Arthur Avenue Retail Market

[woodburner]

Jason,

Wonderful post with fabulous pictures. I love the retail market on Arthur Ave. It is probably the single best place to get Italian products in the USA, however, it has its idiosyncracies. One of your pictures of Pete's Meat Market showed the sausages called Chevrilade. If I am not mistaken, the Chevrilade on Arthur Ave. is made from lamb. There are usually a number of different types of chevrilade, the most popular of which contains cheese and parsley. Their chevrilade is tasty, but IMO is no match for the chevrilade from Brooklyn made from pork. The most notable producer that I know is Esposito's Pork store on Court St. They also make great fresh mozzarella and braciole. While I don't know for sure, I would guess by the word chevri-lade, that the true origens of this sausage may be from goat. Anybody know for sure?

Doc, I know this is an old post but a saw no response to it, so I'll take a crack at it.

Cervellata is a somewhat regional Milanese sausage of pork sirloin with pork and veal fat, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and spices such as saffron and nutmeg. It is also made with pig’s brains (hence the name; cervella means brain). I really need to get a life and get down to Arthur Avenue, before spring. Does anyone know the hours on Saturday?

That picture of Jason's Yankee Stadium hero, is a killer.

woodburner

[jhlurie]

That picture of Jason's Yankee Stadium hero, is a killer.

Yes, the Yankee Stadium is indeed the greatest sandwich in the world! The "Albainian" is a pretty good alternative too, although its very different.

[woodburner]

That picture of Jason's Yankee Stadium hero, is a killer.

Yes, the Yankee Stadium is indeed the greatest sandwich in the world! The "Albainian" is a pretty good alternative too, although its very different.

Jon, could you provide me with the Saturday hours? Also, could I expect to see all if not most of the individual markets open on that day?

Thanks

woodburner

[jhlurie]

I don't know them offhand, but I'm sure you could call Mike's Deli and ask.

This webpage seems to have contact info (at the bottom of the page).

[jeff29992001]

Stand in front of Mike's, turn around, and you will be in front of the best selection of Italian olives I've ever found, including big "Greek" olives, cerignolas, and the amazing, hard-to-find, mild, buttery (really), green castaveltrano. I've been known to make a special trip to Arthur Ave. just for those!

about those castelvetrano olives.. just curious, are they the same as the bright green, buttery, olives Fairway sells, or are those too cerignolas. i once asked them about it and they showed me the jar where they get it from, but I since forgot the info.

[jeff29992001]

btw, the mta just announced they are a special weekend fare "cityticket" on all metro north, and LIRR trains, ifyou are travelling within the city, the fare is $2.50 (down from $4.00-$4.75).

cityticket info

Arhtur Ave is a coupla blocks from the Fordham station, closer than the 4, or D subway. if you already have a monthly pass, or weekly pass on any metro north line, then forget about this thread. if you can't shop on weekends, then also foret this thread...

Edited January 7, 2004 by jeff29992001 (log)

[Rachel Perlow]

Jeff, I think you mean 'forget this post' not thread. Most of the stores on AA are open on Saturday until 5, but call ahead if there's a particular store you are heading to.

[Jason Perlow]

I thought I'd bring this thread to the foreground, it being Good Friday and all. Probably heading over to AA tomorrow and Mike's to pick up an Easter Pie.

[rstarobi]

I'm going there in the morning with my family to pick up some goodies for Easter dinner. The nice thing about a multi-faith family is that I've got Passover the one week, and Easter the next.

[KathyP]

Does anyone know if Peter's Meat Market will pack sausage in dry ice for transport back to Ohio. I'll be in NY sometime in May and since I moved to Cincinnati I've been deprived of killer Italian sausage. There just ain't any here!

[Felonius]

Great thread! Thanks for bringing this back.

What's the best way to get to Arthur Ave. on public transportation from the UWS? I've never been out that way, so detailed directions would be greatly appreciated.

[picaman]

What's the best way to get to Arthur Ave. on public transportation from the UWS?

Take the 1 or the A to 207th St. and get the BX12 local bus. Look for the White Castle on your right--Arthur Avenue is either that street or one past. It's about a 10 minute bus ride once you cross into the Bronx.

Jamie

[Jason Perlow]

Two new Mikes Deli sandwiches:

The T.C. Firemen's Special

The Albanian, Bresaola and Greek Feta

[woodburner]

What's loaded on the T. C. Fireman's Special?

woodburner

[Jason Perlow]

its got hot sorpressata, genoa salami and peppered ham on it, in addition to hot and sweet peppers with lettuce, tomato and fresh mozarella. Its basically a spicier version of the Yankee Stadium.

[picaman]

With a Friday off and a bit of extra money in the budget this month, Kirk and I spent a great afternoon at the market--it had been a while since we'd been.

Clockwise from bottom: prepared lupini beans, dried mozzarella balls, strozzapreti, stuffed peppers, smoked mozzarella, parmigiano reggiano, proscuitto bread, provolone bread (bread from Madonia Brothers down the street) and hot sopressata in the center. Not pictured--the perfect old-school $2 nutmeg grater.

