Faicco’s Italian Pork Store – Greenwich Village New York Italian Deli

 


FAICCO’S

by GREENWICH VILLAGE Artist ELLEN BRADSHAW


EllenBradshaw.com



Faicco’s Pork Store has been open since 1900.

The 120-year-old butcher shop started out on Elizabeth Street and then was at 152-154 Thompson (photo), for 40 years, before moving to 260 Bleecker in 1951, when the family bought the current building.

The building of the 1911-1951 store (photo) is now at the corner of Houston and Thompson. The buildings on the left were demolished for IND subway construction.
In 1896, founder Eduardo Faicco (1858 – Jan 3, 1934) immigrated from Sorrento (near Naples), where he raised livestock and learned butchering.
In America, he started out in a livery and carting business, delivering bananas and watermelons by horse and buggy, over plank roads in New Jersey. He was listed by Dun and Bradstreet in 1890. He married Anna (born 1861) in 1882. They had 10 children.
Living in the Lower East Side, one day in 1900, family lore has Eduardo finding a wooden splinter in a sausage from a local shop. He was furious and got into argument with the owner. That motivated to him to launch his own sausage shop on Elizabeth Street to run that guy out of business (which he supposedly did), without knowing anything about sausage making.

His son Joseph Faicco (born 1892) opened a larger store in Dyker Heights (Brooklyn) in 1943. He and wife Marta (born 1903) had 4 daughters (Anna, Clara, Julia, Sylvia) and 2 younger sons Joseph M. (Dec 18, 1935-May 5, 2001) and Edward Joseph (Jul 28, 1934 – Feb 24, 2002) at 358 Bay Ridge Ave. Edward later took over the Brooklyn store, helped by his kids Eddie, Louis, and Matthew who took over in the 1980s.
Joseph Sr helped buy the store at Bleecker and 1951, and later Joseph Jr took over the Bleecker store.

Eduardo’s granddaughter Ann.Faicco, at 26, got noted as “New York’s only lady butcher” by James Beard in 1973 at the Bleecker store. She worked side by side with brothers Edward and late brother Tom, working 12-hour days, preparing sausages. New York Times food critic Craig Claiborne would buy dried sausages, cervelat (seasoned with provolone cheese), and caul‐wrapped liver with bay leaf to go.
Ann started working after school in her teens. Her first task ever was to make fegatini (calf’s liver wrapped in caul fat with a bay leaf). She then advanced to spareribs or pork chops.
Until 1970, most customers were middle-aged or older. By 1975, customers in their 20s and 30s were regulars.. Ann advised customers on how to cook meat braciole or skin braciole (stuffed rolls of meat or pork skin lightly filled with garlic, pepper, salt, parsley and grated Romano cheese).
Sweet (Neapolitan) or spicy (Abbruzzi‐style) salamis are made and dried at the store. Joseph Jr would retire in 1996.
His nephew Eddie Faicco, son of Edward, grandson of Joseph Sr, and great grandson of Eduardo, now runs the Bleecker store as a 4th generation owner, offering Italian sandwiches and Soppressata. He started working at the family store from ages 8-9.

“Faicco’s Pork Store” sold meat and groceries. Eddie changed it to “Faicco’s Italian Specialties” in 1999 to sell prepared foods like Italian sandwiches, lasagna, baked ziti, eggplant parmesan, and rice balls (arancini) in the back of the store in a small kitchen, using family recipes. The family tomato sauce recipe has been used for 35+ years. The sausage and broccoli rabe sandwich became popular as well as the chicken parm with homemade mozzarella.
Salamis no longer hang over the counter. The 2nd floor has a temperature-controlled curing room. Daughter Jillian Faicco, now 18, became the 5th Generation to work at Faicco’s, on weekends.
His brothers Louis and Matthew continued working at the 6511 11th Ave store in Brooklyn, still open today. .






READ About FAICCO’S
In SUNDAY SAUCE !

SUNDAY SAUCE

alla BELLINO alla PACINO
AMAZON.com


Ginos Secret Sauce and Sinatra Pasta – Gino’s of Lexington Avenue Italian Restaurant Pasta with Salsa Segreta



A Waiter at GINO’S

“You’ve got to get Pasta Segrete”



