If you are a foodie, it should interest you to know that on the last Saturday of each month, through October is the Bronx Night Market in Fordham Plaza.  As a lover of food myself, I was totally stoked to finally check things out for myself.

The largest food market in Uptown, The Bronx, and Westchester County, this monthly, open-air festival (which is free, I might add!) attracts more than 10,000 people each month and this past weekend, I was one of them!

Driving with my daughter, my friend, her two daughters and my huge appetite, we made excellent time traveling from Long Island, arriving shortly before 4pm when the festivities began. Parking was a breeze at the lot adjacent to the Plaza (and across from Fordham University). 

I perused the vendor list prior to my arrival, which includes more than 40 food, beverage, and merchandise businesses, and even made contact with a few prior to the evening, to insure that I would have some one-on-one time to say hello and get the 411 on their special offerings.

Truthfully, I can tell you that my eyes were way bigger than my stomach, but, I'm very proud of the amount of yummy goodness I was able to consume for one small woman.

​Upon arriving, I was struck by two observations.  The first is that the market is very manageable in size and well laid out, making it possible to get an overview of the various vendors, to plot out an eating strategy and thereby, try as many different foods as possible.

Additionally, the array of food offerings were diverse, interesting and covered a great many tastes and dietary preferences.  From quick bites, to main courses and desserts to meat dishes, vegetarian and vegan options, savory and sweet, this really is a "global food celebration" as it is described to be.

Kudos to the organizers, Edible Bronx and Bronx-based creative agency BLOX, for their vision and discerning inclusion of such a divergent group of food merchants.

Our first purchase of the evening - yummy potato on a stick for $5 each.  With numerous flavoring options, Gianna and I chose barbeque and it was the perfect choice.  Just the right amount of spicy flavor and the potato was crisp but not greasy.

Next stop - a chicken taco on a fresh corn soft tortilla - super fresh and deelish! ​It was 2 for $7, so me and my girl, again shared and split the order. Your choice of toppings and sauces, we selected pico de gallo and cilantro to complement the moist, shredded chicken.

 

Playful Event is a hand made jewelry line, designed and owned by Nan Siegmund. Using wire, she creates whimsical, "wearable art" in the form of earrings, bracelets and necklaces, along with other mediums like crystals and a variety of beads, including decoupage beads. ​

Delighted to wake up this week to one of the nicest days all summer, I couldn't have asked for better weather to visit City Island in the Bronx.  If you are not familiar with this small island, located right over the (appropriately named) City Island Bridge, from the mainland of the Bronx in Pelham Bay Park, in the western most section of the Long Island Sound, this Bronx destination is well worth getting lost in for an afternoon!

​Blessed with sunshine, a cool breeze and low humidity, me and my "daycation" party of five, made up of my two daughters, my friend, Karla and her daughter, took a glorious drive over the Throgs Neck Bridge, to the Bronx island known today for its amazing seafood!  At one and one-half miles long by one-half mile wide, City Island is both manageable and enjoyable for a short day trip, alone or with the kiddos. Of course, in my case, as a travel blogger, my kids are generally always in tow (even if under protest).

​This time, however, I think they actually rather enjoyed themselves!! Well, honestly, what's not to?  City Island is quite compact and most of the sites are within walking distance to one another.  With City Island Avenue, the main road that runs from beginning to end, there is no shortage of restaurants, small shops, yacht clubs and quaint homes lining this modest thoroughfare, to take in, and with a view of The Long Island Sound in almost all directions, the atmosphere is absolutely up-lifting.

Though small in size, City Island, has quite a bit of history, with the first Europeans, arriving from England, and settling in the 1600's and even further back, having been inhabited by the Siwanoy band of the Lenape native Americans.  One of the first Europeans to settle City Island, then called Minefer's Island, was Samuel Pell, an English nobleman, who created an estate in 1654.

Through the hundred or so years that followed, there were many changes in ownership of the island, with one of the most influential of these being Benjamin Palmer, who had a vision of developing City Island as a port that would rival that of New York.

He was responsible for mapping out the town in different plots designated as shipyards, docks, business, farms, homes, schools, and houses of worship, along with streets, paths, and access routes. Palmer also is responsible for changing the name from Minefer's Island to City Island in anticipation of things to come. Palmer's vision never fully materialized, however, as the timing just before the American Revolution halted all progress.

As the years passed, however, new industries came to City Island which included fishing and ship building.  And to this day, City Island is known for its seafood and lobster.

What history!  We headed to the end of the island first to Belden Point, and took in the view of the water, The Stepping Stone Lighthouse and the Throgs Neck Bridge in the distance. I literally could have stood there all day, taking it all in, and mesmerized by the smell of the sea air. 

But, alas, it was time to move on. We made our way around the block to 175 Belden Street House, a simple, small picturesque cottage built in 1880, which is today, a NYC Landmark and on the National Register of Historical Places. 

