Friday, April 17, 2026

Johns of 12th Street New York






JOHN'S of E. 12th STREET

SINCE 1908

JOHN LENNON, LUCKY LUCIANO, TOM CRUISE, KEVIN KLINE,

PHOEBE CATES, MONTGOMERY CLIFT, 

and Many CELEBRITIES have Dined at JOHN'S over the Years






JOHN'S of 12th STREET

SINCE 1908







BEST SELLING ITALIAN COOKBOOK Author 

DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE Worked at JOHN'S

For Several YEARS & COOKED in KITCHENS

WHILE Gaining EXPERIENCE as a COOK

Before Becoming a SOUS CHEF & then HEAD CHEF

At many of NEW YORK'S BEST FRENCH & ITALIAN RESTAURANTS


AMAZON.com






JOHN'S

Get a FINE ART PRINT of JOHN'S

"RED SAUCE JOINT"

From FINE ART AMERICA





JOHN'S of E. 12th STREET
NEW YORK NY


The menu at John’s has most of the expected Red Sauce dishes like; Spaghetti  with White or Red Clams Sauce, Veal Saltimbocca,Chicken Scarpariella, Veal Piccata, Speedino of Mozzarella alla Romano, Baked Clams Oreganata, Spaghetti & Meatballs, Lasagna, and Canneloni. The kitchen churns out real solid Italian-American food, with standouts being there Baked Clams and their Speedino alla Romano which is without question the best in the city. John’s has quite a history with Lucky Lucciano being a regular once upon a time, along with numerous mobsters back in the day, and John’s has seen the likes of The Ramones, Cindy Lauper, John Lennon, Tom Cruise, and other luminaries walk through its doors.

There’s one other old Red Sauce Joint around the corner from John’s, and that’s Lanza’s on 1st Avenue and 11th Street (sadly Closed in 2016). Lanza’s was actually a few years older than John’s opening in 1904. Lanza’s is pretty nice and a good part of it has been preserved, although a few years ago they made some changes to the décor which sort of ruined it a bit. Lanza’s had that great classic "Red Sauce Joint" menu with items like Spaghetti Marinara, Pasta Fagioli, Manicotti, Braciole, Cannoli, and the like. 

Yes, sadly Lanza's has closed, along with DeRobertie's Sicilian Pastry Shop next door. Both of these wonderful old-school Italian businesses were in business for more than 100 Years each, before they both sadly closed a few years ago. It's a sin to lose wonderful old places like Lanza's and DeRoberties. Places with so much history and old world charm of days gone by. These places will never be replaced. So sad. Thankfully John's still stands and operates. 


Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Coppola talks Brando The Godfather

 



The GODFATHER

MARLON BRANDO






ITALIAN-AMERICAN DIRECTOR

FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA 






Director FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA

TALKING About Casting 

MARON BRANDO in The GODFATHER







MARLON BRANDO

As DON VITO CORLEONE

The GODFATHER







SUNDAY SAUCE

Recipe CLEMENZA MOB WAR SUNDAY SAUCE

MEATBALLS - SAUSAGES - PASTA

GODFATHER SUNDAY SAUCE & MORE  













Friday, April 10, 2026

Veal Milanese Sinatra Way Recipe








FRANK SINATRA'S FAVORITE RESTAURANT

PATSY'S, NEW YORK

WEST 56th STREET






FRANK SINATRA & AVA GARDNER

MANGIA BENE !!!



Frank Sinatra loved Veal Milanese. His Dad Marty used to make it for young Frank and Sinatra ate Veal Milanese over a thousand times at his most favorite restaurant in the World, PATSY'S of NEW YORK on West 56th Street .. Franks other favorites were; Clams Posillipo, Spaghetti & Meatballs,  SUNDAY SAUCE, and Rigatoni Marinara ... 

See Daniel Bellino Zwicke's book "SUNDAY SAUCE" When Italian-Americans Cook for recipes of Sinatra's favorite dishes and recipes for SUNDAY SAUCE alla SINATRA and DOLLY SINATRA'S MARINARA ..

And MANGIA BENE !!!


VEAL MILANES RECIPE alla SINATRA

INGREDIENTS
  • 2 cups Bread Crumbs (Plain)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

  • 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 4 veal cutlets (about 1 1/4 pounds), pounded thin to slightly less than 1/4 inch
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
DIRECTIONS 
Break or cut the bread into large chunks and place in a food processor. Process until the bread is reduced into fine crumbs. Transfer the crumbs into a large bowl and stir in the cheese, oregano and parsley. Gradually add 3 tablespoons of oil, stirring until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper.
Spread the flour onto a large plate, plate the eggs in a shallow bowl and spread the seasoned bread crumbs on a second large plate. Coat each veal cutlet in the flour, then the beaten eggs and then the bread crumbs, patting with the palm of your hand to ensure adhesion.
Heat 1 cup of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high flame (to a frying temperature of 350 degrees F.) and sauté the veal for 2 minutes. Turn and sauté for 1 additional minute. Do not crowd the pan. If necessary, fry the cutlets in batches. Remove with a slotted spatula and drain on paper towels. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with lemon wedges.




