Sizzle in Hell's Kitchen: Ethnic Recipes from Restaurants of New York City's Ninth Avenue Neighborhood

Introduction

Said one famous actor, I come to the neighborhood to eat because I’m safe here. No one cares who you are or what you do—everyone’s the same.

When I moved to Manhattan a decade ago, I had heard of a great food shopping and eating area—Ninth Avenue. Unsure as to what to expect but being a devoted foodie, I set out to discover what all the talk was about. Surely, it couldn’t possibly compare to the marketplaces and restaurants in Paris, Rome, Cairo and other great food centers, could it?

My adventure began early in the day as I set out to explore the myriad shops and eating establishments. My initial skepticism evaporated immediately when I discovered that I was in a microcosm of the world. Not only were there French, Italian and Mediterranean cuisines and cultures, but also Ethiopian, Russian, Thai, Iraqi, Druze, German and more. I felt overwhelmed, in a good way, with the variety and abundance of international culinary products.

As I spoke with neighborhood merchants and residents, I was delighted to learn that I was in the middle of Hell’s Kitchen, a place known around the world through movies, television, theater and books. Emphasis had always been put on the area’s colorful history and characters but little on its ethnically diverse foods. My leisurely shopping day initiated an insatiable appetite to not only indulge in the eating experience but also capture the recipes, traditions and stories. So, on Ash Wednesday 2001, the concept for this book was born. I had no idea where the road would lead but I was ready for the journey. And what a wonderful journey it has been!

Before I delved into the recipes and resident conversations, I had to know the basics. Hell’s Kitchen could not be limited to Ninth Avenue, so how much territory did it cover and what were the boundaries? Also, how in the world could a neighborhood come to be known as Hell’s Kitchen? As I began my research, my first surprise came with the puzzled looks on the faces of those living and working here. Their question was always the same: Why do you want to know these things? We’re born here, work here and die here. It’s simple. That’s when I realized they take the magnitude of this treasure for granted. Yes, they love it and stay generation after generation. They know it is special to them but don’t assume it would be special to anyone else.

While there are no distinct boundaries, Hell’s Kitchen is considered to lie between West 34th and West 57th Streets and from Eighth Avenue to the Hudson River. On the eastern boundary, the neighborhood overlaps the Times Square theater district. On the southeast side, it overlaps the Garment District; on the northern edge, Hell’s Kitchen is two blocks south of Central Park and on the western edge is the Hudson River.

In the seventeenth century, this area was known as Bloemendael and was an idyllic Dutch setting with landed gentry. While there are different versions as to how it became Hell’s Kitchen, the most common anecdote goes back to the late 1800s. A veteran policeman, Dutch Fred the Cop, and his rookie partner watched a violent brawl on West 39th Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues. Shocked, the rookie exclaimed, This is Hell! to which Fred matter-of-factly responded, Hell is cool compared to this. This is Hell’s kitchen! The name remains, although it is sometimes referred to as Clinton or Midtown West.

At that time in Hell’s Kitchen history, Ninth Avenue became a flourishing pushcart marketplace known as Paddy’s Market. Droves of people came from all over Manhattan to shop in open-air markets for spices, oils, breads, fish, poultry, meats and produce. The stage was set, and today this immigrant neighborhood continues to be one of New York City’s major food venues for chefs, home cooks, restaurant-goers and anyone who loves to eat.

A walk in the area offers innumerable ethnic food shops and restaurants. Both locals and tourists flock to the neighborhood, assured that a rare, indispensable ingredient or a favorite dish will be found—perhaps a special butcher cut black pepper, or oxtails, or a special tapa from Spain or a delectable brandade from France!

Many people shop the day away and then slip inside a restaurant for dinner in the country of their choice. Surrounded by authentic cultural decor, diners are transported, reliving childhood or favorite travel memories. How often I’ve heard, This avgolemono is exactly the way my Greek grandmother made it . . . This doro wat reminds me of that Ethiopian village . . . That Italian villa—the bagna cauda—delicioso! Tastes, aromas and reminiscences!

Blessed with generations of ethnic diversity, strong community and a cornucopia of food and drink, Hell’s Kitchen has also been blessed with location. Because it overlaps New York’s Theater District, HK restaurants are packed with avid theatergoers both before and after the shows. When I asked Lidia Bastianich why she chose this site for Becco’s, she responded, I wanted to serve customers the freshest ingredients in delicious dishes while still getting them to the show on time. Oftentimes, theatergoers are so involved in their eating adventure that they are unaware of Broadway actors and celebrities at the table next to them. One famous actor told me, I come to the neighborhood because I’m safe here. No one cares who you are or what you do—everyone’s the same. A perfect summation of the nature of the area—especially with so many different cultures.

