I've only had one disappointing meal in the Arthur Avenue area, and it was last November at Roberto's.

Neither Mario's nor Dominick's have ever disappointed.

"BTW, my San Francisco born-and-bred friends used to say the same thing about why bother with cutting edge Italian restaurants. . ."

You are totally misinterpreting my post, bill boy. I'm not suggesting there is no reason not to bother with cutting edge Italian in New York, nor that our restaurants are as good as some of them. But on the other hand, why make the effort to go to an area in the Bronx which is famous for old fashioned family style traditional Italian and then eat something other than that? I'd probably not pick a great sushi restaurant there either. That was my point.
Yes, I'll be doing Lupa if not Babbo while in New York. And I'm all for "cutting edge" fine Italian dining as well, but that just isn't what I'm looking for at Arthur Avenue.

Well, what can I say, except that you're definitely one unique individual.

Just about everybody who's from the Arthur Avenue/Crescent St. area will tell you to go to Roberto's if you want the BEST meal in the area. WELL, Just about everybody ... except the owners of Mario's, Dominick's, Pasquale's ...

No, I don't think going to Arthur Avenue and going to Mario's for old fashioned family Italian dining rather than Roberto's for cutting edge Italian makes me a unique individual at all. I doubt that we'll be all alone, either.

It's odd that you can't understand that sometimes you go places for a particular type of food or restaurant, not just the "best" especially if it isn't the type of restaurant you're looking for. If going to a seashore to eat in an outdoor restaurant, I'd invariably go for seafood, and I wouldn't care if Gordon Ramsey just opened up a fantastic new formal restaurant right there. If I go to Coney Island, I'd prefer getting a hotdog at Nathans over going to some sit down restaurant, no matter how many people would say it is "the best" in the area.

Neo you are not alone, I get exactly what you are saying -
there are many other marvelous things that make you unique :)

No, no, no Neopat. It's understandable (I think). You can be unique in your ways as much as the next person and as much as you want, and if I might add ... not that there's anything wrong with that.

Just my two cents:

Roberto's is by far my favorite place in the area but by no means would I call his cooking "cutting edge Italian." I would bet that he can do spaghetti and meatballs really well if a diner wants that dish. Or any other. He is from Salerno, by the way.

As has been said above: Order the specials and if grilled scamorza (with red peppers, black olives on a bed of arugula) is on the menu, order that as a first course. Also the pasta in the aluminum foil is always good.

Well, today after a full afternoon of "zooing", we walked over to Arthur Avenue and had dinner at Mario's. It was very early, since the zoo closed at 5. We arrived about 5:45, after walking the area. Yes, others were right -- there really isn't much there to see. I guess I was expecting a few large food import stores or a regular Italian market, not just a couple of tiny storefronts.

Anyway. I ordered Zuppa di Pesce on linquini -- spicy red sauce with tons of clams, mussels, shrimp, crab, calamari, and more, all fresh and delicious. It was simply perfect! Lee had a special today of veal saltimbocca -- his favorite Italian dish -- and it was as good as anywhere. We also ordered a bottle of "young Super Tuscan" which I questioned the waiter about as most Super Tuscan's I know are quite expensive -- yet this was $21 for the bottle. He said it was an outstanding value and he was indeed right. In fact, the waiter, was startled when we ordered, insisting that our two choices are his favorite two dishes. And no, I really don't think he was just saying that, when he sincerely asked "how did you know to order those two dishes?" In any case -- Mario's was exactly what I had in mind when I started this post, so I'm thrilled we went with that choice.
Now, maybe we need to make another trip up there and try Roberto's. . .

I'm so pleased my suggestion, <b>Mario's</b>, worked out for you.

(And don't rush back to Roberto's, in my opinion.)

Glad your meal was what you both hoped for !
and that you are enjoying your time in NYC - looking forward to your posts -

Thank you for following up on your original post! I've been to the zoo and the gardens a zillion times, but never once to Arthur Avenue. And I love Italian food. Got my Zagat's marked so I'll remember Mario's.

To answer my own original question above -- we exited by the Southern Blvd. exit on the west side of the zoo, walked north a couple blocks to 187th and then east to Arthur Avenue -- about 10 to 15 minutes total from the zoo. Nice, easy walk which puts you right where the &quot;Little Italy&quot; section of Belmont seems to start.

Neo: I am glad you enjoyed your dinner at Mario's. and glad that the two of you finally made it to the Bronx. But I do take issue with your comments that there is not much to see around Arthur Avenue. Many food stores close at 6pm so perhaps you arrived in the area a bit too late, but there are many blocks of fantatstic small shops including the large indoor covered market with food vendors that does not look all that different from covered markets in Italy. The shops are not only along Arthur Avenue but along both sides of 187th Street. (I am referring here to food shops..) Coincidentally I was there last Saturday shopping for Italian foods (Teitel Bros; Borgatti Ravioli; Madonia Bakery, etc) before dinner at Robertos. I know you decided against Robertos, but I had one of the NYC best meals in quite a while there that night. ( Better than my dinner at Esca, which was also discussed here recently, a few nights later...)