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Torrone candy is one of the traditional specialties you can still find at the feast, if you know where to look. The Fratta family (Danny and John Fratta) have been setting up shop at the corner of Mulberry and Grand streets during the feast for at least the last 89 years. While the treats they serve at each of their stands have changed over the years, Danny Fratta, 39, says he still sells torrone candy, just as his great-grandmother Antoinette Sabatino did many years ago.
“We are one of the only stands left to sell torrone, an Italian nougat candy that’s hard to find these days. You chop it with a hammer and a knife,” he explains. The specialty, made of sugar, egg whites and honey, is often stuffed with almonds, pistachios or other mixed nuts. “That’s something really rare that you really don’t see anymore at the feast that we keep.”
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Photo Credit: iStock -
Photo Credit: iStock -
Photo Credit: Jeff Bachner -
Fried dishes are a must at any street festival. The specialties at San Gennaro include mozzarella sticks, arancini, or rice balls, and zeppoles (deep fried dough topped with powdered sugar).” data-id=”112311016″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/5917_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.12311016″/>
Photo Credit: iStock
The San Gennaro festival, which takes place Sept. 12 to 22, celebrates the culture of Italian immigrants with parades, religious processions and (of course) plenty of food.
The celebration, now in its 93rd year, is hosted by the Society of San Gennaro, a nonprofit organization that supports early Italian immigrant culture and faith. The feast will feature live music, plus annual cannoli-eating (Sept. 13), zeppole-eating (Sept. 18) and meatball-eating (Sept. 21) competitions.
Vendors representing local Italian restaurants and bakeries are always in attendance, lining the streets of Little Italy in Manhattan with plenty of delicious bites to choose from.
“Basically, any kind of Italian food there is, you’ll find it at the feast,” said John Fratta, a longtime board member of the Society of San Gennaro, whose great-grandfather was the group’s first president.
You can’t go wrong with anything offered at the festival, but we’ve rounded up the dishes that should top your list when you head to Mulberry Street.
