Dominick's of Little Italy, da Bronx

My college Alma Mater is Fordham University in the Bronx. This beautiful campus is located a few blocks from the infamous Little Italy and Arthur Avenue, right off Fordham Road. During the four years that I attended, Little Italy was like a second home, providing authentic, home-style Italian restaurants, shopping and even a summer apartment one year! 

So when my dear travelin' cousin Tanya told me she was planning to go to a Yankee game during her visit to New York this past week, it dawned on me that nothing would end a great day of Bronx Bombers baseball then dinner at the Real Little Italy in "da Bronx." And, for a real treat, we would go to Dominick's Restaurant, my favorite dining place on Arthur Avenue!

---

I didn't know what to expect, since it had been over 25 years since my last visit to Dominicks.  My recollection of this eatery was a relatively small, family style dining room as you entered through a simple doorway. The characteristic that stuck out prominently in my mind was that there were no menus and no dinner checks. You just told your waiter what you wanted and if they had it, you got it.  Of course, your request had to be traditional Italian food.  My favorite from back then was stuffed shells and a small salad.  

The "Cousins" outside Dominicks Restaurant on Arthur Avenue

With much anticipation, I drove to Arthur Avenue via the Throgs Neck Bridge, to the Cross Bronx Expressway to The Bronx River Parkway to the Fordham Road Exit.  Ahh, what memories.  Hard to believe how fast time flies. Making the left off of Fordham Road onto Arthur Avenue, I announced to my gang, "Here we are!  This is Arthur Avenue."

As one food critic put it recently, “The restaurants of Arthur Avenue make Mulberry Street’s look like stepchildren of the Olive Garden.” - courtesy ArthurAvenueBronx.com

Interior of Dominick's

The look and feel of the neighborhood was the same.  A number of merchant store front changes and updated entryways to the old favorites, but otherwise, the same Little Italy I remember. The biggest change was the removal of the individual parking meters and in their place, electronic parking machines. 

I secured a spot a few doors down from Dominicks with my girls and my two nephews in tow. Tanya and her gang, including her Grandma had arrived a bit earlier and were waving as we approached. Because they don't take reservations (and never did), we had to wait a little while to be seated.  But that was alright because we had fun taking pictures outside and taking in the ambiance of this classic street that used to be my home.  

---

The interior of the restaurant really hadn't changed much, which was actually quite comforting to me. Still loud with the informality of sitting in your grandmother's dining room, the atmosphere was still the same. The happiest surprise for me was when our waiter arrived at our table asking what we would like to order.  No Menus still!!!  I was lovin' it.  For everyone else, they couldn't understand this and one after the next (except Tanya because I had warned her of this endearing characteristic) kept exclaiming, "there's no menus?"   

Family Style Mixed Salad

Linguine with Oil and Garlic

Gianna had it in her head to order stuffed shells because I had shared that was my favorite from my years at Fordham.  Unfortunately, they didn't have them.  Nor did they have ravioli or ricotta cheese of any kind, lol.  But, we all managed just fine. Kelsey and Julian had heaping bowls of linguine (no spaghetti tonight) - with tomato and bolognese sauce respectively.  Nolan's plate of chicken parmesan and linguine was enough for two people. 

Sauteed Broccoli

Baked Penne with Mozzarella

Sauteed Escarole

Cosette, Dominic and Tanya, being vegan, settled on linguine with garlic and oil, a real Italian specialty.  Grandma had veal marsala, which she seemed to thoroughly enjoy.  I had a delicious bowl of penne with melted mozzarella, crispy to perfection; and my food-loving Gianna had linguine marinara with lots of grated cheese.

In addition to our main courses, we also ordered a few sides. I ordered a delicious side of sautéed broccoli which was superbly cooked with the right amount of crunch and flavorful. Tanya ordered sautéed escarole, which she seasoned with red pepper flakes.

As an Italian, this is definitely my kind of food.  Nothing fancy, just good cooking, and lots of it! Big servings for sure, since Kelsey, Julian and Nolan brought tons of leftovers home! 

THE TRAVELIN' COUSINS HAVING AN ITALIAN DINNER TOGETHER. NOTE: OUR WAITER IN THE BACKGROUND

Now, for me, the highlight of the night was when it came time to pay the bill.  No checks!  Our waiter just came over and told us our total.  A bit of the honor system, since there is no way to know what anything cost and whether we had been charged appropriately.  I really got a charge out of this since this is the Dominicks I remember! 

In actuality, I thought the cost of our meal for nine people was very reasonable.  It came to roughly $20 per person, including the tip.

Having dinner at this classic restaurant was an experience I'm glad all the cousins had the chance to have together!

For Your Reference

Little Italy The Bronx

Dominick’s Restaurant
2335 Arthur Avenue
Bronx, NY
718-733-2807