St. Joseph's day zeppole and sfingi

[lawyerlady]

where in manhattan can i get good zeppole and sfingi for st. joseph's day? i know of a few italian bakeries in the city, but not sure who will have this and who will make it good. thanks!

[ciomar]

Never disappointed by Bella Ferrara at 108 Mulberry Street.

[offtherock]

This list wouldn't be complete without Renatos on Forest Ave in staten island. I just had them today and they are STILL the best i've ever had. Their canoli cream is the best I've ever tasted. All of their pastry is incredible. I've been going their for most of my life and I've eaten canoli everywhere.

[frankdannajr324]

I moved upstate NY from the Bronx and still go back to the Bronx often to Sal And Dom's Pastry shop on Allerton Ave. The best, and biggest.. Tried many--none compares..bon appetit..Also all the other pastries and cookies cannot be beat..

[prima]

Bumping this older thread, since so many pastry shops are already mentioned.

Would Veniero's likely be the best bet for a zeppole di San Giuseppe in Manhattan this week?

How are the zeppole di San Giuseppe at Stuzzicheria? I understand that Stuzzicheria is a small plates resto with zeppole di San Giuseppe on the menu as a dessert, so I'm not sure how their take on zeppole might differ from a pastry shop's take.

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Rocco's Pastry Shop
243 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

Sullivan Street Bakery
533 W 47th St, New York, NY 10036

Veniero's
342 E 11th St, New York, NY 10003

Ferrara
195 Grand St, New York, NY 10013

La Delice
372 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10016

Bruno Bakery
506 LaGuardia Pl, New York, NY 10012

Caffe Roma
385 Broome St, New York, NY 10013

Led Zeppole
328 E 14th St, New York, NY 10003

Pane Panelle
305 Church St, New York, NY 10013

[prima]

So I tried the ricotta-filled and custard-filled mini zeppole de SG at Ferrara, and the ricotta filled zeppole de SG at Caffe Roma. I prefer the custard filled zeppole di SG at Ferrara to the ricotta filled zeppole di SG at Ferrara or Caffe Roma.

Wish there had been enought time for me to visit the Outer Boroughs to taste some of the good stuff. Maybe next March 19th!

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Caffe Roma
385 Broome St, New York, NY 10013

[lawyerlady]

hey guys, wasn't able to make it out to brooklyn but i was in jersey city and got some at the monteleone's on newark ave. (near journal square--not to be confused with the brooklyn monteleone's) and they were delish! if you go, take the train, there's nowhere to park!

[lawyerlady]

Thanks for all the recs! I had the ones at Bruno Bakery and I feel that it was similar to sugartoof's experience at DiRoberti. The cream was delicious but they had been sitting out there for a while. Still, it wasn't bad! Depending on time, I'm going to try to make it out to Villabate!

[vvvindaloo]

Maybe I'll see you there :)

[sugartoof]

La Delice on 27th and 3rd had exceptionally nice looking ones.

I wouldn't normally recommend the place, but their St. Joseph sfingi offerings were really, really nice looking, in both cream and custard.

[45yearheelfan]

Caffe Roma on Mulberry and Broome have the best Zeppole di San Guiseppe. Way better than Ferraro around the block.

[sugartoof]

Just wondering if we have any reports for this year? I took a look at Viniero's and DiRoberti's today.....both were $3.50 (is that the going rate?) and the Viniero's were big massive globs over stuffed with kinda prefab looking filling. They looked intense.

Anyone know how long they'll sell these for?

[Humbug]

Veniero's will bake them through Thursday the 19th, and you'll probably be able to buy leftovers a day or two after that but they'll be out of the fridge. $3.50 is pretty standard in Manhattan.

[bob96]

I'm fairly sure Bruno's on Bleecker St and Ferrara on Grand St should make them, but can't vouch for either. Beyond these places (and Veneiro and De Roberti's), I'm at a loss about Manhattan. Second the praise for Villabate; also in Brooklyn and a little closer in, Court St Pastry makes very fine sfinge, too, and superb simple biscotti at embarrasingly low prices.

[vvvindaloo]

I agree that Court St. Pastry is good, overall. I've never tried any of their specialty items, though.
Bruno's on Bleecker is gone; did you mean Rocco's? I will never recommend them, nor spend another penny there-that's how much I can't stand Rocco's!
Ferrara could be passable. I'd say there's a decent chance that anything you buy at Ferrara won't be *bad*. Their cannoli are ok, so their sfinge should be ok, too (same filling).
I still think that Sullivan St. Bakery will have the best ones, if they are making them. Perhaps I will call and ask!

[bob96]

You're right about Bruno's, of course, and even more right about Rocco's. I'd also add that the revived Monteleone Pastry Shop a few blocks past Court St. Pastry looks promising. When did Sullivan St start making sfinge or zeppole?

[vvvindaloo]

I don't know that they did. But they do make certain Italian pastry items that they didn't make before (when they were on Sullivan), such as custard-filled bomboloni (get them while they're hot-they are AMAZINGLY GOOD).

[sugartoof]

I think the bomboloni is more a product of it being sort of a trendy item popping up. Cafe Falai is another one that got attention for doing bomboloni.

[vvvindaloo]

I called Sullivan St. Bakery and they will not be making anything in particular for S.Giuseppe. Oh, well.

[foodwhisperer]

Bruno's may have, they arent on bleecker they are on la guardia pl. they have courses on italian pastry making of all kinds, in their store on Hylan Blvd. staten island. Roma makes better pastries than Ferrara, Ferrara had its hayday in the 60s

[JungMann]

Bruno's should have. And the La Guardia branch is very good.

[corndog1]

I prefer the ones a DiRoberti's on 1st Ave., round the corner from Veniero's.

[lawyerlady]

thanks, haven't been there, will try it!

[sugartoof]

Can't comment on the the St. Joseph offerings, but in general DiRoberti's is much better then Veniero's. Plus it's still old New York looking, without the assault of the gaudy remodel at Veniero.

[sugartoof]

Just to follow up, the DiRoberti sfingi weren't so exciting. I got the feeling they made a batch at the beginning of the week, and they had been sitting. They're also about half the size of what Veniero's is selling, so not a great value either. They make great cookies at least.

[vvvindaloo]

I know where I would go for fabulous ones in Bklyn and I know where I would go for pretty good ones in the Bronx, but I don't think I would set my sights too high for Manhattan...with one exception- I would call Sullivan St Bakery on W. 47th a couple of days before and ask if they'll be making them. good luck.

[foodwhisperer]

The ones they make at Venieros are special for St Joseph day ,,, they are excellent. As good as any place in the Bronx, or Brooklyn.

[vvvindaloo]

I should point out that I have never tried the sfinge or the zeppole there- I am just not a fan of Veniero's in general.

[Cheese Boy]

Vvvindaloo (not to hijack the thread), but please post the Bklyn loc for us.

[vvvindaloo]

The best are at Pasticceria Villabate in Bensonhurst, now called Pasticceria Villabate Alba. On 18th Ave and 70th. Sheeps' milk ricotta shipped from Sicily- it doesn't get more real than that.

[lawyerlady]

thanks for the replies. i love villabate and i would love to get them there but i won't have time to while i'm in the city. :( they make the absolute best cannolis and yummy gelato too...i am getting hungry......not a huge fan of veneiro's but i will probably try them while in the city. thanks!

[foodwhisperer]

veniero's used to be excellent on all pastries,,, its not as good as it used to be. But on special things like for st . jos day ,, they do a good job

[foodwhisperer]

Veniero's on E. 11th st. for sfingi and zeppole for St. Joseph Day.