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If you’re in The Bronx, take a trip to the neighborhood of Belmont. Known to many residents as “The Little Italy of The Bronx,”the neighborhood is teeming with thriving Italian family owned businesses that date back to the early years of the 20th century. Some of the businesses located in Little Italy include delis, butchers, pizzerias, restaurants, and a retail market.
If you take a walk down East 187th Street, you will find a myriad of bakeries detailed in our guide below. In some regards, East 187th Street could be considered as the neighborhood’s “Baker’s Row.”
Artuso Pastry Shop was established by Vincent F. Artuso Sr. as an intrepid business venture in 1946. An Italian immigrant who honed his skills as a pastry chef by working at Spangnuolo’s Pastry Shop, Artuso purchased the shop and renamed it after his family’s surname. Artuso’s diligence and dedication to the culinary profession can be traced to his son, Anthony J. Artuso Sr., who co-owns to bakery with his sons. In 1996, one of the streets that Artuso Pastry Shop is located on was renamed Vincent F. Artuso, Sr. Way.
When you step inside, you will be greeted by the pleasant aroma of baked goods, as well as a variety of treats encased in the shop’s glass counter. Some of Artuso’s most notable baked goods include vanilla custard cake, strawberry ribbon cake, French napoleon pastries, eclairs with vanilla custard, macaroon pastries and pignoli cookies.
If you observe the exterior of Artuso Pastry Shop, you will have an intimate look at the pastry shop’s longstanding origins. On the left side of the store’s facade, you will find an enlarged wedding portrait of Vincent Artuso Sr. and his wife, Betty. Another memorable portrait on the bakery’s facade depicts Vincent Artuso Sr. and Betty standing among a crew of employees during the bakery’s early years. Artuso Pastry Shop is located on 670 East 187th Street.
Gino’s Pastry Shop has attracted many famous actors such as Al Pacino and Joe Pesci.
Gino’s Pastry Shop was established by Gino Raguso in 1960. This pastry shop and wedding service has the old time feel and appeal of a classic mom and pop store. From its pink awning to its nondescript logo, it is obvious that Gino’s longevity rests solely on its simplicity, the quality of its baked goods and the hospitality of its owners. Its storefront window is filled with various baked goods from freshly filled Saint Joseph pastries, Ferrero Rocher chocolates and a three-tier wedding cake encrusted with white frosting. Inside, its walls are littered with portraits of various celebrities who have indulged in some of the store’s baked goods. Some of its more notable celebrity patrons have included Al Pacino, Joe Pesci and Chazz Palminteri.
Gino’s Pastry Shop is located at 590 East 187th Street.
The neon lit facade of Egidio Pastry Shop is reminiscent of the style and flair of a New York City diner. Established in 1912 by Don Pasquale Edigio, Edigio Pastry Shop sells a variety of baked goods and beverages. Egidio’s storefront is filled with a variety of specialty cakes. Inside its baked goods include pastries, cookies, and biscotti. On top of its glass counter sits a jar of chocolate pralines seasoned with hazelnuts and milk cream, sold for only 50 cents.
Egidio Pastry Shop is located 622 East 187th Street.
Delillo Pastry Shop is instantly recognizable by its neon blue sign but there’s also a nice dining area inside. Like the majority of bakeries in Little Italy, Delillo Pastry shop offers a variety of baked goods, most notably a variety of cakes designed for wedddings and various occasions. Delillo Pastry Shop was established in the Bronx in 1925 by Joe and Rocco Delillo, two brothers from Calabria, Italy.
Delillo Pastry Shop is located on 606 East 187th Street.
Instead of cakes and pastries, Terranova Bakery sells a variety of Italian breads.
What separates Terranova Bakery from its respective counterparts is its award winning bread. Instead of the typical cakes and pastries we usually expect from our bakeries, much of Terranova’s products consists of a variety of breads like baguettes, sandwich rolls, Italian biscuits, and traditional long breads.
Terranova Bakery was established in 1967 by Pietro “Peter” Terranova, a Sicilian immigrant who arrived to America in 1961. Pietro Terranova originally worked at a local bakery sweeping floors and performing various duties until the original owner decided to sell his business. Terranova leaped at the opportunity and transformed the bakery into his own entrepreneurial venture.
Terranova Bakery is located on 691 East 187th Street.
At a time when classic mom and pop shops are falling prey to rising rent prices, chain stores and the threat of gentrification, we are proud to say that much of Belmont has retained a large portion of its Italian ethnic character. You may also recognize the neighborhood in pop culture, serving as a setting of The Sopranos, in Robert De Niro’s directorial debut A Bronx Tale and the 1955 classic Marty, starring Academy Award winner Ernest Borgnine. One of its most notable residents is novelist Don Delillo, who used the location as the backdrop for his novel Underworld.
Read on for our article on Economy Candy, the oldest candy store in New York City.
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