After our visit to the Statue of Liberty, we were tired and hungry. As always, we wanted an adventure. Since we were already downtown we debated several choices before making our final decision. Here’s what we did in Little Italy NYC in the COVID-Era.
What is it like there during the COVID-19 Era?
It was about 3PM when we arrived, so maybe that’s why it was so easy to find a legal street parking spot on the street? Anyway, it was too late for lunch and too early for dinner. This worked in our favor because less people equals more COVID-cautious. Adding to that, it turns out that Mulberry Street is one of the many areas in Manhattan that are closed to traffic to facilitate social distancing. Look here for a complete list of pedestrian malls in NYC.
Where did you eat?
We hadn’t been for a meal in Little Italy in a while and we weren’t sure which restaurant to choose…so of course we googled. We decided on Aunt Jake’s because of an article from the Thrillist website, which describes this restaurant as the “best for fresh pasta”.
OMG They were SO right‼! The food was scrumptious. They got us started right away with drinks and garlic sticks that hit the spot! For an appetizer we had avocado-and-fried-artichoke toast. It looked so cool and tasted great! I wish I had taken a pic. All of our food was so delicious and beautifully presented! As for COVID-safety, tables were placed 6 feet apart and staff wore masks. The service was excellent! I highly recommend Aunt Jake’s for a meal!
What about dessert?!
We decided on a taste test for dessert today. First stop: Caffe Palermo. This restaurant claims to be the #1 Cannoli King. I had never been to this place before. Its tacky inside, but had an amazingly large selection.
The competition was my personal favorite in the Little Italy area: Ferrara. Sadly, due to the pandemic, operations have been moved outside, and the selection and display were disappointing.
Blind Taste Test Results
- Nina ranks Cannoli King better in every way. Hands down…no contest.
- Renato says “both are fine, but the filling from Caffe Palermo tastes better”
- To be honest, I am not a lover of desserts that do not feature chocolate, but I participated anyway. I really wanted Ferrara to win, but the truth is that the pastry from the Cannoli King was more fresh and tasted better (except there was too much cinnamon for my taste.