   Segreto?
It’s secret
in Italian. I got the idea for the book one day, well not the idea, but
inspiration I’d say. I was thinking about one of our all time favorites
restaurant, the food, the ambiance and all the fun we’d had there over the
years. Many wonderful meals with family and friend, no foes. Dinners with
Cousin Joe, Sister Barbara, Brother Michael, and Jimmy. Oh, the food was
wonderful, all the great Italian Classics of good old Italian-American Red
Sauce Joints of which this one, was one of the best. The classics, like: Baked
Clams, Stuffed Artichokes, Spaghetti & Meatballs, Linguine with Clam Sauce,
Chicken Parmigiano, Veal Marsala & Milanese, Chicken Cacctiatore, Ossobuco,
Cannolis, Spumoni, and-on-and-on. I think you get the picture. Lots of good,
affordable Italian Wine, the affable waiter, the phone booth, and the Zebra
Wall Paper. If you were a regular their, from the last sentence, you the place
I’m talking about. Yes Gino’s! Our beloved Gino’s of Lexington Avenue. Sadly
they closed a few years ago. But we still have the memories of so many festive
meals. Happy times, good eats.
  I discovered the wonders of Gino’s and first
brought my cousin Joe there in 1999. The place was thrilling in that, when you
walked in, you felt you were in the perfect place. Gino’s is charged with
energy by its wonderful clientele, well-healed regulars who have been going
there for years, they know the Maitre’d, the waiters and other customers, and
likewise the waiters, bartender, and maitre’d know them. The first time you walk
in, you feel that, and want to be a part of it. We did. Back then, Joe and I
used to go out to eat together all the time, at least once a week. Joe knew
about food, but not to the extent that I did. Joe would come in every week or
so, and his driver would drive us around town. He’d pick me up early evening
for a night of feasting and good times. We’d often eat at a couple different
place. We’d have our main dinner and maybe a little bite to eat when we first
went for cocktails to start the night off. As I said, Joe loved eating, and
knew quite a bit, but as much as he knew, it wasn’t a third of what I knew
about food, wine, and restaurants, and especially the restaurant, bar, and
night club scene in New York. I was teaching Joe the ropes, so-to-speak, and Joe
was an eager student. We had quite a lot of fun those few years, with dinners
at Gino’s, Elio’s (Mondays for Lasagna), Da Silvanos’s, Bar Pitti, The Waverly
Inn, Minetta Tavern, cocktails at Pegu and Temple Bar, and way too many other
places to name right here. We did New York, we did it all!
   Back to Gino’s. So I had passed by Gino’s any
number of times, but never went in to check it out. I was a downtown-er, and
that’s where we did most of our eating, with an occasional trip midtown or
other local if a place peaked our interest. So I did finally walk into Gino’s
one day. I had to check it out. When I did, as I’ve already said, I walked in
the door and immediately felt the energy of the place. Gino’s was packed, full
of life and vibrant, and I knew I wanted to be there. I didn’t eat there right
then and there, I was scouting the place out, but I knew I would be back. So I
called Joe up and told him all about the place. It sounded great to Joe, this
type of place was right up his alley, as it was mine. So Joe said yes, let’s
check it out on our next night out.
   Our first ever trip to Gino’s was a few
nights later. Joe packed me up at my place in Greenwich Village. I got in the
car, as usual, we had a little discussion on what we’d be doing. We mapped out the
night of eating and drinking, good times. We talked and decided to head over to
Otto Enoteca for a bottle of wine and some Salumi before heading up town to
Gino’s and our main dinner of the night. Joe loved Otto, and I was a fan too,
so we headed to Otto.
    Well, we went to Otto, drank a little wine,
had some Testa, Mortadella, and Prosciutto, and it was on to Gino’s. Back in
the car, and Ziggy (our driver) drove us up to Lexington Avenue, across the
street from Bloomingdale’s to Gino’s. We were excited as we walked up to the
restaurant and through the door. The place was packed and super-charged. We
loved it. The Maitre’d greeted us with the first of many warm welcomes. We were
in like Flynn. We sat down at a nice table in the middle of the restaurant. We
were happy campers. As happy as can be, for we sensed a wonderful meal ahead.
Our hunch would turn out to be just right. A waiter came to our table, greeted
us a warm welcome, gave us a wine list and menus, and asked what type of water
we wanted. As always, we got a bottle of flat water. Joe gave me the wine list
as he usually does and told me to pick something out. I looked over the
reasonably priced list and picked out a tried and true wine from my good friend
Luigi Capellini in Greve. The wine, a bottle of Verrazzano Chianti Classico.
The waiter went to get the wine, and Joe and I looked over the menu. We were
happy to see a great old school Italian menu. The Red Sauce kind of a good old
classic Italian-American joint, of which there used to be many, but at this
point of time, far fewer. They had; Shrimp Cocktail, Baked Clams, Hot
Antipasto, Clams Posillipo, Spaghetti Vongole, Lasagna, Canneloni, Veal Parm,
Veal Milanese, Eggplant Parmigiano, Shrimp Fra Diavolo, Veal Marsala, Scampi,
and all the usual suspects. We were in heaven, and it was heard narrowing down
what to eat.
   One dish really caught our attention, and
especially Joe, who although I love my pasta, Joe had has me beat, he’s the
pasta freak. Freak in a good
way that is. The dish was Pasta Segreto (Pasta w/Secret Sauce), and us
intrigued.
    The waiter brought the bottle of Chianti,
opened it, and we were on our way. I ripped off a piece of bread and ate it.
So, we decided on the menu. We order a Shrimp Cocktail and Baked Clams
Oreganata to start. We would share these two antipasto items, then move on to
the Primi, the pasta course. We decided on, and just had to have the Pasta
Segrete, a half order each. We both love Veal Milanese (Frank Sinatra’s
favorite), and as we were having antipasto, and pasta, as well as a couple
desserts, we decided on one Veal Milanese to split for the main course, thus
leaving room for some tasty desserts we knew Gino’s would have. We talked with
the our waiter about the menu, and he agreed that we had chosen wisely, and
that one Milanese would be fine, so we could eat dessert and he’d help us pick
the two best later.
    So we drank wine, and nibble on the bread,
chatted and waited in anticipation for the antipasto to arrive. I love Shrimp
Cocktail since childhood and don’t always eat it all that much these days, so
it’s always a special treat. The Baked Clams and the Shrimp Cocktail came and
were a great way to start the meal. The wine was great. Hey it’s Castello
Verrazzano!
   So now, we were really excited. This
mysterious Pasta Segreto was about to come out. You can get the Secret Sauce with whatever Pasta you
like, Spaghetti, Raviolis, Tagiolini, Penne, Gnocchi, or Rigatoni. Joe and I
both love Rigatoni, so that’s what we went for, two half portions of Rigatoni
Segrete. Well, the waiter brought us our Pasta with Secret Sauce. Guess what!
It was outrageous, we loved it. Joe went crazy, and could stop talking about
it, and it was just a couple weeks before he’d have to go back and get another “Fix.”
Yes the Pasta with the
Secret Sauce did not disappoint. We loved it, and would be back for many more
bowls.
    We finished the Pasta, grudgingly so, as we
didn’t want the experience to end, “It was that good!” We waited a few minutes
for the Veal Milanese. It came out, and we could tell just by looking at it,
that it would be great. For those of you who might not know, Veal Milanese is
one of Italy’s most famous a classic of all dishes. It’s a Veal Chop that’s
pounded thin, breaded with breadcrumbs and fried and tipped with a Salad of
Arugala and Tomato. The dish is simple, simply delicious when done right. Veal
Milanese was one of Frank Sinatra’s all-time favorite dish, along with
Spaghetti Meatballs, and Clams Posillipo. Frank used to get it often at his
favorite of all restaurants, Patsy’s of West 56th Street, just 10
blocks from Gino’s. Both old-school Italian Joints were among Frank’s
favorites. Patsy’s was Frank’s # 1 favorite, but Gino’s wasn’t far behind, and
Ol’ Blue Eyes ate there many times over the years. Anyway, the Veal Milanese was
just perfect and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Yes, life is good at times like
these.
   We finished our Veal Milanese, and it was
now time to  think about  desserts. I love sweets and so does Joe, so
he said we gotta get two. The waiter told us the Tiramisu was “The Best in
Town,” and the Cheesecake was really wonderful as well, so we went with his
suggestions. Throw in a couple cups of Espresso and some Anisette too, and we
were still in heaven.
   Needless to say, our meal was fantastic. We
loved it. We loved Gino’s and would be back for more.
    We went back to Gino’s a couple weeks
later. Joe loved the Pate Segrete and kept talking about it. He was back for
more. We loved the menu we had the last time, and pretty much went with the
same again. When we were eating the Segrete Pasta I identified the secret
ingredients. They were butter and Parmigiano, mixed into Gino’s basic tomato
sauce. Just a little butter and the grated Parmigiano does the trick for a
tasty sauce. The recipe is in the book, and don’t worry, we didn’t eat the same
thing every time we went to Gino’s. Over the years, we pretty much had every
dish on the menu, from; the Minestrone and Pasta Fagioli, Manicotti, Lasagna,
Spaghetti and Meatballs, Chicken Parmigiano, Veal Marsala and all. Specials
too! We ate it all. “And loved every minute of it.” Gino’s, we miss you so! But
great memories linger on.








