Bun Boy Eats NYC – CAFFE NAPOLI – LITTLE ITALY

CAFFE NAPOLI – LITTLE ITALY – LUNCH

November 9, 2015 5:53 pm

Feast of San Gennaro Madness!

Even when it’s not the Feast of San Gennaro, Little Italy is always kind of a party.

When I first moved to NYC, my research on Yelp told me that the worst Italian food was to be found on Mulberry Street in Little Italy. Oh no! But it’s so fun down there!

Well, after dining at 3 restaurants in the vicinity, I can safely say that you Yelpers need to relax. If you want traditional, slight overpriced Italian food, you can pretty much chose any of the dozens of restaurants that exist in harmony, side by side each other, and get a tasty meal.

Sure, you won’t find trendy ingredients, or inventive cuisine. It’s Italian food, sometimes you don’t want to wonder what you’re going to eat, sometimes there’s comfort in knowing exactly what the hell you’ll be shoving down your throat. There’s a reason places like McDonald’s still exist. No one is hoping their next Big Mac will feature balsamic drenched dragon kale instead of the cheap, bagged iceberg.

There’s something I love about Little Italy. It feels like coming home. There’s just something so inviting and welcoming about it. It’s definitely one of the most colorful neighborhoods, especially when the insane San Gennaro fest comes to town.

Not for the faint of heart, the Feast of San Gennaro (sort of, kind of celebrating Januarius – the patron saint of Naples, from the 3rd century) is a crazy 11 day festival that started in 1926 (only lasted one boring day back then) and it is an assault on the senses!

Think Italian tinged state fair food. Sausages, Zeppoles (Italian mini donuts) and fried Oreos are everywhere. Not sure where the Oreos come into play but they looked incredible. Plenty of Cannoli carts line the streets, but you can find those any time of year.

Along with artery clogging food, you can find a ton of booze. Booze booths dedicated to the art of getting drunk very quickly will be at your disposal, every few steps. Once tipsy, you can unwisely spend your money on scammy games where you are throwing a shoe at a balloon or something. Either way, you are sure to lose. Feel free to drown your sorrows on more booze, a few steps away.

Each of the 20 or so restaurants that line the streets put out additional covered seating out front, so regardless of the swarms of people, you’ll always be able to find a seat to shove some pasta in your mouth while getting a front row seat to the debauchery. It’s truly a nifty experience, I guarantee it.