Author: Daniel Bellino

Daniel Bellinohttp://thedannyreportdotcom.wordpress.comHello All ! I'm Daniel Bellino "Z" Best Selling Italian Cookbook Author and Publisher of Positano The Amalfi Coast ... I have traveled the World extensively and have been going to: Napoli, Capri, Positano, and The Amalfi Coast of Italy Since 1985 ... I live and write in New York's Greenwich Village. I am the Best Selling author of such Books as : SUNDAY SAUCE , The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKOOK, The FEAST of The 7 FISH, and the soon to be released POSITANO - Capri The Amalfi Coast , a book that tells stories of Napoli, Capri and Psoitano, and is part Cookbook of Regional Dishes of the area, as well as being a Guide Book of this region of Italy. I have been a Restaurant and Wine Professional for more than 30 Years, and I Created America's 1st Ever Venetian Wine Bar (Bacaro) in 1997, in Bar Cichetti, where I was the Head Chef / Wine Director and Managing Partner.

Italian Hot Dogs of New Jersey

An Italian Hot Dog you want to know? What is it? Well it’s a Jersey thing, and you’re not gonna find them anywhere else other the in-and-around Newark, New Jersey and some of the towns surround it. Burgers and Hot Dogs are really big in Jersey and there once was a guy named James “Buff” Racioppi who first served this thing called the Italian Hot Dog. James and his Italian Buddy’s used to have many a card game in Newark’s 9^th Ward way back when. One day Jimmy’s wife threw together something for her husband and card playing cronies to eat. She fried up some Sweet Bell Peppers, Potato, Onions, and Hot Dogs, and when everything was finished frying she put it all between some bread and served it to all the hungry card players. Well everyone just loved the sandwiches and whenever they played cards they begged for her to make the Italian Style Hot Dogs. These Hot Dogs were so popular and everyone just love them that Jimmy decide to open a little stand and sell them. You know the rest, the Italian Hot Dogs were a huge success and Jimmy Buffs Hot Dog empire was born (1932 in Newark, New Jersey).

And oh by the way, Jimmy Buff Racioppi is the one who always gets credit for inventing this awesome culinary delight, but the real inventor was Jimmy’s wife Mrs. Racioppi.

My Dad used to take use to all the Diners, Hot Dog & Burger Joints around. We’d go to Jimmy Buffs maybe 3 or 4 times a year. My mom learned how to make these tasty Italian Hot Dogs and we’d have them at least once a month when we couldn’t make it down to Jimmy Buffs. My mom made them so good, they were just as good as Jimmy Buffs. Now you can make them too.

INGREDIENTS :

4 Hero Rolls

1 small Red Bell Pepper and one Green, seeded and sliced

2 medium Onions, peeled and sliced

8 best quality Hot Dogs

2 Idaho Potatoes, peeled and slice ¼” thick

Salt & Black Pepper

¼ cup Canola Oil

Place the potatoes in a small pot of water. Add 1 tablespoon Salt. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes at the boil for 2 minutes. Turn heat off and drain the potatoes in a colander, shaking off as much water as possible.

Add 1/3 of the oil to a medium frying pan. Turn heat on to medium and add the Hot Dogs. Fry the Hot Dogs until they get golden brown and crunchy on all sides, about 8-10 minutes. Turn heat off and leave in pan covered with aluminum foil.

Place the ¾ of the oil in a large frying pan and heat to high. Put the potatoes in the frying pan and season with a little salt & Black Pepper and fry the potatoes on high heat for 6 minutes. Add the Bell Pepper to the pan, turn down the heat and cook the peppers with the potatoes on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring as you cook. Add the onions, season with Salt & Pepper and cook the onions with the Peppers & Potatoes over low heat for 8 minutes.

Put the Hot Dogs in with the Peppers, Onions, & Potatoes and cook on very low heat for 2 minutes. In the mean time, split the rolls in half but not all the way through, leaving a sort of hinge on one side of each roll. Place in the pan that the Hot Dogs cooked in, turn heat on to high and toast the rolls until they get a little crunchy.

Place two Hot Dogs on each roll and fill each roll with some of the Peppers, Onions, & Potatoes mixture. Serve to your buddy’s and enjoy.

