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Arthur Avenue Retail Market
Rating Details »
Categories: Ethnic Food, Meat Shops
Neighborhood: Belmont2344 Arthur Ave
Bronx, NY 10462
(718) 295-5033
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
9 reviews for Arthur Avenue Retail Market
If I had to name the heart of the Italian area of the Bronx, it would be in this old retail market/public market that first opened in 1940. I'm sure it has changed quite a lot over the years but it doesn't look like it has. It's managed to stay very Italian. You can still buy fruits and vegetables here. Homemade sausages hang from the ceiling. The deli case had fresh pasta, fresh from Italy.
Stop by Mike's Deli for some Sicilian rice balls or stuffed breads (featured on the Food Network). Grab a slice of pizza in the back (I was impressed by the generous veggie toppings) and eat it inside (they have seating) or take it outside to the park where you'll see Italian men playing bocce. Pick up a hand-rolled cigar if you're into such things or some gelato.
I finally visited Arthur Ave today after reading all the hype. It is an OK shopping area with lots of Italian restaurants but not all that special in my book. The Retail Market itself is quite small as these things go - nothing like the Reading Terminal Market in Philly. For that matter the Essex Street Market downtown is a lot better.
If you want ambiance, take the subway to Astoria.
Mike's Deli...mmmm...tastey.
The service is friendly and very straight forward. I love it!
Great food,great prices and quality -the Bronx's own Little Italy certainly surpasses what is called Little Italy in Manhattan.
You don't come here for ambiance, this is ALL about Italian food! Originally created by former Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia to take all of the cart vendors off the street (remember those? NY used to have them), this is the heart of the Belmont. There's plenty of places to explore, from cigar rollers, to butchers, to delis, and so on. You can easily spend a full day shopping here and in the surrounding Arthur Ave area if you wanted to. My favorite places are probably the cigar rollers and Cafe al Mercato, as I do most of my shopping outside of the market; however, I can't help but stop in every trip and grab something that looks good when walking around. Its just a magical place if you like Italian food!
Like the rest of Arthur Ave, Arthur Ave Retail Market is good, somewhere I would definitely shop if I lived in the area but not good enough to impress you, unless you live in a culinary wasteland like Soho.
A tiny slice of Italy nestled along Arthur Avenue, this is the closest you are going to get to Florence's Mercato Centrale on this side of the Atlantic. Like the famous Florentine marketplace (the ultimate foodie heaven), there is a fruit and vegetable vendor, a butcher, and a bustling lunchtime crowd for the excellent grub at Mike's Deli, the rough equivalent of Florence's Nerbone, minus the famous bollito sandwiches. (There is also Cafe al Mercado, but their side of the market is never as busy, so I've never been tempted away from Mike's). Of course, it is all much smaller and more contained than the giant market in Florence, but hey, it doesn't close at 3 PM, and there is a really nice variety of Italian specialty foodstuffs, as well as kitchen utensils, cigars hand-rolled before your eyes, plants, and a selection of touristy souvenirs from your trip to "Little Italy in the Bronx." Though I've yet to purchase a Godfather t-shirt, I've done a great deal of shopping in the other areas of the market. I've always been very pleased with the quality of the produce I've purchased, which seems much fresher than what's available at nearby supermarkets, even though it isn't locally sourced. One time I was even given a single stalk of free basil when I explained that I can never manage to use a whole bunch before it goes bad. Very nice. The staff of Peter's Meats is also very friendly and helpful, and you can watch them make your hamburger meat in the giant silver grinder. They also have a variety of meats rolled with cheese and vegetables, as well as meatballs and such, pre-seasoned for your cooking convenience. If your tastes run to the more exotic, they also sell some crazy varieties of smoked meats, including giant cow tongues. Ew. There are plenty of other great food shops on Arthur Ave which you should check out, but the Market is unique because of the variety of goods housed under one roof. Also, I don't know where else you can watch little Cuban men roll cigars, and this is the only place I know of that sells its sticky-sweet torrone in giant chipped off blocks, rather than neatly pre-packaged bricks. Much better.
I love Arthur avenue. It's basically a one stop shop for everything authentic. When I'm ready to cook an impressive meal, I always go to this market to pick up fresh food and veggies.
I don't understand why this place and the whole Arthur Avenue area isn't more popular and famous than it is. I almost always the only non-Italian customer (actually the only non-white person), which is fine by me. Fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and cheeses (and freshly rolled cigars for anyone who is interested). The people and atmosphere are very Bronx Italian. I smiled once when I saw four grumpy old men already drinking red wine at 8am with a plate of cheese and olives.