Daniel Bellino Zwicke






EXCERPTED FROM :


SEGRETO ITALIANO – Secret Italian Recipes and Favorite Dishes




by Daniel Bellino Zwicke







RECIPES


GINO’S SECRET PASTA SAUCE

SECRET SALAD DRESSING

CREAMY ITALIAN

CAESER SALAD

LASAGNA

MARINARA SAUCE

JERSEY SHORE CRAB SAUCE

CU.CUZZA

SICILIAN FIG COOKIES

And More ….

SEGRETO ITALIANO Reviews

Steven S. says :

There is something very authentic about this book and the author Daniel Bellino-Zwicke. Entertainingly straight-forward and real, this cookbook has an awesome Italian American vibe throughout from cover to cover. Use this cookbook to create a dining experience that will make spectacular memories of comfort and deliciousness!

Italian and Italian-American cuisine is one of my favorites and it is just a blast trying out these rocking recipes in my own kitchen. These really are some secrets from the masters because they are uniquely wonderful – just created the Eggplant Caponata to the delight of my friends and family!

If you love Italian American food and like to cook and impress your Soprano’s fans, then pick up this book now!




Recipe  “GINO’S SECRET SAUCE”

Salsa Segreto

Outside The Old GINO RESTAURANT

Lexington Avenue

NEW YORK , NY
One block north of Bloomingdale’s famous department store. Gino Restaurant, which all the regulars called Gino’s was one of the greatest most beloved Italian Restaurants in the history of New York City. And it’s just that, part of New York City History. Sadly, we lost Gino’s nine years ago, as the restaurant sold its last plate of its famous “Pasta Segreto” in the Winter of 2010. Some of Gino’s many regulars which included the likes of Frank Sinatra were brought to tears the day Gino shut its doors. The restaurant was truly one of those much beloved places that you don’t see every day, and it’s a dam shame we lost her. All of us who ever went there have many cherished memories spent with friends and family at Gino’s. I’m sure if Frank Sinatra was still alive, he’d tell you a few stories himself. Maybe his daughters Tina and Nancy Sinatra who of course are still alive might have some memories of their father, the great Francis Albert Sinatra holding court at Gino’s. Yes we all know that Patsy’s across town from Gino’s was Frank’s favorite Italian Restaurant o f all-time, but Mr. Sinatra loved Gino’s as well, and dined there many times.