The HALF & HALF

The half & half is even better that the regular Italian Hot Dog. To make one, instead of putting 2 Hot Dogs in each roll with the Peppers, Onions, & Potatoes, you cook up some Italian Sausages and put one Hot Dog and one Sausage Link into each roll with the Potato, Onions, and Peppers and you’re all set with a Italian Hot Dog Half & Half. You’re gonna Love It!

Excerptd From THE RAUGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke aka Danny Bolognese

BIG DOGS of ITALIAN WINE – Barolo Barbaresco Brunello

Winemaker of Sassicaia & Punica Wines SEBASTIANO ROSA

with Author Daniel Bellino Zwicke and Roberta Morrel of Morrel WInes

Get Toegther for a lillte Wine and Chat at Kobrand Italian Portfolio Tasting

at The Bowery Hotel, New York, New York

Alberto Chiarlo with Author Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

Alberto Chiarlo the proprietor of Michele Chiarlo Wines

of Piedmonte got together for a tasting of Alberto’s latest vingtages

of wine, including Barbera Le Orme, Barolo Tortoniano 2010,

Michele Chairlo Barbaresco 2011, Barolo Cerequio 2010,

and Barolo Canubi Michele Chairlo 2007 & 2001 Vintgaes ..

Daniel said the whole line-up of wines was absolutely Amazing! everything was in perfect balance, full of flavor and a joy to drink.

Emelia Nardi with Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

Tatsing some Great Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino

The 1999 Il PARETO From Nozzole Was ROCKING !!!

I normally don’t go crazy for non-native Italian Varietals when drinking Italian Wine. That said, I absolutely loved the 1999 Vintage of Tenuta Nozzole’s “Il PARETO” a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon based wine that was amazing. It was full of flavor,perfecting and a absolute Joy to Drink. I loved It!

The WINES From MASI Where Also AMAZING !!!

Masi Agricola

I loved all of the Amarone ‘s that Masi was showing at the Italian Portfolio Tasting ..

The were showing Amarone Mazano 2007 which was really nic and heavy on the prune flavors.

The 2007 Amarone Campolong was awesome as was the Amarone Costera 2009 ..

My favorite Amarone of the day was Seregho Aligheri 2008 which is one of the few wines in the world aged in large Cherry Wood Cask .. The wine was AMAZING !!!

The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK

GRANDMA BELLINO’S ITALIAN COOKBOOK

Recipes From My Sicilian Grandmother

by Daniel Bellino Zwicke

SUNDAY SAUCE

When Italian-Americans Cook

by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

Party alla Bolognese

Pasta Bolognese

Recipe

PARTY alla BOLOGNESE

Party alla Bolognese , ever hear of it? No, I didn’t think so. I coined the phrase, just like I coined the phrase Meatball Parm Mondays , which I first wrote about in my best selling Italian Cookbook Sunday Sauce. So, you want to know what a Party alla Bolognese is, a term you are no doubt hearing for the first time. Well as you might have already surmised, number one, it’s a party that has to do with Bolognese. A party where you eat Pasta with Ragu Bolognese you’re asking? Well yes, you are quite correct, you’ll be eating the famed Italian Ragu from the city of Bologna, Italy. This is a party centered around eating Pasta all Bolognese. Now what’s better than that?

So, as we know Ragu Bolognese is the famous meat-sauce for pasta from Bologna, Italy. Now, hopefully by the time you read this part of the book, you’ve already made your first Ragu alla Bolognese. Well congratulations are in order to you, you’ve learned something that is infinitely important, and something that will serve you the rest of your life. You now know the infinite glories of the Bolognese, that lush pasta meat-sauce from Bologna, Italy known as Ragu Bolognese. You know the wonderful flavor, and are sure to crave it often. No problem, if you have a craving, you can just make it. You have the recipe, you’ve made it once or twice, you can make it any time you want.

So, you want to throw a dinner party for friends? I certainly hope you do. If you’ve never done so before, I’d just like to tell you, you have no idea, and I’m sure you’ll be surprised, surprised how great it will be, ” a Party alla Bolognese.”

Making this famed Ragu and throwing a party centered around the Bolognese where you’ll feed Maccheroni alla Bolognese to friends and family, this is such a wonderful thing, you just can’t imagine. Do it once and you’ll see. You will make your friends oh-so-happy in more ways than one. They will thank you and sing your praises, and you will feel their joy. A joy that you gave them by making them Ragu Bolognese. Yes it has this affect.

