At the end of the nineteenth century, when America was taking in “tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” Little Italy settled more than 40,000 tired and poor Italians, mainly from Naples and Sicily. New arrivals recreated little towns and villages they left behind here on the streets of New York. The Sicilians settled…
Category: Little Italy
Little Italy Food with the side-order of History
Lombardi’s (32 Spring St) Lombardi’s claims to be the very first pizzeria in the U.S. Moreover, it claims to be the birthplace of modern pizza as we know it. Gennaro Lombardi opened this pizzeria in 1905 and started using a coal oven for baking his pies – the step that converted the tinier and damper pizzas made…
Umberto’s Clam House
Come here for clams or scallops, and don’t mention what happened here in 1972… Location: 132 Mulberry Street, between Grand and Hester Streets in Little Italy Umberto Ianniello, the original owner, recognizing the dearth of Italian seafood restaurants in Little Italy, decided to open his own establishment. The restaurant, with its unpretentious atmosphere and flavorful…
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