delightful than the coffee is their homebaked pastries, like poppy seed cake, berry cheesecake, gusto bianco, etc. You can’t beat the atmosphere, either -- friendly staff, unique and artistic decor, and popular music hits playing in the background.  

Modeled after a classic European market, the Arthur Avenue Retail Market is one of the closest approximations of an Italian bazaar in the US. With 10 merchants under one roof, the vendors offer Italian foods, bakery items, dry goods, fresh produce and even garden needs! It is also home to The Bronx Beer Hall, La Casa Grande Cigars, Peter's Meat Market and Mike’s Deli -- which was recently featured on the hit TV show "Throwdown" with Bobby Flay.

Locals know that the best Italian pastry shops in NYC are on Arthur Avenue. Morrone Pastry Shop & Cafe is one of the Avenue's best of the best, offering over 140 different selections--including traditional and modern pastries, cookies, biscotti and cakes. We recommend stopping by for dessert after a delicious Italian meal from one of the restaurants on the street!  

Finally! An authentic Italian dinner! Chef Roberto Paciullo, native of Salerno, Italy opened Trattoria Zero Otto Nove in 2008, named after his hometown's telephone area code (089). Chef Paciullo uses local products, makes his own fresh pasta and purees his own fresh tomatoes by hand -- no mass produced goods here! While they serve belly-busting portions of southern Italian fare, the trattoria specializes in Naples-style pizza, offering 14 tasty options.