Throwing a dinner party you say? It seems so daunting. Hey, you’ve made Bolognese, throwing a dinner party centered around Bolognese is as easy as pie, and I’m going tell you how. You will amaze your friends with this one! Trust me! Hey, I’ve already told you pretty much, 90% of all you’ll need to know to do your first fabulous Party alla Bolognese. “What,” you say? Well I’ve written the recipe for you, and you’ve already made your first Bolognese, maybe even two or three by now. You know how to make one of the World’s great dishes Pasta alla Bolognese, all you need now is some good music, good Italian Wine, and some sort of Salad or Antipasto to start you off.

You will make the Bolognese ahead of time, either the day before or early in the day before your party starts. You can either make a salad to have before the Bolognese, but a better choice would be either a Caprese Salad of fresh Mozzarella & Tomatoes, a lovely mixed Antipasto, or something as easy as Prosciutto & Melon would be very apropos, considering the Bolognese and the famed Prosciutto di Parma are both from the same region in Italy of Emilia Romagna.

The WORLD’S TASTIEST DISH

PASTA BOLOGNESE

AMAZON.com

PASTA with RAGU BOLOGNESE

RECIPE

So you go out and get some Provolone or other cheese if you’re going to serve a mixed antipasto before the Bolognese. Get some good Sweet Sopresseta, a jar of good quality Roast Red Peppers, and the best Italian Olives you can get, and your mixed antipasto is all set. Tell each guest to bring a nice bottle of Italian Wine, unless you prefer to buy the wine yourself, it’s all up to you. And there is nothing wrong with your guests each bringing a bottle. When they do so you end up getting a nice variety of different wines for everyone to taste, making your party not just a Party alla Bolognese but a pleasant little wine tasting as well. Nice, no? Yes, this works out quite well, and it makes the party a little more interesting, tasting the different wines. Tell your friends to bring Chianti, Barbera, Montepulciano di Abruzzo, or Lambrusco which is from Emilia Romagna and is the perfect wine if you’re having either Prosciutto & Melon or a Mixed Antipasto with some nice Salumi and Cheese to start.

You’ve got to have some nice background music for your party. The best music would be a mix of first and foremost Frank Sinatra, with Dean Martin, a little Tony Bennett, and some Louis Prima to boot. Hip Hop and Heavy Metal are strictly forbidden and an absolute no-no, you don’t want to ruin your party with bad music, do you?

Dessert and coffee are always great. They are not an absolute must, but I do highly recommend you serve coffee and dessert. Again, you may want to have one or two of your friends pick up some dessert. Italian desserts like: Ricotta Cheesecake, Italian Pastries and or Cookies, or Gelato are all great, but not absolutely necessary that the dessert be Italian. Maybe one of your friends makes a great Pineapple Upside Down Cake, a Red Velvet Cake or something like that is great. What’s important is you have a dessert, it’s just another little facet of your dinner party, your Party alla Bolognese. And don’t forget the Bolognese is the centerpiece and as they say in France The Piece de Resistance!

The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK

AMAZON.com

PARTY alla BOLOGNESE CHECKLIST

Get your ingredients for the Bolognese; the ground meat you choose. Tomatoes, wine, pasta, milk, butter, Olive Oil, and dry Porcini Mushrooms if you decide to use them.

2. Get your ingredients for your Antipasto course.

3. Buy at least two bottles of good Italian Wine, even if you have your guest bring wine, you’ll still want to get at least two bottles of your own.

4. Have plenty of spring or filtered water. Buy gallons of Spring Water (at least 2 gallons or more).

5. Buy one or two loaves of good Italian Bread.

6. Make the Bolognese! It’s great to make the night before the party. Just to let you know, it doesn’t hurt that the Bolognese is made the night before, it’s actually better.

7. Make sure you have some great music; Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Dean Martin and or some nice mellow R&B music.

8. Before your guest arrive, get your antipasto or salad ready to go when you need it. Keep it simple. If you choose one of the antipasto items from the antipasto section in this book, you can’t go wrong, they’re all real simple and don’t require any cooking, other than if you choose the Shrimp Cocktail, which is super simple and takes just a few minutes and can be done ahead of time, a few hours before or the day before your party.

9. A few minutes before you will be serving the antipasto, put your pot of Bolognese on the stove and turn the heat onto the lowest flame possible to heat up the Bolognese Sauce. If after the Bolognese is simmering for twenty minutes, it looks like it is getting dried out, you can add some water.

