In my business: you NEVER “bury your lead!”
And that lead is this delicious sausage and peppers on a roll with caramelized onion…all because it’s the 100th anniversary of New York City’s “Feast Of San Gennaro!”
The Feast celebrates the life of San Gennaro (Saint Januarius) who was the Bishop of Benevento, Italy, and was beheaded as a martyr in 305 AD during the Roman persecutions.
In 1926, cafe owners and immigrant families on Mulberry Street set up a small street chapel for their patron saint, roasted chickens on the pavement, and invited neighbors to share food while pinning donations to a statue’s ribbon streamers for the poor…all traditions that still exist 100 years later.
Figli di San Gennaro actively supports over 30 great charities and organizations, and I pinned some money on the display as an offering – as did many others as well.
This festival is so much fun: great food, everyone in an upbeat mood, a nice remembrance – New York’s annual celebration has it all!
I love Italian food, and eat regularly in New York’s Little Italy neighborhood…but today, it was all about the sausage and peppers and here’s why!
“Sausage And Peppers” – With Caramelized Onions Too!
This may be the most iconic dish at the entire festival – there are a dozen carts all selling them:
I had to buy the festival’s signature dish – and that meant it was time to get in line:
Time For Sausage And Peppers!
I waited in line along with all of the other people for about ten minutes as the guys behind the counter made sandwich after sandwich after sandwich:
The smell at the feast is truly intoxicating: and you can get closeup to see the food being prepared for you:
The wait was worth it as the smell was incredible! I got a sweet sausage with peppers and onions, and here’s what I got:
So delicious! In fact, I got one to take home – I unpacked it, warmed it up a bit and then dug in – here’s my taste test:
What a food feast it was!
There is much more to taste there – so if you want the full culinary experience, head over to my “all food all the time” blog to see it all – here’s a tease: there are baked clams, fried calamari and deep-fried Oreos too!
Little Italy always reminds me of my favorite film of all time, “The Godfather.”
Remember when Alex and I visited the film’s original locations in Sicily?
That included the church where Michael Corleone was married – leading to a wild ride back down to the town – watch as we careen down the hill – I do manage to get a shot of the church as we speed down the narrow cobblestone path!
Yes, we explored several of the iconic locations and you can see them all by clicking here:
And I also made some authentic Italian “Sunday Gravy” thanks to the Sopranos AND Actor Stanley Tucci – see why here:
If you are in New York for the Feast Of San Gennaro, why not visit this iconic film set while you are here?
It’s the real “Ghostbusters” Firehouse!
See where it is and learn more about the iconic film franchise here:
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Categories: 70's Cinema, Art, Exotic Travel, Food, food blog, Food Review, Italy, Memoirs, New York, Pop Culture, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir, Wacky Food
johnrieber 
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