Writing a cookbook entails collecting recipes, testing them and, of course, eating everything to make sure, the latter being the most envious part of the process! What is sometimes forgotten are the people—and their stories—who give life to the food and recipes. For years, I’ve lived in the neighborhood, shopping, eating, chatting on stoops in the evenings, and I thought I knew everyone. But it was only when I asked them to go back as far as they could remember that the deluge came:

Bobby Esposito’s grandfather founded Giovanni Esposito & Sons Meat Shop (38th Street and Ninth Avenue) when he arrived from Naples in the 1920s. He raised ten children across the street from the business. Today in the same location, his grandson Bobby still supplies thousands of pounds of sausage weekly to individuals and city restaurants.

Upon seeing the Hudson River when arriving from Greece, Andy Fable’s grandfather decided to open his Poseidon god of the sea Bakery. With the bakery on the ground floor, the family lived upstairs to combine family and business. The tradition continues today. As Andy’s wife, Lillian, says, We’re keeping up the tradition. We’re the last Manhattan shop to make phyllo by hand. We can run downstairs at 5:00 a.m., start flouring the boards and rolling the baklava without leaving home. Lily and Andy’s son Paul (the fourth generation) can be found every day in the shop preparing delectable Greek specialties. Good news: people line up to buy their light phyllo delicacies. Bad news: all recipes are family secrets.

When I asked ninety-year-old Camilla Pollio what she remembered most about growing up in Hell’s Kitchen, she looked perplexed. Too general! My question switched to, When you were ten? Her eyes sparkled. My father worked at the Runkel’s Chocolate Factory and he came home every night with cocoa packed in his hair. My mother scrubbed the pillowcases on a washboard. I almost forgot!

Today, Paul Vaccari and his brother Peter are carrying on the family’s retail meat business at Piccinini Brothers. Their grandfather and his half-brother Mauro Piccinini established the shop in 1922. The shop—with one of the city’s first walk-in freezers, marble counters and sawdust floors—was as colorful as its clientele. The mix included speakeasies and restaurants as well as housewives and actors like Jimmy Durante and Walter Matthau. When Paul reminisces, he smiles and says, My grandmother worked here until she died at 104.

A tiny seafood store, DeMartino’s might be passed by, but it has been supplying the neighborhood and restaurants for almost a century. Eighty-year-old Joe could be found dozing in his chair every day in the shop, but a slight nudge would get him up smiling and placing your order into a brown paper bag. I was lucky to have sat and chatted with him before his death in December 2007. As he went back in time, he recollected, When I was twelve, my brother and I would go to the store after school. My father cleaned the seafood, my mother boxed it, and we delivered it. The business is still in the family and remains a neighborhood fixture.

The stories about life in the neighborhood are as abundant and diverse as the people and their food. It would be impossible to tell all of them, or it would need its own book. Here, I can only hope to capture the essence of the people and their foods through the remembrances expressed above.

Finally, I am constantly being asked what my favorite dish is, my favorite restaurant. I have always found those questions to be curious, as I cannot imagine choosing one of anything. It’s cliché but true, Variety is the spice of life—so why not go for it! And that’s what Hell’s Kitchen offers. Locals and tourists alike can travel to various countries to indulge in whatever ethnic feast they crave on any particular day. And the best part: it’s all within walking distance. Whether you live here or are here for a visit, you’re sure to find what you’re craving, and perhaps a slice of heaven!

Starters

A veteran policeman, Dutch Fred the Cop, and his rookie partner watched a violent brawl on West 39th Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues. Shocked, the rookie exclaimed, This is Hell! to which Fred matter-of-factly responded, Hell is cool compared to this. This is Hell’s kitchen!

Bacon-Wrapped Dates

Cafe Andalucia, Spanish Tapas, courtesy of Guillermo Vidal

The crunchiness and contrast of sweet and salty make this Spanish tapas dish a real crowd pleaser. They will go quickly, so make sure there are many available. More good news is they can be made ahead and refrigerated. Pecans or walnuts can be substituted for the almonds.

Serves 6 (30 pieces)

1 Stuff each date with an almond.

2 Roll each date tightly in 1 strip bacon.

3 In batches, place in a large heavy skillet over high heat. Cook on one side 5 to 6