Hey Tony Bennett who is till alive, is a fan of Gino’s. Maybe he can tell us some stories. Well, best selling Italian Cookbook author Daniel Bellino Zwicke is alive and doing well, and always writing about Italian Food, restaurants, pizza, pasta, celebrities, and Italy, and he has told us a few stories of great times with friends and family; his Cousin Joe, Brother Michael, and sister Barbara, and his fond memories of eating Baked Clams, Rigatoni Segreto and Veal Milanese, which Daniel says was his typical dinner when he dined at Gino’s with Cousin Joe Macari (Macari Vineyards).
Yes Gino’s was one great restaurant, that saw the likes of Mike Wallace, Gregory Peck, Gay Talese, and Italian Bombshells Sophia Loren and  Gina Lollibrigida. The great things about Gino’s was that it was a well-rum machine, and its total mix of wonderful expertly prepared Italian Food, lively ambiance, excellent service, and cool vibrant crowd made for the most perfect mix that was Gino Restaurant. And if that wasn’t enough, the prices of the food and wine was most reasonable. This was just another added plus of this legendary New York restaurant. And the restaurant that Gino’s was, as shall tell you that the type of restaurant it was what we now call Old School Italian Red Sauce Joints. Yes, an old school Italian Red Sauce Joint, and the best old school Italian restaurant that any could ever possibly be. The same as places like John’s of 12th Street, Monte’s Trattoria in Greenwich Village, Rao’s, up in East Harlem, New York.  Like any Red Sauce worth its Salt, Gino’s had great Red Sauce of course, with items like, Baked Clams, Spaghetti Meatballs, Manicotti, Lasagna, Veal and Chicken Parm, and Frank Sinatra’s favorites; Clams Posillipo and Veal Milanese.

We morn the passing of Gino Restaurant, as we morn the closing of two other great Old School Italian eateries of DeRoberti’s Italian Pastries and Lanza’s Restaurant, both of which were on 1st Avenue two doors from one-another on the block of 1st Avenue between East 10th and 11th Streets in New York’s East Village, which years ago was simply known as the Lower East Side. Luckily the other famous old Italian Eatery, “John’s of 12th Street” is alive-and-kicking after more than 110 years in business in the old Sicilian neighborhood where Mob Boss Charle’s Lucky” Luciano grew up (born in Lercara Friddi) after his family moved to East 10th Street (# 265) from Sicily.






READ MORE on GINO’S







SINATRA SAUCE

The COOKBOOK

COOK & EAT LIKE FRANK

His FAVORITE ITALIAN RECIPES
AMAZON.com





SINATRA !!! “JUST BECAUSE” !!!

FRANK SINATRA – DINNER at “JILLY’S” NYC

With Daughters TINA & NANCY SINATRA

And FRIENDS

No, it’s Not GINO’S but although FRANK Ate there Many TIMES
and it was one of his All-Time FAVORITE ITALIAN RESTAURANTS
there aren’t any pictures of him there. So we put this in. “It’s a great shot
of Frank holding courts.”











#LuckyLUCIANO PASTA

SICILIAN RECIPES










MORE  on SCALAMANDRE  

ZEBRA WALLPAPER




GINO’S CELEBRITY CLIENTELE


Frank Sinatra
Rocky Marciano
Jackie Kennedy
Aristotle Onassis
Ed Sullivan
PerryComo
Gay Talese
Tony Bennett
Gregory Peck
Gene Tierney
PELE
David Suskind
Mike Wallace
Dan Rather
Gina Lollibrigida
Sophia Loren
Nicholas Pileggi
Nora Ephron
Ralph Lauren
Mel Ott


Other Facts

GINO RESTAURANT was named after owner Gino Circiello. Gino’s partner was Guy Aventuriero. They were both born in Capri, Italy.

The tow partners Gino and Guy financed their restaurant (Gino’s) with their own money, along with help from Franco Scalamandre who owned the Scalamandre (Wallpaper and Fabrics).

The famous Zebra wallpaper was designed by Flora Scalamandre.

Gino’s most famous dish was Pasta with Salsa Segreto (Secret Sauce)



GINO’S BAR

And ZEBRA WALLPAPER





YELP Review of GINO’S by Author Daniel-Bellino-Zwicke.com


Dinner at GINO’S of CAPRI


NY NY



Gino Circiello is 2nd from Left

Guy Aventuriero far Right

.


People Love Sunday Sauce – by Chef Daniel Bellino

 

SUNDAY SAUCE

alla CLEMENZA

“WHEN ITALIAN-AMERICANS COOK”

by Daniel Bellino Zwicke


“PEOPLE LOVE SUNDAY SAUCE” !!!

by Daniel Bellino Zwicke
“DON’T MISS This ONE” !!!
 Don’t miss this for real Italian sauces
Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2015

Verified Purchase

My first book by this author, I quickly bought the second one-inside is many ways to
 do Sunday Sauce or as many call it around NJ her, Sunday gravy I tried one so far-it
 rocked, never tasted anything so great, spend the time to do it to the letter, enjoyed 
preparing it and cooking it and eating it, many different recipes in here to try and I 
will do just that.Besides those great recipes, the information about where the 
recipes came from made this a great read also, don’t miss this one. “Love it” !!!


SEE More AMAZON REVIEWS


Author DANIEL BELLINO ZWICLE

“CAPRI”



AMAZON Author PAGE – More BOOKS by DANIEL 
.