10. Put a large pot of water on to cook the pasta. Put a lot of salt in the pasta cooking water.

Serve the antipasto course to your guest and make sure you have some nice Sinatra tunes playing. Enjoy the antipasto with your guest.

12. Turn the water for the pasta on to a high flame. After you have eaten your antipasto with your guest wait about 15 minutes or more before you serve the Pasta alla Bolognese.

13. Rigatoni, Cavatappi, Fusilli, or some sort of short pasta are the best type of pasta to serve with your Ragu Bolognese at Party alla Bolognese party, as it’s easy to serve and to eat short maccheroni as opposed to long pasta like Spaghetti or Tagiatelle for your guest. Got that? Serve a short pasta.

14. After everyone has eaten their antipasto and are enjoying their wine, throw the pasta in the water to cook. The pasta will take about 12 minutes to cook. You want to have about 20 minutes in-between the antipasto and Bolognese course, so throw the pasta in the boiling water 10 minutes after everyone has finished eating the antipasto.

15. Follow the directions for cooking the pasta that is on the pasta package. Once the pasta is finished cooking, drain the pasta in a colander, reserving about a ¼ cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Add the pasta back to the pot that it cooked in. Add some of the Bolognese with a couple knobs of butter to the pot and mix the pasta and Bolognese Sauce together. Have a plate ready for each guest and plate each one with an equal portion of the Pasta Bolognese. Serve to your guest and make sure to pass around grated cheese.

OK So How Do you make The BOLOGNESE you want to know? The RECIPE is in The COOKBOOK, The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK, where else?

WANT to MAKE SUNDAY SAUCE ?

SUNDAY SAUCE

alla BELLINO alla PACINO

AMAZON.com

RAGU BOLOGNESE Secret Recipe

GREATES PASTA SAUCE EVER

Is RAGU alla BOLOGNESE

SECRET RECIPE

by DANNY BOLOGNESE

Dom DeMarco The MASTER of PIZZA – DiFara Pizza

RAGU BOLOGNESE by Danny Bolognese New Cookbook

BEST SELLING ITALIAN COOKBOOK Author

DANIEL BELLINO-ZWICKE

a.k.a Danny Bolognese

About to Release His Latest Book

RAGU BOLOGNESE

The SECRET RECIPE & More …

Bolognese Sauce. You gotta just love it. It’s one of the greatest things ever, oh-so-tasty and soul satisfying. Do you know it? Have you ever tasted the Real Thing? Well here it is, in all its glory and wonderfulness that is a properly made Ragu Bolognese, rich, lush, Soul Satisfying and oh so fantastic, it’s Bolognese! Sorry I’m going on-and-on, but that’s the affect this wonderful thing called the Bolognese, has on one. It’s just so wonderful and blissfully delicious. So, whether you’ve ever had the real thing or not, here it is. If you are one who has tasted a properly made Bolognese then you must now be in love with it, that’s a given with all its deliciousness, you no doubt crave it all the time. Well now you can make. This Famous Secret Recipe of which I was taught to make form my former boss Chef Pasquale when I was working as a cook some 25 years ago.

Excerpted from RAGU BOLOGNESE – The Secret Recipe and More …

by Danny Bolognese

How to Make a Gabagool

Gabagool !!!

Mob Guy # 1: “Hey Paulie, I got some Gabagool !!!

Paulie : “Hey you STUPID JERK !”

Gabagool

This is part of a scene in Francis Ford Coppola’s famed Italian-American mob-movie The Godfather. The scene is during Connie Corleone’s Wedding to Carlo. Paulie and Mob Guy-1 are assigned by Sonny to be guarding the outside of the Corleone Compound from any unwanted intruders (FBI, rival gangs, anybody).

Mob Guy # 1 got a couple of Gabagool Sandwiches from one of the cooks preparing the Wedding Banquet for Connie and Don Corleone’s guests at Connie’s Wedding. Paulie and Guy # 1 can’t eat with the guest, but they are hungry. “Hey they’re Italian-American!” And Gabagool will definitely fit the bill. Gabagool, aka Gabagul, or similar, is an Italian Salumi pork-product made from the neck-meat of a pig. There are several variations of the name, including; Capicola (most common), Ham Capicola, Coppa, Capocollo, and Capicollo.

