How Could I Forget, Darlings?????????????????

                                  Mangia, Abundanza!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                   This has been quite a week, so much so that I forget to mention that last night was the kick off of La Festa De San Gennaro in Little Italy.  This is the 86th year for what has come to be thought of  as the quintessential Street Festival, and an unofficial benchmark for the End of Summer, when things get hauled indoors, afterwards.  And just, as I am sure, the Festival has changed over the years, so, too, has my relationship to it.

                                     When I was young and carefree--a real ingenue, darlings!!!--I used to go to the thoroughfare along Mulberry Street, walking for hours, feasting and noshing on everything delicious in sight--from pasta, to pepper and sausage heros, to those world famous cannolis!!!!!!!  As I got older, either the crowd factor escalated, or my tolerance for it began to wane. In any case, I found myself going there during non-peak times--like after work during the week.  Because the weekends--fugeddaboutit, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!  After a time, even this became difficult, and so I used to march indoors to one of the restaurants, where, in honor of San Gennaro, I would dine royally.  The restaurant I always chose was Paolucci's, which had been on the street, so they said, since 1947 (an interesting year, considering it was the year my parents got married!!!!!!), and it stood out from the rest in several ways--first, the sauce was the best, the service was excellent, and brothers Dominic and Danny were always seated at the back table, playing cards.  Or so it seemed.  You can bet this is one place where I always made sure I sat with my back to the wall!!!!!!!!!!  Though somehow, with the Paolucci brothers on the premises, I always felt safe!!!!!!!!  The cuisine was superb--still, the best I have had on that street.  Another thing which made it stand out was a geographic--it was the only restaurant along that block which was not ground level--you had to walk up a flight of stairs, to get in. Which, when I first went there, in 1983, is what probably drew me to it in the first place. But then there was the cuisine.

                                    Alas, the March of Time!!!!!!!!  Imagine my horror, when, in 2006, I trooped down there, expecting to dine at Paolucci's--only to discover it was not there, anymore!!!!!!!!!  Oh, the space was still there, but now it was not even a restaurant!!!!!!!  It had become--a purse and accessories store!!!!!!!!!!  Indeed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       I was so devastated, loves, I tried to find out what had happened.  I knew, from the gossip I picked up dining there all these years, that the Palouccis, or at least a good share of their contingent, lived on Staten Island. It turned out, in the long run, they moved the restaurant from Mulberry Street to somewhere over there. Which may give me one reason to go to Staten Island, but first I have to find out exactly where in that borough this eatery now is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                        The end result is San Gennaro has become an unknown quantity, which I always remember, but forget to go to.  Maybe because nothing on that street has replaced Paolucci's in my affections.
Luna?  Don't go!!!!!!!!!!  Il Cortile?  Not bad, but their sauce was not up to scratch.  Now, I have heard much about Angelo's and SPQR, but have not ventured, so I am open. Any of my girls out there been to these????? Be sure to let me know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                           Otherwise, it is a home cooked meal, and the DVD of "Moonstruck!!!!!!!"