What is Red Sauce – Italian Cookbook author Daniel Bellino Zwicke Explains

 


“RED SAUCE”




What is Red Sauce? A question often asked. Well, there is no one sauce that is Red Sauce. When using the term “Red Sauce,” you are talking about any one of several different Italian Sauce (Italian-American), made with Tomatoes, and mostly served on and of 100 types of different pastas (Maccheroni), but not only on Maccheroni.
Red Sauce can be a Tomato Sauce, without any meat in it, just tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and fresh basil, and maybe oregano, or not. Then the other Sauce that falls into the category known as “Red Sauce,” is what is known as Sunday Sauce, Gravy, “Gravy,” or simply SAUCE. These are all Red Sauce’s. These Red Sauce’s that have meat in them might be made with tomatoes of course that have Sausages, Meatballs, and Braciole, and other meats according to what the person cooking it likes in his Sunday Sauce (Sunday Gravy, Gravy). For instance, my favorite way of making Sunday Sauce, is with Sausages, Meatballs, and Pork Spare Ribs slowly cooked in the sauce. But I don’t always make it this way, I with it up according to my mood. Sometimes I make it with Sausages, Meatballs, & Pork Ribs, while other times I might replace the Meatballs with Chicken Thighs and make my “Sauce” with  Sausages, Ribs, & Chicken Thighs. Yes, I said “Chicken thighs which taste great, slowly cooked in the Sauce. All of these sauces mention, are Red Sauces.

When making the a Sunday Sauce, I make enough to last at least 3 days, and we get a number of meals out of the one sauce. You put the time in to make the sauce, you should make it last. It take about the same time to make a small pot of sauce as it does to make one two or three times larger. It doesn’t make sense to me to make a small pot of sauce, that I will only get 1 or two meals from. I want to get a minimum of 4 meals or more out of the one pot of sauce. For example, when I make a sauce that has meatballs in it, I always want a good amount of meatballs in the sauce. We eat the Maccheroni with all the meats, the Sausages, Ribs, & Meatballs on Sunday. Monday rolls around, which is what I (Daniel Bellino Zwicke) have coined years ago, “Meatball Parm Mondays” which I wrote about in my book Sunday Sauce, way back in 2013. So, “Meatball Parm Mondays?” We Italian (Italian-American) men love our Meatball Parm Sandwiches. We make the Sunday Sauce on Sunday (sometimes Saturday), and we eat it with Maccheroni (short pasta) on Sunday. When Monday rolls around, we take the leftover Meatballs from the previous days Sunday Sauce, and we make Meatball Sandwiches for Monday’s lunch or dinner, and we are happy campers. On Tuesday, whatever is left of the Sunday Sauce, we’ll cook up some Maccheroni, and eat it with whatever is leftover from the sauce made on Sunday. Maybe it’s just tomato sauce which is left, which we dress the Maccheroni with. Maybe there’s a little meat left which is thrown on as well. Sometimes I’ll put quite a good amount of Sausages in the Sauce when I make it on Sunday, and if any sausages are left in the sauce come Tuesday, I might make a Sausage Sandwich. You see, you want to get a lot out of that one Sauce that you make on Sunday. Take my advice, and do it.
 
Red Sauce (Tomato Sauce) is the backbone of Italian-American cooking, which many dishes are made with tomato sauce. You use Red Sauce to make dishes like: Eggplant Parmigiana, Chicken Parm, Lasagna, Baked Maccheroni, Eggplant Rolatini, baked Ziti, and more.

Oh, by the way. Some Italians use the term Red Sauce, but it is more of a non Italian-American thing than an Italian-American thing. Americans who are not of Italian heritage, are the people who use this term (Red Sauce) most. Some Italian-Americans use the term, but when talking about a sauce, Italian-Americans are more prone to using the actual name of the sauce, saying, Marinara or Marinara Sauce, Tomato Sauce, Sunday Sauce, “Gravy,” or Sunday Sauce, than using the term “Red Sauce,” which is used more by non-Italian. Food writers often use the term Red Sauce when writing about what are termed Old School Italian restaurants. The term Red Sauce Joint refers to old school Italian restaurants, in which are large part of the menu items have tomato sauce (red sauce) in the dish, such as: Manicotti, Spaghetti & Meatballs, Lasagna, Eggplant Parmigiana, Ravioli, and other dishes.

Then there is the great debate, on Sunday Sauce, Sauce, Gravy, and Sunday Sauce, which are all sauces made with various meats that are slowly cooked with tomatoes. Many call it Sunday Sauce, and some call it Gravy. It all depends on what your family comes from where your origins are in Italy, and what Italian Enclave you live in in America, whether in Brooklyn, Jersey, Boston, Baltimore, or New York. What do you call it? Don’t get in a tiff over it. The most important thing to remember, is the taste of your Sunday Sauce, and the people you share it with. The Sauce must be tasty. That goes without saying. Enjoy!



Daniel Bellino Zwicke









SUNDAY SAUCE 

LEARN HOW to MAKE “RED SAUCE”

All DIFFERENT KINDS !!!
AMAZON.com


Spaghetti and Meatballs Bellino Recipe.

 

SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS alla BELLINO

Searching for “Spaghetti & Meatballs”  returns several results, but not for a specific dish or recipe with that name

. The most likely interpretations of this query are: 

A recipe by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke, a food writer who publishes Spaghetti and Meatballs recipes on his blog.
  • Daniel Bellino-Zwicke’s Spaghetti & Meatballs
Author and food blogger Daniel Bellino-Zwicke has written about Spaghetti and Meatballs on several occasions, referencing the dish in his book SUNDAY SAUCE and on his food blog. For many, the association comes from the tradition of simmering a sauce all day with different meats, including meatballs. He’s known for sharing classic Italian-American recipes rooted in Bellino Family tradition. 

“SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS – Recipe alla Bellino
MEATBALLS – Ingredients;
  • 1 lb ground beef and pork mix
  • Bellino marinara sauce
  • Bellino extra virgin olive oil
  • Bellino minced garlic
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Chopped fresh parsley
  • Spaghetti
  • Salt & ground Black Pepper 

TOMATO SAUCE – Ingredients :

6 tablespoons Olive Oil
4 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced
2 – 28 jars Tomato Passata (Puree) Mutti Brand recommended
1/4 cup fresh Basil, washed and torn into pieces
tablespoon each Salt & Black Pepper (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes


Place the olive oil and garlic in a 4-6 quart stainless steel pol. Turn flame onto low and cook garlic for 3 minutes, making sure not to burn.

Add the red pepper flakes. Add the Tomato Passata. Turn heat to high. Cook until the tomatoes start to bubble, than turn the heat down very low. Cook for 20 minutes.

Add the fresh Basil, and cook 10-15 minutes more. As the sauce cooks be sure to stir occasionally with a wooden spoon.

MEATBALLS :
  1. Prepare the Meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the ground meats, egg, breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, parsley, and a portion of the Bellino minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Roll the meatballs: Mix until just combined, then form the mixture into meatballs of your desired size.
  3. Brown the meatballs: Heat olive oil in a large pot or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs in batches and brown them on all sides. Remove them from the pan and set them aside.
  4. Once the meatballs have finished browning, put into the tomato sauce, and let simmer on a low flame for 15- 20 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through, and no longer raw in the center.
  5. Cook Spaghetti in a large pot of boing salted water according to the directions on package.
  6. Once the Spaghetti is finished cooking, drain into a colander.
  7. Place the Spaghetti back in the pot it cooked in and add 2-3 cups the Tomato Sauce to the Spaghetti. mix until the Spaghetti is coated with the sauce.
  8. Place the Spaghetti onto 4-5 plates, in equal portions. Add about 1/2 cup sauce to the top of each plate of Spaghetti.
  9. Place 2 to 3 Meatballs on each plate, and top each meatball with a bit more Tomato Sauce.
  10. Serve and Enjoy! Serve with grated Pecorino or Parmigiana Cheese on the side.
“MANGIA BENE” !!!


Recipe Excerpted from “SUNDAY SAUCE” by Daniel Bellino










SUNDAY SAUCE

SPAGHETTI MEATBALLS RECIPE

TOMATO SAUCE – MARINARA

AND MORE …
AMAZON.COM
SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS
alla BELLINO
RECIPE


America First Venetian Wine Bar – Bar Cichetti by Daniel Bellino Zwicke – New York City 1997

 BAR CICHETTI

by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke & Tom Taraci

 
BAR CIHETTI
Daniel Bellino Zwicke is widely recognized as the 

creator of Bar Cichetti, known as “America’s First Venetian Wine Bar”. It was established in 1998 by Zwicke and Tom Taraci. Daniel served as the Chef, wine director, and managing partner. Bar Cichetti aimed to recreate the experience of a Venetian bacaro (wine bar) in New York City, specializing in Venetian food and Italian wine. Reviews from the time noted its cozy atmosphere and delicious food, with highlights like the  Sarde en Soar, Lasagna, and Pasta with Duck Ragu.

It’s important to note that while Bar Cichetti was a significant part of Bellino Zwicke’s career, it is no longer open under his operation. There’s a restaurant in New York City currently operating as “Bar Cicchetti by Fabio Viviani” in Chelsea. This is a different establishment and should not be confused with Daniel Bellino Zwicke’s original Bar Cichetti, “America’s 1st Ever Venetian Wine Bar.”
 
 
 
The BELLINO’S
At BAR CICHETTI
UNCLE TONY, MYSELF, COUSIN TONY, AUNT FRAN
Aunt Wanda, Debbie, AUNT HELEN, Dan
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Daniel & CAMERON DIAZ
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SOME PICTURES at BAR CICHETTI
MICAHEL STIP & R.E.M.
CHEF DANIEL & His KITCHEN CREW
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BAR CICHETTI
DANIEL & FRIENDS
DANIEL, RAOUL, LISA, MATT DILLON, ABBIE
JOHN LURIE & GLENN O’BRIEN
BAR CICHETTI 1998
Daniel Bellino Zwicke is widely recognized as the creator of the first Venetian wine bar (bacaro) in the United States, named Bar Cichetti

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Here’s more about his venture:
  • Establishment: Bar Cichetti was established in 1998 in New York City with the goal of bringing the Venetian bacaro experience to the US.
  • Focus: It specialized in Venetian cuisine and Italian wines.
  • Bellino Zwicke’s Role: Daniel Bellino Zwicke was involved as the Chef, wine director, and managing partner.
  • Reception: Contemporary reviews noted its inviting atmosphere and popular dishes such as Sarde en Soar and Pasta with Duck Ragu.
  • Status: Bar Cichetti is no longer operating under Daniel Bellino Zwicke’s direction.
  • Important Note: There is a different restaurant in New York City called “Bar Cicchetti by Fabio Viviani” that is not related to Daniel Bellino Zwicke’s original establishment.

