Top Picks: Italian Arthur Avenue

Another great Little Italy Bakery, Madonia bakes a number of inventive breads (jalapeno, cheese, olive), delicious biscottis, and fresh pastas. Here Strong … recommends the stuffed to order cannoli and homemade pizza dough. [link]

One of the easiest and best ways to transform a regular pasta dinner into something extraordinary is by using freshly made pasta. There are usually good places in any … borough with a decent Italian neighborhood, and in the Bronx, Borgatti's is where it's at. They've been selling their homemade egg noodles, ravioli, manicotti, and cavatelli for over 70 years at the same spot. [link]

Though it may not be the best slice in the whole city, it sure ranks no. 1 in the Bronx. The big foldable slices have a crunchy cornmeal crust and are loaded with copious … amounts of cheese. We hear from net foodie folks that it's not as good as it used to be, but it's definitely worth a stop. [link]

For some accoutrement to your meats and breads, get olives, nuts, cookies, and spreads at Teitel Brothers. It's been around for almost a century and is still run by the … same family. [link]

After you've bought enough meats and cheeses to fill up your fridge, you'll need some bread. Addeo makes all kinds of homemade breads, from ciabatta rolls to biscotti, … bread sticks, and Pannetone. The racks fill up with fresh goodies in the morning and are emptied out every night. [link]

If you only have time to hit one place, go to the Arthur Avenue Retail Market, a warehouse-like setup filled with vendors selling cured meats, freshly made cheeses, and … produce. While here, Strong recommends stopping by Mike's Deli, famous for their excellent hearty sandwiches. [link]