TheBronxRocks.com

Pio Pio (Peruvian Restaurant) Mott Haven, South Bronx

A great find in a section of Mott Haven that doesn’t see much upscale action! Delicious food, huge glasses of Sangrias (no liquor license so sadly they cannot sell their famous Pisco Sours), friendly staff and lively, energizing music make for a fantastic atmosphere. Congratulations on making this year’s Zagat list for the Bronx, guys! Check this place out - but make sure to bring cash (unless you want to be running down the street in high heels to the nearest bodega in search of an ATM like I was last night - NOT fun!) Note to owners: Who only takes American Express these days?!!?

This little neighborhood has become almost a weekly soujorn for me.  With its great array of bakeries, cafes, restaurants, speciality shops and and indoor farmers market, it holds great appeal for many of us in the Bronx who don’t have the best amenities in our respective neighborhoods. Two new places that I checked out for lunch and after-lunch cappuccino were Emilia’s (where else can you find Braised Rabbit, Deep Fried Zuchinni Flowers or Breaded Artichokes) and Parisienne Cafe (a little taste of France in a sea of Italian establishments). Click on the Little Italy tab on the front page for more outstanding restaurants in the area.

Danny - owner of Parisienne Cafe. Merci, Danny!

 Indoor market, Arthur Avenue

Another great find in the Bronx.  After spending three hours in the Woodlawn Cemetary, I was famished.  After checking out the many Irish Pubs along Katonah Avenue (most of which I will be sure to return to soon) we settled for The Rambling House Bar and Lounge.  This place is huge and is divided into a loud and busy bar (today, they were hosting a Halloween Party so cute kids in even cuter costumes were just as abundant as were those downing pints of Guinness and Murphy Irish Reds) and a more sedate (thank Heavens!) dining room.  I had a superb clam and linguini dish and my friend had a killer burger. And they have one of the largest beers-on-tap selection that I’ve seen in a long time (We each had a $5 pint of Blue Moon).  Oh - AND they have waiters like Kenny (pictured below) who are not only super friendly, but have got a TON of guts!!! Thanks Kenny! You rock!

 

I have to admit being surprised at all the sushi places I have seen just in the last few weeks in the Bronx - from Mott Haven to Throgg’s Neck to City Island and even a temporary sushi bar this month at The Bronx Botanical Garden.  And those are just the places I have seen first hand.  I look forward to finding others to add to the list. 

 

MARINA DEL REY, Throgg’s Neck

Whether you’re gettin’ married or just need a place to impress your guests, the Marina Del Ray facility should be on your list.  Gorgeous property with fantastic views!

PATRICIA’S II, Throg’s Neck

Gotta love a good brick oven when it comes to pizza.  Read my Boogiedowner review “When The Moon Hits Your Eye…” to learn more about Patricia’s.

It’s that time again! Time for another Save the Date for this month’s Revolution! party in Mott Haven at the Bruckner Bar & Grill.  (See past party photos here)  

Check out these great photos from last month’s party where Kissy Kamikaze, William Control (NSFW) and others performed, courtesy of Richard Scott:

THE GALLERY LOUNGE - Mott Haven, South Bronx

(Great staff at The Gallery Lounge)

I wrote about a great time a friend and I had last week when we hopped aboard the Bronx Trolley. During our many stops (here, here and here) in the South Bronx, we popped into the The Gallery Lounge (see my post here on The Boogiedowner).  It was great to finally check this place out, meet the very friendly staff and eat some great sushi. Check out there website for a funky and fabulous slideshow.

Yes, Sangrias…and great Mexican food!!! You have NO IDEA how fired I am about finding fresh and AUTHENTIC Mexican food right around the corner from my apartment! Growing up in Southern California, I crave this cuisine just about every other week and the many Dominican and Criolle eateries to be found in the Bronx just don’t always do it for me.  (Even in Manhattan, great Mexican cuisine is hard to come by). Taqueria Tlaxcalli (run by a former Mexico City resident - Mauricio), therefore is to die for.  And by the customers packing the place tonight, I’m obviously not the only one who believes they’ve just discovered a little slice of Heaven!  (Read some other favorable reviews here.) And pssst….don’t pass up the fabulous Sangrias!

