Friday, March 07, 2014

Thumbs Up For A Real Bronx Tale

While in the Bronx we went to Borgatti's, a pasta shop that's been around for almost 80 years.  I'm pretty sure if someone has been making pasta since 1935 (and before, since they were making it for themselves before they opened a shop to sell it), I'm going to want to eat it.  
When we walked in, Chris Borgatti was feeding pasta dough through a pasta machine similar to the one his father and grandfather used.  In fact, the photo on the wall behind him depicts his father standing in the very same spot he's standing, doing the very same thing.
I didn't ask who the older woman behind the counter was, but I'm pretty sure she was probably family.  She's the one who sold me my box of cheese ravioli.  Which I'm savoring.  Just knowing I have an emergency supply of ravioli in the freezer makes me squeal inside with delight.
I love all these little stores.  And I wonder what it would have been like growing up in a neighborhood like this, where you go see Mr. Borgatti to get fresh pasta.  Whenever you want.

I was born three miles from this section of the Bronx but moved to "the country" (the Catskill Mountain area) before I was five years old.  My family still lived in the Bronx, and they talked about this area and shopped here often, but this was my first visit.  Even my family upstate would make food pilgrimages to the city for items they couldn't get in the sticks.  My step-father would talk about the Italian bread from the Bronx in such a way, you'd think they baked gold nuggets inside the loaves.

From what my Aunt and Uncle said, the area has changed a bit in its appearance and the makeup of the neighborhood residents, but the shop owners still speak to you and each other in Italian and give advice and suggestions on items you're planning to buy.  The neighborhood is even still dotted with Italian social clubs, where men go to drink coffee, smoke cigars and bullshit with their friends.

What a nice life.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: A Mountain City Fit For A Queen

2012: Sprinkle Of Seaweed, Anyone?
2011: Shopping To The Maxx
2010: Ed Unloads An Oil Platform
2009: You Never Know When You Might Need It
2008: Eddie Climbs A Wall Friday
2007: What Showing Off For Your Kids Looks Like
2006: What’s It All About?
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

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