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CHEF DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE
With OLD PAL MATT DILLON
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SINATRA SAUCE
The COOKBOOK
AMAZON.com

ROCKY MARCIANO Eats Pasta – alla Mamma

 




ROCKY MARCIANO


Rocky Marciano of the 150th Combat Engineers: World Heavyweight Boxing Champion
Rocco Francis Marchegiano, the son of Italian immigrants, was born and raised in Brockton Massachusetts. Rocco, a natural athlete, dropped out of high school in the 10th grade to help support his family. Rocco would go on to be professionally known as Rocky Marciano – the only heavyweight professional boxer to have finished his career undefeated.
According to the Department of Defense: “On March 4, 1943, at the age of 20, Rocky enlisted the Army in Boston, Massachusetts and was sent overseas to Europe. Marciano was assigned to the 150th Combat Engineers and stationed in Swansea, Wales where he helped ferry supplies across the English Channel to Normandy. The 150th went on to receive service stars for Normandy, North France, Rheinland, Ardennes-Alsace and Central Europe.”
“Marciano first took up boxing in the service, reportedly as a way to get out of kitchen duty. While awaiting discharge, Marciano, representing the Army, won the 1946 Amateur Armed Forces boxing tournament. After the war ended, he completed his service in March 1946 at Fort Lewis, Washington where he received an honorable discharge from the Army with the rank of Private First Class. Rocky returned home to Brockton, Massachusetts and continued to box as an amateur” -US Department of Defense
“On September 23, 1952, Marciano took on the World Heavyweight Champion Joe Walcott in Philadelphia. In round 13 Marciano knocked out Walcott to become the new Heavyweight Champion. Rocky was 29 years old. The two would meet again the following year with Marciano ending the match in the first round.”
“Rocky Marciano would go on to dominate the Heavyweight Division. On May 16, 1955, in San Francisco, Marciano went up against Don Cockell from the United Kingdom, who was also the boxing champion of Europe. Marciano knocked him out in round 9.”

“On April 27, 1956, Marciano announced his retirement at age 32, finishing his career at 49-0.”
On August 31, 1969, Rocky was a passenger in a private plane that crashed due to bad weather at a private airfield near Newton, Iowa. There were no survivors. Rocky Marciano was 45 years old at the time of his passing. He would have turned 46 years old on September 1.
Private First Class Rocky Marciano lies in rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Cemetery in Fort Lauderdale Florida. Lest We Forget






ROCKY’S MOM COOKING PASTA
RECIPE

ROCKY’S MOM
And ROCKY
MAMA MARCIANO TAKING CARE of HER BOY





COOK LIKE MAMA MARCIANO




SUNDAY SAUCE

WHEN ITALIAN AMERICNS COOK
AMAZON.com



La Pastina

 


“My Beloved PASTINA”

RONZONI

la Pastina


  My first memories of Italian food were just like many other Italian children, the first Italian food you’ll eat is going to be Pastina. Pastina are tiny little star-shaped pasta (Stelline) that Italian mothers feed their little bambini when they are first being weaned off mothers milk. The tiny little pasta are perfect for the little tikes to eat. Usually coated with a little bit of butter, Italian babies just love the stuff and this is their first introduction that will be filled with a lifetime of pasta as the centerpiece of their diet. I loved pastina and all through my childhood I’d often ask my mother to make me some for me. Later on, besides the butter, you sprinkle on a little bit of grated Parmigiano, sometimes with a little bit of warm Milk and you’re in heaven, Pastina is simple and oh so tasty. I still eat it to this day. You’ll also find Pastina in soup, especially with homemade chicken broth. Now that’s comfort food par excellence! 

   Now I really didn’t eat Pastina all that much for a number of years I guess, but as most adults do as they get a bit older, they will revert back to those things they loved in childhood, thus my taking up eating some Pastina con Burro e Parmigiano in the past couple of years. By the way, that’s the Italian name (in Italy) I just gave you. Pastina actually means “Little Pasta,” and the star-shaped one that we usually would have are called Stelline. So, we Italian-Americans just say Pastina, and it usually means Pastina with butter and grated Parmesan Cheese. If you’re not Italian-American and have never had this simple little dish, do try it some time, it’s quick and easy to make, and it’s as tasty as can be, you’re sure to love it, it’s Pastina.

   Yes Pastina is an Italian baby’s first introduction into to their native cuisine, Italian. Over the years you’ll be eating all sorts of pasta dishes like, Spaghetti Pomodoro, Lasagna, Manicotti and the rest. You’ll eat Meatballs, Sausages, Braciole, Cannoli, and all the usual suspects of Italian and Italian-American Cuisine. You start with Pastina and it’s on to a whole lifelong discovery and experience of your ethnic cuisine Italian. You’ll eat your family’s favorite foods that have their Genesis in mother Italy, the local foods of your grandparents, then mother and father. You go to friend’s homes and have their mom’s Gravy, Lasagna, Braciole and perhaps dishes their family’s make that you may have never had before, so you’ll make new discoveries along the way. You get older and go out to eat in restaurants and make a few more discoveries as well. And when you go to Italy, a whole new world is out there before you. You go to Rome, Venice, The Amalfi Coast, Sicily, wherever you go in Italy there’s new discoveries around every corner, in markets, at trattoria’s, caffes, pastry shops, and all over. You start with Pastina, and it’s a lifelong journey from there. Enjoy!




Excerpted from MANGIA ITALIANO by Daniel Bellino Zwicke









MANGIA ITALIANO

READ ABOUT PASTINA

PORCHETTA – BRACIOLE

ROMES FAMOUS PASTA

And MORE ….


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RIP RONZONI PASTINA


by Celia Mattison – for BON APPETITE MAGAZINE – January 7, 2023



The year is barely underway, but 2023 already has its first major casualty: Ronzoni announced last week that it would be ceasing production this January of pastina, the star-shaped pasta beloved in so many Italian American households. 