 Judy (Go Fordham!) and Howard - Regulars at Tlaxcalli

Owner Mauricio - on the right - and his very talented kitchen staff.

Borgatti’s

The Bronx’s Little Italy is such a short bus ride from my home in Parkchester that I can’t believe I didn’t take advantage of it the first year and a half I was here.  It was only doing research for TheBronxRocks, that I finally figured out where it is (in between Parkchester and The Bronx Botanical Gardens, which I have been visiting regularly since I moved to this borough).  I posted about two fabulous restaurants early on here. But now I have to rave about the other shops one can enjoy during a stroll down Arthur Avenue.  I coaxed my friend Isabelle to join me last weekend and being Swiss-Moroccan and having spent her early years in both Paris and Switzerland, I knew she would appreciate this little enclave.  Reminiscent of the fromageries, boulangeries, chacuteries of the streets of Paris and other European villages, many of the shops of Little Italy specialize in their own…well, specialities – meat, cheese, bread, pasta, seafood and so forth.  Our favorite (and something neither of us had seen before) was Calabria Pork Store where the ceiling is literally filled to the brim with hanging salamis and sausages! After lunch at Tino’s Delicattessen and capucinnos at a bakery close, by we shop-hopped all the way down Arthur Ave for supplies to have an evening picnic-style dinner. French baquette, camembert, grapes, figs, olives, sundried tomatoes and a bottle of wine? Heaven!

Calabria Pork Store

A Little Taste Of Cuba

BRUCKNER GALLERY - Stop on the Bronx Trolley Tour
MOTT HAVEN, SOUTH BRONX

Actually, the last stop was at Sweetwater Bar & Grill, but by the time we reached the Bruckner Bar and Grill, the martinis, wine and high heel shoes had taken a toll and all we wanted to do was sit, pig out and people watch at this South Bronx institution.  Great music, yummy food and a fun crowd was the perfect way to end this great SoBro evening. (See Sobro! (Part 2) for another post on The Bruckner Bar & Grill)

The very amiable Alphonso from Rino’s Ristorante (an establishment in business since 1983). As I only had a cappucino (delicious!), I can’t vouch for the food, but judging by the regular patrons - I’m sure the food was just a yummy as the service was friendly.

 And since I’m such a sucker for those “Awww….” moments, I just had to interrupt this father and son game of catch to snap their photos.  As are most every Bronxite I come across for TheBronxRocks, they were very willing and happy to pose.  Thanks guys!

 

Just a few members of Joe’s friendly staff! Thanks guys for a great evening!

(Photo courtesy of Elle Perez)

MOTT HAVEN - SoBro

For all you young and hip underground rock fans - here’s a SAVE THE DATE for you:

A REVOLUTION! Party - Friday, September 26th at  Bruckner’s Bar & Grill

Connected with the same group that brought you the Bronx Underground (NSFW), Revolution! has finally brought the dance party scene to the South Bronx! Here’s what one of the organizers, Anita Colby, has to say: “Produced by a collective of Bronx native musicians and artists with a vision to mix live bands, art, nightlife and Bronx authenticity; the Revolution! Party exploded onto the scene this July”.  And yes, Anita, we agree with you when you say that “The Bronx is burnin’ indeed!” She also says that this will be a monthly event at the Bruckner Bar & Grill! We think that’s great news for Mott Haven (and, of course, the Bronx in general)! You not only get great music, a fresh and hip party scene, but you get Bronx prices as well - A $7 cover and $3 shots! Show me any where else in NYC where you are going to find that combination! Yeah- I didn’t think so!