“Gabagool” is slang for Capicola? It is not “slang” but Neapolitan dialect that many Italian-Americans use for Capicola, including Tony Sopranos and those real-life guys who don Big Pinky Rings.

A Gabagool Sandwich

So you wanna make a Gabagool. The preferred sandwich is on Italian Bread or a hero-roll from a great Bread Baker like, Parisi Bakers in New York’s Little Italy. Then you gotta get the Gabagool! You get yourself top-quality Capicola from your favorite Pork Store, Satriale’s if you’re in North Jersey, at Di Palo’s in Little Italy, or Faicco’s if you’re downtown New York and Greenwich Village or at their Brooklyn outpost. You’re gonna want Provolone or Mozz, I prefer Provolone. Get some peppers, Hot Cherry Peppers like Tony, Paulie, and Silvio, or as others like myself, with Roast Sweet Peppers. That’s all you need. To make a Gabagool Sub, you need a good sub roll or crusty Italian-Bread, and Gabagool (Capicola) of course, thin sliced Provolone, and either, Genoa Salami, Mortadella, Prosciutto (Proshoot), or Sopressata if you like. Put the Gabagool, Provolone and any other if any Salumi product on the bottom half of your bread, top with shredded Iceberg Lettuce, add a slice of ripe Tomato, then thin sliced Red Onion, and sprinkle on Salt, Black Pepper, Oregano, Olive Oil, and Red Wine Vinegar and “you’re set!” Set if you don’t want it “Hot.” If you do? Then again, get yourself some Hot Italian Cherry Peppers and throw them. That’s a Gabagool Sub.

If you want just a Gabagool and not a Sub, get a nice smaller roll, some roast red sweet peppers (or Hot), the Capicola, and sliced Provolone. Pile everything on between the bread, and Voila, you’ve got a Gabagool, just like Tony.

Excerpted From SUNDAY SAUCE by Daniel Bellino Zwicke … Available on AMAZON.com

PS … For a great Gabagool Sandwich in New York, go to either Parisi’s Italian Deli in Little Italy, or Faicco’s Italian Specialties (Pork Store) on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village, for the best Italian Sandwiches on God’s Good Earth!

The LATE GREAT James GANDOLFINI

aka TONY SOPRANO

R.I.P.

Parisi Deli Bakery”GET a GABAGOOL”

GET A GABAGOOL !!!

Learn How to Make a GABAGOOL

in SUNDAY SAUCE

by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

SUNDAY SAUCE

When Italian-Americanc Cook

SEGRETO ITALIANO

Secret Italian Recipes

Dom DeMarco & DiFara Pizza Brooklyn

DiFara Pizza

Dom DeMarco

The MASTER

“Yes,” Eating Pizza Made by The Maestro DOM DeMARCO

Is a Religious Experience !!!

Much has been said of the now famed Pizzeria (DiFarra Pizza) on Avenue J in Brooklyn, New York the Capital of Thee Best Pizza in the whole United States of America, bar-none, even Manhattan. Brooklyn lays claim to the Top two Pizzerias in the country, the top of the list 1 and 2, number 1, The Best and number 2, the second best. Well no, I don’t know if I should put it that way, as it sound s as one is better than the other, which is not ht e case, as they are both equally good, equally Great and equally the Best Pizza and the Best Pizzerias in the United States, though they are are little different than one another. The Pizza at both Totonno’s on Neptune Avenue in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York and Di Farra Pizza on Avenue J in Brooklyn are both otherworldly specimens of some the Finest Pizza on other and the Undisputed Best Pizza in America.

Wow, got off on a tangent about both Di Farra and Totonno’s when I just intended to talk about Di Farra Pizza, Dom DeMarco the Maestro of Di Farra’s and the Religious experience that it is to go there, watch Dominic masterfully make Pizza after glorious Pizza (without the help of anyone else), to watch in awe and anticipation and Salivation til you finally get yours (after about a hour or hour and a half wait), you hold it in your hand like a precious baby, and then to sink your teeth into it, savoring each wondrous bite after the other. “Yes,” it is truly a religious experience, that is, if you are a great lover of this wonderful invention, created in Napoli, spread throughout the the Italian Peninsular and then across the Atlantic to America from Italian Immigrants where Gennaro Lombardi opened the First Pizzeria in America on Prince Street in New York City some 100 years ago or so.