VEAL MILANESE

FRANK'S WAY "THIN & CRISPY"









SINATRA SAUCE

The COOKBOOK

COOK & EAT LIKE FRANK

PASTA - VEAL MILANES

MEATBALLS & MORE ...












SUNDAY SAUCE

WHEN ITALIAN-AMERICANS COOK









Bellino and Pacino

 



AL PACINO

SICILIAN AMERICAN

FAMILY ORIGINS - CORLEONE SICILY



"BELLINO & PACINO"

 The dish represents traditional, rustic 
Italian-American cuisine often featured in Bellino's works detailing 
Sicilian-American culture.
Key Connections between Bellino and Pacino:
The Recipe: The recipe, commonly known as a "Spaghetti Aglio e Olio" (garlic and oil) 
or a variation, is described as a favorite of Al Pacino, bringing to light his preference for simple, classic Neapolitan-style pasta.

  • Cookbooks: Daniel Bellino-Zwicke writes about this association in Grandma Bellino's Italian Cookbook and references it in his Italian-American food narratives.
  • Cultural Context: The works highlight the "Sunday Sauce" culture, linking popular Italian-American food, specifically meatballs and pasta, with figures like Al Pacino and Frank Sinatra.
  • Themed Content: The content often evokes memories of classic Italian-American food scenes, similar to those in The Godfather.






BELLINO & PACINO



NONNA BELLINO'S ITALIAN COOKBOOK

PASTA - MEATBALLS - SOUPS

PASTA alla PACINO & MORE ...









Author DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

FAMILY ORIGINS - LERCARA FRIDDI SICILY

Settled in NEW YORK CITY 1906










.











Friday, March 27, 2026

Sunday Sauce Ragu Napoletan - Recipe

 










RAGU NAPOLETANA















SUNDAY SAUCE

aka RAGU NAPOLETANA








Italian Explorer Verrazzano Discovered New York

 



GIOVANNI VERRAZZANO

The DISCOVERER of MANHATTAN ISLAND

The HUDSON RIVER & NEW YORK BAY



GIOVANNI VERRAZZANO "The DISCOVERER of MANHATTAN ISLAND 

& NEW YORK BAY"

Verrazzano was born in Val di Greve (now Greve in Chianti), south of Florence, the capital and main city of the Republic of Florence. Recent archival research indicates he was born on July 20, 1491 to Frosino di Lodovico di Cece da Verrazzano and Lisabetta di Leonardo Daffi. An older hypothesis identified him with a son born in 1485 to Piero Andrea di Bernardo da Verrazzano and Fiammetta Cappelli.


GIOVANNI VERRAZZONO VOYAGE 1522- 1524

DISCOVERS NEW YORK BAY 

n September 1522, the surviving members of the Magellan expedition returned to Spain, having circumnavigated the globe. Competition in trade was becoming urgent, especially with Portugal. 

French merchants and financiers urged King Francis I of France to establish new trade routes. In 1523, the king asked Verrazzano to explore on France's behalf an area between Florida and Newfoundland, intending to find a sea route to the Pacific Ocean. The expedition was funded by a consortium of Florentine merchants based in Lyon and Rouen, including the Gondi, Rucellai, Nasi, and Albizzi families. Over 20,000 écus were raised, with Verrazzano himself contributing as both captain and investor.

Within months, four ships set sail due west for the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, but a violent storm and rough seas caused the loss of two ships. The remaining two damaged ships, La Dauphine and La Normande, were forced to return to Brittany.

Repairs were completed in the final weeks of 1523, and the ships set sail again. This time, the ships headed south toward calmer waters under hostile Spanish and Portuguese control. 

After a stop in Madeira, complications forced La Normande back to home port, but Verrazzano's ship La Dauphine departed on January 17, 1524, piloted by Antoine de Conflans, and headed once more for the North American continent.

It neared the area of Cape Fear on March 21, 1524 and, after a short stay, reached the Pamlico Sound lagoon of modern North Carolina. In a letter to Francis I, described by historians as the Cèllere Codex, Verrazzano wrote that he was convinced that the Sound was the beginning of the Pacific Ocean from which access could be gained to China. 