That, the numerous samples everywhere, and a Yankee Stadium sandwich with a yummy side of pesto pasta made for a great afternoon of browsing, eating, and walking, and an even better evening of nibbling. If you haven't been here, or haven't been in a while, get thee hence to the BX12.

Jamie

[Pan]

What is strozzapreti?

[dumpling]

"Strangled Priest" -a type of pasta

[picaman]

"Strangled Priest" -a type of pasta

The name makes sense. They are narrow ribbons of pasta 1 1/4 to 1 1/2" long that have been twisted. I thought maybe they would be great with olive oil and some roasted garlic, with the pockets in the pasta catching bits of the oil etc.

Does anyone know if there's a standard/traditional way these are served?

Jamie

[Jason Perlow]

New Arthur Avenue pics.

A spread of some of the seasonal offerings at Pete's Meat.

Happy Mike's Deli patrons eat among the holiday baskets.

Crown Roast of Pork from Pete's.

The Legendary Mike Grecco.

My lunch.

Stuffed artichoke from Mike's.

Some type of special pork roast from Pete's.

Chops from Pete's.

Rachel's tuna sandwich from Mike's.

Addeo Bakery

Fish Market

More Fish Market

Baccalao

Inside Teitel Brothers.

Counter area at Teitel Brothers.

Some stinky dried fish stuff outside Teitel Brothers.

The newly opened Arthur Avenue branch of Umberto's Clam House.

Rachel standing in the queue outside Teitel Brothers on Arthur Avenue.

[Pan]

Thanks for the pics, Jason! Those subs you two had for lunch look great!

[Jinmyo]

Some great looking pork. Thanks, Jason.

[Jason Perlow]

The day culminated at dinner with friends at their house. We brought some Italian sausage from Pete's and bread from Addeo Bakery, and made some sausage sandwiches.

[Rachel Perlow]

Roasted Peppers and Onions

Turn oven to 450F. Slice onions, put in a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, dried or fresh herbs (basil, oregano, thyme). Spread evenly on an aluminum foil lined sheet pan, place in the oven.

Use a combination of colors of bell and Italian frying peppers. Clean and cut into strips. Sprinkle with the same stuff as with the onions, and spread on its own foil lined sheet pan and put on the other oven shelf.

I did them on separate sheet pans because the onions and peppers take a little different time to cook, the onions a little longer (hence they go in the oven about 5 minutes before the peppers). Every 10 minutes or so, take them out of the oven, use a wooden spatula to stir and respread out the vegetables. They should be done after the peppers have been in the oven for ~25 minutes, having stirred them up twice during the process (oh, and switch oven shelves after stirring).

Both the onions and peppers were cooked just right. In the past the onions have burned on me because the smaller pieces tend to stay more on the bottom of the pan. Also, it is hard to cook a lot of vegables on top of the stove on on the grill.

To serve, either place them in separate bowls or combine them into one dish. Use to top sausage sandwiches. The leftovers are great for omelet fillings, soups, stews, spaghetti sauce.

[Rachel Perlow]

Shopping notes: Two weeks before Christmas isn't as bad as Good Friday before Easter, but all the stores were more crowded than on a typical Saturday. In particular, Teitel Brothers was nuts. They had a guy at the door to let in customers just a few at a time. Despite that, the store was packed.

You know, I think the problem with Teitel Brothers is that they actually have too many guys working behind the counter. I suppose that keeps the wait shorter, but the more countermen behind the counterman, the more customers they pack in the store, and there isn't that much floor space that isn't taken up by groceries. Don't go in there on a busy day if you are claustrophobic.

The countermen like to have fun by busting (customers) balls, which just confuses the situation further. There is no way to keep in communication with the guy who is helping you as he goes back and forth getting what you've requested, going to the slicer, etc. And you can't talk to another guy: they ask if you are being helped, which you are, but say you have a question, the first guy gets all annoyed at you and the second guy if you talk to the second guy.

There was some talk that these guys work on commission, is that true? If so, then I feel justified in talking to the 2nd guy, the 1st guy wasn't very helpful in answering my questions, but then a 3rd guy said the 2nd guy is full of shit and didn't know what he was talking about when it comes to whatever I asked him about.

The only good part about Teitel Brothers is that thier prices are at least 20% less than the retail stores (for example, the hanging dried sausages and salamis are $6.99/lb at Teitel and $8.99/lb at Mike's Deli; yes, all varieties). But the negatives are as I've outlined above. Also, they push you to get more than you want. For example, I asked for a certain cheese. He held up 1/2 an ~8" wheel of the cheese, "you want 1/2 or the whole thing?" he asked, as if those were the only responses. In the past I would have taken that 1/4 wheel, but I was getting annoyed at this point and said I wanted a 1" wedge. He held the knife (indicating a 2" wedge), I said, "no, smaller!" Don't let them push you around.

The moral of the story? Only go to Teitel Brothers when you know exactly what you want. Even better, write down what you want -- a clear list, even specifying the thinness or thickness if you are having stuff sliced -- because your counterman will be on the other side of a crowd when he's slicing it.