I wasn't 100% sure, but it did appear that someone lived in the historic home.  I snapped away anyway (yikes) but so happy I have some photos of this lovely, old treasure. 

As our little gang grew hungry, we decided to try The City Island Diner. Once parked on the side street, I opened my door, only to see that we were right in front of the City Island Nautical Museum!  This was on our list to see. How convenient! 

​Unfortunately, it was closed, although my kids were trying to contain their excitement (brats!).  In any case, Karla and I decided this just gave us another excuse to come back in the near future. ​

We definitely made the perfect choice in eateries, since my kids are not seafood eaters (I know, not the place to be if you don't eat seafood), however, Gianna and I both had tuna fish salad, so that is in the category of fish (insert grin). It was dee-lish!

​Kelsey went with her usual of chicken tenders and fries, and as a result of stealing some food from her plate, I can attest to the fact that the fries were cooked to perfection. All five of us left not a morsel or a crumb on our plates!

Donna and the staff at the diner were friendly and sweet and chatted with me about some other places to visit in the area, namely Orchard Beach (which is now on my list for another Bronx excursion!)

​With our tummy's full, we walked back to the car to retrace our drive back to the entrance of the island and the City Island Bridge.  After a few hours of bopping around and having a bite to eat, our last stop was The City Island Veteran's Memorial Triangle situated prominently near the bridge, honoring our brave American heroes.

In retrospect, it's hard to believe (and admit!) that in all these years as a New Yorker, four of which were spent as a Fordham student, living on campus, that this is only my second visit to City Island!  I'm happy I decided to do so again this week!

Is it just me, or do you find the history of places in the great borough of the Bronx fascinating?!

In doing some unrelated research online, I came across, what I thought to be a very enlightening and quite frankly, enthralling tidbit of significant Bronx history.

Most people from the Bronx are familiar with the the village of Morrisania, the residential neighborhood geographically located in the southwestern Bronx.  But, did you know that this "little village" was once part of the very huge Manor of Morrisania, the vast 2,000 acre estate of the powerful and aristocratic Morris family? And, their land holdings, at one time, included most of the Bronx as well as much of New Jersey.

Crazy to think one family could own so much land, but, it appears that the Morris land holdings go back as far as 1644 and extend into the early 20th century. The first lord of the manor of Morrisania was Lewis Morris, who served as Chief Justice of New York Colony, acting Governor of New York, and Governor of New Jersey Colony. His son, Robert Hunter Morris (1700–1764), also served in high political positions as Chief Justice of the New Jersey Colony Supreme Court, and Deputy Governor of Pennsylvania Colony.

​But, perhaps the most well known of the Morris family members, would be Lewis Morris, the nephew of Robert Hunter Morris. Born in 1726, Lewis would go on to become a Delegate to the Continental Congress from New York from 1775 to 1777, Judge of Westchester County in 1777; New York State Senator for two terms from 1777 to 1781 and again from 1784 to 1788; and a delegate to the New York Constitutional Convention in 1788.  

As the 4th Lord of the Manor, Lewis Morris was both a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, and also a penman of the United States Constitution.

Today, Morrisania, is only a small corner of the original  expansive land area of Morrisania, once owned by this very wealthy and influential American family.  In fact, at one point, Lewis Morris had proposed the family's land as the site of the federal capital. Can you imagine if the Bronx were to have become our nation's capital!

Until 1840, the area of Morrisania was sparsely populated until a railroad was allowed to be built across the property by Gouverneur Morris Jr., nephew of Lewis.  Then in 1848, he sold off land next to the line for the development of a new town called Morrisania Village.

In the beginning, the village was very much what we would call today, a bedroom community made up of people who worked in Manhattan. However this was relatively short lived as the village began to develop its own local industries, becoming a larger town.  By 1874, it was annexed to New York City (which until this time only consisted of Manhattan).

More changes ensued as the years went on and in 1887, the Third Avenue Elevated train was extended into the area to enable easier and quicker access into Manhattan. By the year 1904, the large influx of European immigrants brought the building of tenements to replace houses, which then began to dominate and transform the area into an urban city.

Today most of the Morrisania area is low income and dominated by public housing complexes of various types, vacant lots, and tenement buildings. Most of the original housing which consisted of older multi-unit homes and tenements were structurally damaged by arson and eventually razed by the city. The total land area today consists of a square mile. 

Within this area, however, is the landmarked Morris High School Historic District which consists of two square blocks between Boston Road, Forest Avenue, and East 166th Street have Morris High School and adjacent brownstones.

It's hard to imagine what life must have been like for the Lords of the Manor, but I'm sure we would all agree, they would not recognize the "Manor of Morrisania" in the 21st Century.

2. Cope 2
A native from the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx, Fernando Carlo, better known as Cope 2, has been a grafitti artist tagging trains, walls, and trucks for nearly four decades.  He was catapulted on to the international scene for his unique and identifiable style of bubble letter art and "throw up" style when his works were commissioned by mega corporations that include Time Magazine, retail giant Footlocker and footwear brands Adidas and Converse.  His work has also been featured in Mark Ecko’s popular video games, Grand Theft Auto IV and  Gettin Up. 