Back to Di Farra and Pizzaiolo Extraordinaire, Mr. Dominic DeMarco. It is Dominic that makes Di Farra what it is, it certainly isn’t the Pizzeria itself which is ultra plain and even appalling to some. Mr. DeMarco’s pizzas are just about as close to absolute perfection in the Pizza Making World, a world in which New York City excels and has only one rival in Naples, Italy and the whole of Italy itself. Mr. De Marco has the magic touch, with perfect dough, the perfect balance of ingredients, tomato and other ingredient ratio to cheese, and this include Mr. Demarcos judicious use of Olive Oil which is right-on and a little magic touch that whoever complains about it, just does not know there Pizza and Italian Food on a whole. We Italians love our olive oil. And those who complain are unaware that it is a condiment that adds the final last touch to many dishes before they are eaten. Dominic knows this and should not be discourage against his generous use of it by those who do not understand the proper essence of the Italian Table. So please, keep your traps shut, if you don’t like it don’t eat it, this countries finest examples of the Pizza Art.

And on to the religious experience of Di Farra, Dom DeMarco and the mans artistry with Pizza. There is nothing quite like it in the entire Pizza World. There does not exist, to my knowledge any place in the world that has an elderly man making a hundred plus Pizzas a day in a place that has endless lines, day and night. Pizza that are so perfect, words can not describe People line up for greatness and artistry, and for a couple of slices of the most marvelous pizza this side of Naples, and to watch this passionate little old man work his heart out, not getting, not allowing anyone else to make a pie at his beloved Pizzeria. The man is elderly. He’s worked his whole life. He makes such a magical thing that people line up each and every day to see him and eat one of his many masterpieces. With business like this, he could hire to other Pizzaiolos to help him, doubling or tripling his business and and financial intake. He could hire two guys and make pizza aloing with them, or sit back and get three guys to do it. At his age, he’s entitled to. But know, Dom DeMarco loves what he does, he loves his Pizza, each and every one that passes that counter and into thousands of appreciative hands. The man feels that no one else can make a Pizza the way he does and wants to serve to his customers. No one else who has his skills, his passion and love for the Pizza, thus he does it all himself. And this my friends is the reason that going to Di Farra’s to watch Dominic the maestro in action, all by himself while hundreds of people line up every day, waiting an hour and a half to two hours just to get a Pizza (not just any old Pizza mind you). “It’s a Religious Experience.” Truly! A show and there is nothing like it in the World, Dom DeMarco, a man and his Pizza, America’s Best, and something to rival that other World Pizza Capital, Napoli.

by Daniel Bellino Zwicke

Where Has The PANNINI NAZI Gone ???

ALIDORO on Sullivan Street Soho

Formerly “MELEMPO” and Home of Alessandro

The Panini Nazi

aka Sandwich Nazi

Where has The Panini Nazi Gone? This is a question, some of the age of 35 and over in New York’s Southern Greenwich Village and Soho might ask. Others too, in other New York neighborhoods who made it over to a great little sandwich shop called Melampo. Melemapo is now diseased No longer in business. The owner, one Alessandro Gualandi, also-known-as “The Panni Nazi” ran his little sandwich shop on Sullivan Street between Spring and Prince Streets in what is now known as Soho, but for me and many “like” me, this is still known as The Village. Alessandro came to New York from Florence Italy. He used to work as a waiter at the famed Florentine Restaurant in New York “Da Silvano” owned by fellow Florentine Silvano Marchetto .. Alessandro was a hard worker who established himself in New York, saved up some money, then opened his own little heaven, one Melampo Sandwich Shop in South Greenwich Village (Soho) New York …

Alessandro was a passionate man, especially about food as any self-respecting Italian would be. He created his little shop of Hand-Crafted Italian Sandwiches (Panini) .. He made a menu, whereby all the Panini had their own names. Names like; Geppetto, Julia, and such. I can’t really remember all the names. The thing is, Alessandro had rules, and you better abide by them. He was an artist after all. You ordered a Panino (Sandwich) by name, and that was it. What it said on the menu describing the sandwich and the ingredients in any particular one was what you got. If the name was Marcello (named for the late great Italian actor Marcello Mastrianni) and the menu said the sandwich was made of Prosciutto, Mortadella, and Provolone, then that’s what you got. You couldn’t ask Alessandro to leave something off or add something to a particular sandwich. He would not have it. He was a temperamental artist, and you’re not going to ruin the balance of one of his masterful creations by altering it. If you, din’t like it you could leave, “and believe Me many did.” Alessandro could care less, he was an artist. Thus the moniker “Panini Nazi” there was no other. And not everyone knew his name, real or nickname.