Ronzoni gave little information as to why it would be discontinuing pastina apart from a tweet the brand shared, claiming it was a difficult but unavoidable decision resulting from a problem with its supplier. “We searched extensively for an alternative solution but were unable to identify a viable solution,” the tweet read. The backlash to the news was immediate. Tearful farewells  appeared on TikTok; Twitter users decried the decision, with one user sharing a gif of White Lotus’s Jennifer Coolidge crying and shooting a gun with the caption, “Me after finding the person at Ronzoni responsible for discontinuing pastina​.” At this time, six separate petitions have formed on change.org to try to save the pasta. Meanwhile, offline pastina lovers have already started hoarding boxes. 

I get the devastation: I grew up eating the comfort food staple, which was often served with a simple but heaping combination of salt, butter, milk, or Parmesan. My mother made it for me when I was sick and it was the first food I learned how to make on the stovetop. At some point in fifth grade, I made it every day as an after-school snack. After two weeks of finding tiny stars in the kitchen drain, my mother dryly informed me that it was time to “cool it with the pastina.”  

Pastina literally means “little pasta” and can refer to any number of miniature pastas, but Ronzoni, founded in 1915 by an Italian immigrant, helped to mainstream the star shape found in pasta bowls across the US. It boils in a few minutes because of its small shape and makes a whimsical addition to soups, whether in a chicken-and-stars or a celebratory Italian wedding. It’s often cut from the leftovers of pasta. Scraps of dough rendered celestial.

The adoration for pastina starts at an early age. YouTube hosts thousands of videos of users making pastina “just like nonna did.” The Sopranos references it multiple times; Carmela lovingly calls the dish “pasteen” when offering to make it for sick family members. “Pastina is the one thing I can count on,” one glum petitioner wrote. Another expanded on the dish’s importance to Italian Americans: “Pastina is the best! I have had it since I was a child and now make it for my family. Don’t do this! You are killing my and many Italian family traditions! Basta!” 

Today, whenever I make pastina, I think about why I became so attached to the stuff. I was the only Black girl in fifth grade, getting off the bus with frizzy hair I didn’t know how to care for and a craving for the most comforting food I knew. Even though I have little contact with the white Italian-American side of my extended family, I still crave pastina when I am sick or heartbroken. Like my mother, I always keep a box in my pantry.

One small relief: Though it appears the humble pastina is the latest victim in an increasingly tenuous supply chain, supermarket chain Barilla does seem like it will continue to make the iconic shape. So rest easy, my fellow star-eaters—pastina will live on, even if it might be harder to find than before. In the meantime, get down to your nearest pasta aisle, like I’ll be doing, and stock up. 


Bellino on Pacino – Al Pacino Favorite Pasta – Recipe

AL PACINO
 
 
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Daniel Bellino & AL Pacino

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AL’S FAVORITE PASTA
 
 

Al Pacino is a big fan of a pasta dish called spaghetti aglio e olio. It’s a Neapolitan dish that features spaghetti noodles, good olive oil, lots of garlic and red pepper flakes for a spicy kick. It goes without saying the pasta dish and the Scarface star have been linked together a lot in recent history. 

Al Pacino’s love of spaghetti aglio e olio also came up in Daniel Bellino Zwicke’s Positano The Amalfi Coast – Travel Guide – Cookbook.
 
 “When I was the wine director at Barbetta Ristorante in New York City, whenever Al came into the restaurant, he would often ask if we could make him a plate as it wasn’t on the menu,” Zwicke wrote. “Al literally made us an offer we couldn’t refuse, naturally we didn’t, and we always gave Mr. Pacino a plate of his beloved spaghetti aglio olio, just the way he liked it. You’re welcome Al.”
 
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Yes, it was Italian Cookbook author Daniel Bellino Z, an Italian-New Yorker like Pacino who first let it out of the bag that Al Loved Spaghetti with Garlic & Oil. It was with Bellino’s publication of his book Sunday Sauce in 2014, where the author first writes about Pacino’s love of this pasta, which no one had known about before the publication of Bellino’s Sunday Sauce. Daniel knew Al Pacino’s love for Spaghetti Aglio Olio, as whenever Al Pacino would come to the restaurant where Bellino was the Wine Director, Pacino would always ask him if he could get a plate of Spaghetti with Garlic & Oil, as it was not on the menu. The restaurant in question was Barbetta on West 46th Street in New York. of course Bellino  said “Yes.” Daniel went into the kitchen and told the cooks, who naturally made the dish, which Daniel brought out to Mr. Pacino, and he was always quite pleased.
 
….. The above paragraph is from PARADE MAGAZINE  April, 2025 
 
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When writing his book Sunday Sauce, Bellino figured it would be a great recipe and story to add to his book. All Italian-Americans love the dish, including Al Pacino, so Daniel wrote up his recipe, and told the story of Al eating at Barbetta, and always asking for the dish. And yes, everyone loves the story, and the recipe for Spaghetti alla Pacino, which Daniel named after the great Italian-American actor from the Bronx, New York.
 
In April 2025 Parade Magazine published the story of New York writer Daniel Bellino-Zwcike writing this story about bring Al Pacino his favorite pasta, putting the recipe for Pacino Pasta, and the story about Pacino eating it at Barbetta Ristorante, in his book Sunday Sauce. Once Parade Magazine published the story about Bellino & Pacino, the story spread like wildfire, and now hold the world knows Al Pacino’s favorite pasta. – Spaghetti with Garlic & Oil (Aglio e Olio).
The rest is history.
 
 
 
PS … Bellino also put the rescipe in his latest book – POSITANO The AMALFI COAST – Travel Guide – Cookbook.
 
This book is also available on Amazon.com   
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SUNDAY SAUCE
 
alla BELLINO alla PACINO
AMAZON.com
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Daniel Bellino Zwicke