Take a listen to a few past and present acts from a Revolution Party: Fire and Reason, The Scene,
Kissy Kamikaze, and William Control. (NSFW)

Photos by Elle Perez from Revolution!’s last event:

Exhausted after horsebackriding, I ventured in to a couple of places that I have often passed on my way to City Island or Pelham Bay Park - Villa Barone Ristorante and Sophie’s Diner (both located adjacent to the Pelham Bay subway stop). These two places are favorites with locals, but are also worth a bus or subway ride if you are in the mood to check out a new place (and then maybe walk across the street to the park to walk off the wine, pasta or burger!)

First, Villa Barone.  What a treat - great food (I had a delicious Fettucine in a white clam sauce), friendly service and great conversations with locals who are die-hard regulars here.

Anthony, Eddie and Roy provide diners with superb service!

I overheard these guys talking about The Bronx back “in the day” and I just had to stop by and say hello.  Frank and Louise Santucci (married for 61 years!) on the right, and Frank’s brother Frank (yep!), his Finnish wife Torborg and their son, Vincent were all so wonderful and friendly I could’ve spent hours listening to their tales and knowledge of Bronx history. They are true Bronxites to the core! Thanks guys! And thanks to the two Franks for their service to our country; both are veterans of World War II, but sadly were sent to fight against their homeland - Italy.  Ah, the stories of our elder generations…

And if you ever need to book a room for a private affair, check out the back room at the Villa Barone!

Now for Sophie’s Diner. After Villa Barone, I went looking for a cappucino and found the perfect place.   Mary Raffa owns Sophie’s (and all it’s fab 50’s decor) after buying it from her former employer - the owner of The Station Diner. (Mary used to waitress at The Station 20 years ago!) And the name of the restaurant? Well, check out the photo below.  Behind Mary is her neice named (you guessed it) - Sophie.  

Willie’s Steak House - Parkchester  (Live Music Wednesdays and Fridays!)

Just a few minutes walk from my apartment in Parkchester is Willie’s Steak House, a Zagat-rated restaurant that not only serves up fabulous criollo cuisine, juicy steaks and a variety of seafood dishes that have patrons coming from as far away as Manhattan, New Jersey and Connecticut but it’s also an establishment famous for showcasing top talent in the Latin Jazz arena.  Tito Puente I’m told was a regular here and called Willie’s his “home away from home”.  I spoke to the very hospitable owner, Dan Ortiz (pictured below), and learned that Wednesday and Friday nights are a jazz lovers dream.  Also very informative was the incomparible Miquel Martillo (pictured below with Ava out back in the garden patio) - a true afficianado of every type of Latino music! Check out his very impressive website!  (This guy knows his stuff!) Percussionist and composer Annette Anguilar and her Stringbeans were playing tonight and what a great treat they were! This woman ROCKED those drums, ya’ll! (Check out her appearance in this Infiniti commercial!) The steaks were delicious, the music superb and the fun and energetic vibe made for a combination that will have me coming back as a regular! Next Wednesday night - You’ll know where to find me! 
(Also, check out my write up of Willie’s over at The BoogieDowner)

PARKCHESTER

Not many places in the Bronx where you can get all three at one shot, folks - not all within walking distance!

But you CAN find it all here (and more) in Parkchester!.  This city-within-a-city is becoming quite the hub and destination spot for the East Bronx - with people coming in from other communities to take advantage of the wonderful amenities we have to offer.  Need to do some shopping? Macy’s is right here. (For a comprehensive list of shops, see my Home Sweet Home! post below). Then you can walk over to see a movie at the American.  OK, so it’s not Art House cinema, but for the Bronx - it’s a dream.  Next, stop on in at The Step-In Restaurant (where I had the most delicious Stuffed Shrimp With Crabmeat the other evening).  Be sure to say Hi to George the bartender (pictured) who’s been with the establishment since it opened in the seventies. And if you Karaoke - swing by on a Tuesday evening! After dinner, you can walk a few stores down to Starbucks for your beverage of choice and then head on over to enjoy the beautiful fountain in the Oval, Parkchester’s gathering spot for locals. You will be sure to find room on one of the many benches as well as smiles on the faces of those around you.  When you are all done, you can say that you truly enjoyed a night out on the town - and all without leaving The Bronx! (For more on Parkchester photos, see posts below.)