Walking to Little Italy
 

Friends have told us to walk around little Italy. Are there any specific restaurants or attractions to visit in that neighbourhood? Thank you

Little Italy is not all that much anymore, just a few blocks along Mulberry Street between Canal and Kenmare. There are a few specialty food shops left (Alleva Cheese Store, Piemonte Ravioli Store), but most New Yorkers would agree that they find better Italian food in their local neighborhoods rather than making the trip to Little Italy. There are a few new restaurants of better quality--hoping someone else will mention them since I can't remember the names.

You might combine a visit there with a visit to Chinatown which nowadays almost engulfs Little Italy. The main drag of Chinatown is Mott Street between Canal and Bowery.

The walk in Little Italy should take up to 15 minutes. If you want to eat there, try these people.

http://majorfood.com/

Totally agree that NYC's little Italy is very small now.

For a better experience, go to:
http://www.arthuravenuebronx.com/

easy enough to get to by subway.

If you like Chinese food, go to Little Italy!

For me, the best stop in the now-much-diminshed Little Italy is DiPalo, on the corner of Mott and Grand. They sell all manner of foods imported from Italy, along with a few from Spain, and great local breads. The owner has just written a book, on sale at the store. Good chance of seeing celebrity shoppers there, if that is of interest. There is often a lone wait, as service is not rushed and samples are offered.

But for an Italian neighborhood, agree that Arthur Avenue is far superior, although a bit further from midtown.

Agree about restaurants: Although it is outside the neighborhood (few blocks walk, to a neighborhood that was formerly mostly Italian), Carbone is that quintessential Italian American place of your dreams; in the same Major Food Group as Parm and Torrisi, mentioned above. Carbone is expensive, but sharing the large portions brings the price down to reasonable levels.


http://carbonenewyork.com/

I agree with EKS, DiPalo is one of the best Italian provision stores in the city.

Whenever I read a "friend recommended" for whatever place, whether in the States or abroad, I often wonder if the friend has been to that place.