When the Belmont section of the Bronx (""Italian Fordham"") housed 40,000+ Italians and Italian-Americans through the late 1960's, the local consensus was that the best of the most popular varieties of southern Italian-style (Neapolitan and Sicilian) pastry in the New York metro area could be found at a little shop called Colavolpe at the SW corner of Prospect Ave./ E.187th St. DeLillo came in a close second back then, with more variety, and now it is Numero Uno in quality.. The much larger Artuso's, located at Crescent Ave./E. 187th St. (but not other stores using the name in the metro area) comes in second these days in quality, and offers greater variety and capacity for catering large parties. Bensonhurst, eat your heart out: you can't make up in pastry size what you lack in sophistication. Grand Street, give it up: only the tourists (except those from Italy) are fooled by the high prices.
Pros: Quality, service, historic authenticity
Cons: Very cramped; lines out the door during days just before Christmas and Easter
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