The "throw up" is usually something between the tag and a bomb, where the outline is filled with one layer of color. This method was very popular in the 80’s since the police were always onto the graffiti artist, and they did not have the luxury of time to complete their works in detail, so a quick delivery was a perfect solution. 
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Since the late 1980’s Cope2's artwork has been featured in museum and gallery exhibitions throughout the world.  Today, he still paints legally in the streets and collaborates with other artists. 
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3. Blade 
​Steve D. Ogburn, better known as Blade, has been named the King of Graffiti.  Beginning with his first train at the age of fifteen, Blade has painted over five thousand trains with his unique style of street art.  He initially used walls of abandoned or squatted buildings, the bus and Metro of New York for his "canvas" in the early 1970's. 

Blade founded the TC5 (Crazy five), one of the most famous groups in the history of graffiti, which worked on the metro lines 2 and 5 running from New York's Bronx to Brooklyn. As a urban artist, he is best known for his adornment of whole cars, making Blade an icon in the street art world.

In 1984, he stopped painting trains and moved onto art creations on canvas, using a variety of mixed media including spray paint, markers and acrylic, which brought him success with exhibitions in some of the most prestigious museums and galleries worldwide. Among these are the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Cleveland; the Musée national des Monuments Français, Paris; the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Los Angeles; the Groninger Museum in the city of Groningen in the Netherlands, and many others.

4. Phase 2
Phase 2, born Lonny Wood, is from the Bronx and along with a number of other graffiti artists, attended DeWitt Clinton High School. He began leaving his mark in late 1971 under the name Phase 2.  According to Richard Christen's book Hip Hop Learning: Graffiti As An Educator of Urban Teenagers, Phase 2 believed that tagging (a term used in the graffiti world) provided disadvantaged urban teens "the only significant vehicle to represent their 'existence."

Phase 2 is credited as the first-ever street artist to use the "bubble letter" or "softie", a style of writing which would become extremely influential and is considered a "giant leap" in the art form. These puffy, marshmallow-like letter  were soon copied by other artists who added their own variations.

Ever an innovator of outdoor art style, Phase 2 quickly embellished on his original form, creating and naming dozens of varieties of softies such as "phasemagorical phantastic" (bubble letters with stars), "bubble cloud", and "bubble drip."

It's interesting to note that Phase 2 had a significant influence and was a prominent figure on the South Bronx Hip-Hop scene in the early 1980s with two rap singles. He continues to be referenced in hip-hop songs.

​Today, he is recognized as one of the most influential and well known New York City graffiti artists.

When we scheduled our tour to see some of the prettiest churches in the Bronx, Tanya and I never expected we would be paying a visit to one of the most beloved shops in Little Italy!

While making our way from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church on 187th Street and Belmont Avenue, we crossed the street to take some pictures of the church. As we continued walking towards Hugh’s Avenue on our way back to the car, we came upon Borgattis Ravioli and Egg Noodle shop.
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I commented to both Tanya and Alexandra Maruri, our tour guide, from Bronx Historical Tours, that I had passed this shop many times and had always wanted to check it out. Encouraged by Alexandra to go in and meet the Borgatti family, we two Travelin' Cousins were immediately excited about the visit.

The impromptu stop was undoubtedly one of the high points of our day.

The Belmont section of the Bronx has certainly undergone many changes throughout the last eight decades, however, there’s a comfort in knowing that some things have stayed and remain the same in a neighborhood that is rooted in ethnic tradition. 

As I walked into Borgatti’s I was triggered with a rush of memories from my own childhood and Italian upbringing.  The only word I could think of to describe it was "old school."  It felt like the shops I would go in with my grandmother when she would do her marketing.  Specialty shops for everything, owned and managed by families. No slick displays or modern retail fixtures. Just  a warm feeling of times gone by when the products and services spoke for themselves.  

As for the ravioli - which looked unbelievable - fresh, puffy pasta pillows filled with cheese - Christopher showed us the two sizes that they offered.  As you can see from the above sign, there is quite a variety of ravioli, as well as pasta, from lasagna, manicotti and cavatelli pasta, to varying flavors such as spinach, whole wheat, mushroom and more!

A feeling of reverence for the family patriarch, Mario Borgatti, as well as founder, Lindo, is palpable within the store.  Old photos, including beautiful wedding images, line the walls, honoring the memories of the Borgatti men who went before Christopher and his dad, also named Christopher, who continue to run the business.

With the death of Mario Borgatti (Christopher's Grandfather) in 2014, a beloved member of the Arthur Avenue community, a tribute was paid with the renaming of the street  at the southeast corner of East 187th Street and Hughes Avenue to Mario Borgatti Way. He died at the age of 97.

Fortunately, the store lives on!!
-Elisa