Continuing to explore the coast further northwards, Verrazzano and his crew came into contact with Native Americans living on the coast. However, he did not notice the entrances to the Chesapeake Bay or the mouth of the Delaware River.

In New York Bay, he encountered the Lenape in about 30 Lenape canoes and observed what he deemed to be a large lake, really the entrance to the Hudson River. He then sailed along Long Island and entered Narragansett Bay, where he received a delegation of Wampanoag and Narragansett people. 

The words "Norman villa" are found on the 1527 map by Visconte Maggiolo identifying the site. The historian Samuel Eliot Morison writes that "this occurs at Angouleme (New York) rather than Refugio (Newport). It was probably intended to compliment one of Verrazzano's noble friends. There are several places called 'Normanville' in Normandy, France. The main one is located near Fécamp and another important one near Évreux, which would naturally be it. West of it, conjecturally on the Delaware or New Jersey coast, is a Longa Villa, which Verrazzano certainly named after François d'Orléans, duc de Longueville."[27] He stayed there for two weeks and then moved northwards.

He discovered Cape Cod Bay, his claim being proved by a map of 1529 that clearly outlined Cape Cod. He named the cape after a general, calling it Pallavicino. He then followed the coast up to modern Maine, southeastern Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland, and he then returned to France by 8 July 1524. Verrazzano named the region that he explored Francesca in honour of the French king, but his brother's map labelled it Nova Gallia (New France).


MAJOR POINTS


GIOVANNI VERRAZZANO was born in Greve in The Republic of Florence, modern day Grave in Chianti, Italy.

VOYAGE of 1524 - From 1522 - 1524, the Exploration of the East Coast of North America, from Florida to Newfoundland, Canada.

Landed at Cape Fear, Florida - March 21, 1524

1524 - Reaches the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Delaware River

1524 - Sao;s into New York Bay and discovers Manhattan Island. Then explores Long Island, New York and discovers Narragansett Bay. 

1527 - Second trans Atlantic Voyage to Brazil. Returns to Dieppe, France with a cargo of Brazil Wood.

3rd VOYAGE 1528 - After exploring Florida, The Bahamas, and the Lesser Antilles, Verrazzano anchorage of the Island of Guadalupe, and rowed ashore, where he was allegedly Killed and "Eaten" by the native Caribs.







GIOVANNI VERRAZZANO EXPLORING The HUDSON

NATIVE LENAPE INDIAN SLOOK On






VERRAZZANO'S SHIP - La DAUPHINE





GIOVANNI VERRAZZANO

1524 VOYAGE

EXPLORATION of The EAST COAST of NORTH AMERICA

From CAPE FEAR FLORIDA to NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA

With The DISCOVER of MANHATTAN ISLAND

And NARRAGANSETT BAY of LONG SILAND, NEW YORK









CASTELLOI VERRAZZANO

GREVE, ITALY in CHIANTI




CASTELLO VERRAZZANO Wine Estate - Greve

Castello di Verrazzano
, located in Greve in Chianti, is a historic Tuscan estate with roots dating to Roman times and documented winemaking since 1150. Famous as the birthplace of explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano (1485), the castle was held by his family until 1819. Owned by the Cappellini family since 1958, it is a renowned Chianti Classico producer focusing on Sangiovese and organic, sustainable farming.

  • The Verrazzano Family (7th Century–1819): The castle was home to the Verrazzano family. Giovanni da Verrazzano, who discovered New York Harbor in 1524, was born here. The family line ended in 1819.
  • The Ridolfi Era (19th-20th Century): The estate was passed to the Florentine Ridolfi family, known for founding the Fiorentina football team.
  • The Cappellini Era (1958–Present): Purchased by the Cappellini family in 1958, who restored the estate and revived its winemaking reputation.
  • Modern Era & Sustainability: The estate underwent full organic conversion in 2014. It also features a link to 1150 roots to the New York explorer, including exchanging stones between the castle and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in 1963.












  • CHIANTI

    A bottle of CASTELLO VERRAZZANO CHIANTI 1969

    And a bottle of VILLA CALCINAIA CHIANTI 1969

    At The 100 YEAR ANNIVERSAY of The CHIANTI CONSORZIO

    GALA TASTING _ FOUR SEASONS - NEW YORK

    photo Daniel Bellino Zwicke





    Author / Italian Wine Guy - Daniel Bellino Zwicke

    With CAVALIERI LUIGI CAPPELLINO of CASTELLO VERRAZZANO

    In NEW YORK








    CASTELLO VERRAZZANO CHIANTI

    VERRAZZANO ROSSO - CHIANTI & CHIANTI RESERVE 






    .




    SUNDAY SAUCE

    by DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

    "AMERICA'S FAVORITE ITALIAN COOKBOOK"