HUNGRY GERALD

Many decades ago, when HG was a youngster in The Bronx, the borough was renowned for Jewish-American and Italian -American food. HG looks back on it with nostalgia sharpened appetite. For food loving Jews it was heaven. Every main street in the West Bronx had an “appetizing” store (smoked salmon, sable, sturgeon, etc.); a delicatessen (pastrami, corned beef, knockwurst, franks, etc.); bakery (rye bread, pumpernickel, bialys, bagels, pletzels, etc.). Daitch Dairy had its start there (extraordinary cream cheese, butter, sour cream cottage cheese, pot cheese, roquefort, etc.). Fish? Citarella’s had its start on Kingsbridge Road before going on to national  fame in Manhattan. Fresh fruit and vegetables were the province of Italian farmers/greengrocers who brought it to their market stalls by horse and wagon (later by truck). The center of Italian food was  Arthur Avenue in the Belmont neighborhood. A vast public market with every variety of olive oil, prosciutto, parmesan, mozzarella, sausages, anchovies ad infinitum. Outstanding bakeries with great bread, cannolis and pignoli cookies. Lots of delightful pizzerias. Happily, Arthur Avenue is still going strong and lures hundreds of shoppers and tourists. Food is not splendid in the present day Bronx but there’s hope. Emigration has brought Africans to the borough and this has resulted in simple cafes that are favored by cab drivers wanting a taste of their homelands.