Arthur Avenue: old world charm and good food
Five years ago Brooklyn experienced a coalescence of food artisans that made it a destination hotspot for foodies and chefs. Today spirits, micro-beer, kombucha, lacto-fermented pickles, cured and smoked meats, cheeses and breads are a few of the hand crafted foods and beverages that are Brooklyn-made. But, while many of Brooklyn’s food artisans have called upon old methods and techniques to make high quality products that would meet the approval and respect of old world artisans, there is an absence of history and the passing on of skills and knowledge that comes with generations of families.
Arthur Avenue in the Fordham section of the Bronx is a different story. In many ways the iconic four block section of Belmont still remains the “Little Italy” of the Bronx. Upscale and red tablecloth restaurants, pizzerias, bakeries, and fish markets on Arthur Avenue have been around for decades, through generations of mom and pop owners who have passed the business on to their children.
The largest symbol of the multi-generational commerce on Arthur Avenue is the indoor open market that takes up a square block between Arthur and Hughes avenues. Here butchers, bakeries, cafes, and produce vendors exchange goods with customers across dozens of counters seven days a week.
Unlike Bourbon Street in New Orleans, where tourists flock to buy overpriced drinks and mediocre Cajun food, Arthur Avenue remains true to its character and flavors, almost a century after its own coalescence. There are bakeries where the bread is leavened with eighty year old sourdough starter; delis where you can still get a mortadella sandwich; and shops where you can buy smoked meats, aged cheeses and pickled vegetables – like the Calabria Pork Store, where the ceiling is adorned with rows and rows of hanging dry aged sausage.
The Calabria Pork Store sells soppresatta (dry aged salame), aged hot and sweet Italian sausage, prosciutto (dry cured ham), capicollo (salame made from dry cured pork shoulder), pancetta (salt cured pork belly), fresh mozzarella, smoked mozzarella, black and green olives, pickled vegetables, and imported pasta and olive oil.