Alessandro was a character yes, and many (including myself) loved that about him. Alessandro is still alive. He’s retired. I seeing walking the streets of Soho and going for his morning coffee.

Alessandro and his little sandwich shop “Melampo” became famous. he made great sandwiches and sometimes the line would go out the door. And if you were in line, don’t make any comments for Alessandro to hurry up, he took his time. He was an artist, a master sandwich maker, and you better not say anything to upset him.

Yes we miss him, Alessandro and his little sandwich shop Melampo. the shop is still there. It’s now called Alidoro and run by someone else. It’s much the same, they make good sandwiches, but Alessandro is gone, and so are all the “Rules” and quirkiness. We miss that …

Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

The SOUP NAZI

NOT THE SANDWICH PANINI NAZI ALESSANDRO

BUT MY FRIEND in HAVANA

“DON DANIELE”

No Known Pictures Are Known of

Alessandro The PNANI NAZI

New DANTE Not Really Italian

What is It ???

SMALL PLATES ECLECTIC MENU

Non-Driven Italian Wine List

Old Patrons Probably Won’t Like It

The New Dante

South Room Bar

Linden Pride

Caffe Dante’s New Owner

DANTE The new owners, including Linden Pride, formerly of AvroKO, have spruced up the 100-year-old cafe with green leather banquettes, but the space retains a vintage Italian Greenwich Village look with its pressed tin ceiling. The menu is now mostly small plates: beef tartare, burrata, flatbread and cold pasta salad. Italian aperitifs dominate the cocktail list: 79-81 Macdougal Street (Bleecker Street), 212-982-5275

A Picture of Former Caffe Dante Owner

Mari Flotta on the Homepage of The New Dante

The new Dante on Macdougal Street in Greenwich Village is

absolutely nothing like the former beloved Caffe Dante, a caffe

that was a fixture of Greenwich Village for exactly 100 years

before closing earlier this year, when former owner

Mario Flotta sold Caffe Dante to Linden Pride who has been

quoted as saying the new Dante will be very much like the old

one with some changes. “Not” !!! The new Dante looks very nice

although quite different from the former caffe .. The entire concept

of the new Dante pretty much has nothing to do with the old one.

The New Dante has been billed as a Small Plates / Apertivo Bar

that has little resemblance to anything remotely Italian .. It’s billed

as an Italian Apertivo Bar, yet the Wine list has barely 20%

Italian Wines in its makeup an the food apart from a few

Italian items, seems anything but Italian.

Although the new owner (s) has stated that the New Dante

will be very much like and in the spirit of the former Caffe Dante,

it seems doubtful that writers & students would be able to go into

the place, get a Cappuccino and sit writing for an hour or two.

The former Caffe Dante was a Greenwich Village Italian Caffe where

people could go just for a Cappuccino or Espresso and maybe a

pastry if they liked, hang out with friends or be there on there own just

relaxing, reading, writing, whatever ..

There was a rumor that the new Dante would be serving dinner and drinks

at night and that is what customers would be expected to order, and

spend probably a minimum of $30 and upwards, but during the day

people would be able to just go in for a Cappuccino or Espresso. it seems

doubtful that this will be possible, but time will tell. Time will tell what the

New Dante is, if its successful or not and if it stays the same as the owners

now intend or if it will morf into something else.

The New DANTE

North Side Dining Room

APEROL SPRITZ

On The Menu

GREENWICH VILLAGE ITALIAN

Greenwich Village Italian And?

Author: Daniel Bellino

Italian Hot Dogs of New Jersey

BIG DOGS of ITALIAN WINE – Barolo Barbaresco Brunello

Party alla Bolognese

PARTY alla BOLOGNESE

RAGU BOLOGNESE Secret Recipe

Dom DeMarco The MASTER of PIZZA – DiFara Pizza

RAGU BOLOGNESE by Danny Bolognese New Cookbook

How to Make a Gabagool

Gabagool !!!

Dom DeMarco & DiFara Pizza Brooklyn

Where Has The PANNINI NAZI Gone ???

New DANTE Not Really Italian

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PARTY alla BOLOGNESE

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Gabagool !!!

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