Update - I thought that Trapizzino closed, but they’ve reopened! Yeah! They have outdoor dining.

Street food has become a big trend in the food world lately. Trapizzino calls their food Roman street food. Whatever you want to call it it’s just plain yummy.

Chef Stefano Callegari created Trapizzino in 2008 and describes it as a marriage of traditional Italian flavors and recipes in an updated format. A very special and secretly held recipe for pizza dough combined with fresh and amazing ingredients make up the little sandwiches that they call Trapizzino.

I’ve tried a number of different Trapizznos with a side salad that is also amazing. I get hungry just writing about it. I will be going back there and trying out the Suppli which are deep-fried risotto balls. You can’t go wrong at this restaurant and the prices are very reasonable as well.

They have one location in New York City and 7 locations in Rome and 2 in Florence,

Trapizzino - 144 Orchard Street at Rivington

Update - I am happy to say that Russo’s is open. I walked by there a few days ago. Updated 21 July 2021.

Russo's Mozzarella & Pasta is a real treasure. Nestled on East 11th Street next door to Veniero's Pastries is a store with all kinds of amazing Italian foods. They opened in 1908! That's right over 100 years ago! The face of the store has the look and feel of the old days in NYC!

They have all the fresh pastas and mozzarella as well as everything you might need to make an excellent Italian meal or picnic. This is the real thing. Of course you can go to other newer Italian specialty stores with big names and with big prices. Or you can go to the place where New Yorkers have been going for a really long time!

Russo's Mozzarella & Pasta, 344 East 11 Street near First Avenue

Update: I’m happy to say that not only is La Bonbonniere open for business, they have way more outdoor seating than they ever had indoors. This is a fabulous greasy spoon. Cash only. Updated 13 July 2021

News flash, if you watch the streaming show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, they have a few scenes that were filmed here! La Bonbonniere is a little restaurant in the West Village. They've been around for quite a few years. Just have a look at their fading sign. It is inexpensive and the atmosphere is casual. The food is standard diner style food and yummy too. A number of famous people have eaten here including Molly Shannon, James Gandolfini, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman to name a few. But you don't need to be rich or famous to eat here. They have a few tables on the sidewalk during good weather. It is a cash only restaurant and they don't have a website.

La Bonbonniere, 28 Eighth Avenue near 12th Street.

Update: I visited Kalustyan’s a few weeks ago and introduced a friend, They are fully operational and they are much larger than I recall. You want hot sauce? They have enough to start a museum. I was very happy to find halvah. They have everything, not just foods and spices from India. Updated 13 July 2021.

Kalustyan’s is a specialty store selling Indian spices as well as imported foods from around the world including much of the Middle East. I first discovered the store many years ago when I made a variety of different garam masala recipes to give as gifts.

This store has been around since 1944 and is in the heart of a neighborhood given the name “curry hill” because it is adjacent to Murray Hill! If you’re looking for hard to find spices or ingredients that you aren’t able to find in the typical grocery store, Kalustyan’s is the place!

It is also surrounded by many Indian restaurants with many taxis parked around there. Perhaps that is an indication of the quality of the food served in them.

Kalustyan’s - 123 Lexington Avenue between 28th & 29th Streets

The following is from Books of Wonder’s website as I believe they say it best. “Books of Wonder is New York City's premier store for children's books. Founded in 1980, the store has locations in both Chelsea and the Upper West Side. Books of Wonder features a carefully curated selection of the finest books currently available for young readers as well as vintage, old, rare, and collectible editions for collectors and those looking for long lost treasures. There is also a gallery of original children's book art and limited edition prints.”

They are open 7 days a week. Check their website out for more information about hours and events.

Books of Wonder - 18 West 18th Street

News - Toy Tokyo is open for business daily 1-7 pm. Mask is required for entry. Updated 8 February 2021 

Toy Tokyo is certainly a specialty store and they’re not a new kid on the block. Since 2000 they’ve been supplying toys for children and adults imported from Japan and Hong Kong as well as domestically made. Anime, super heroes and action figures are a few of the amazing collection that they carry.

If you’re a collector, this is a must see shop. You won’t be disappointed. They also carry t-shirts as well. If you are unable to make it to their store they also sell online as well.

Toy Tokyo - 91 Second Avenue between 5th and 6th Streets

Good news - Kinokuniya is open with social distancing and masks required. Updated 8 February 2021

Kinokuniya Books is a Japanese store that specializes in books and magazines in Japanese. But they also carry a large selection of books in English across different genres. If you’re into anime and comic books they have very extensive collections of those as well. What I especially like is the selection of stationary in the basement.

They occupy 3 floors and the store has been operating in New York City since 1981. The staff are very friendly and helpful. I could spend hours here. And they are located directly across the street from Bryant Park.

Kinokuniya Books - 1073 Avenue of the Americas between 41st & 40th Streets

Good News! Academy is open and they have installed a filtration system. Of course, there’s limited capacity. But it’s worth the wait if there’s a line. Masks are required. Updated 8 February 2021

Has vinyl ever gone out of style? It seems that it’s back in again in a big way. Academy Records & CDs is not new to the scene though. They’ve been in business since 1977. No matter what style of music you’re interested in, Academy has a selection that’s certain to please serious music lovers.

They also have a large selection of CDs and DVDs and they buy records, CDs and DVDs on a daily basis so their stock is constantly changing. Academy is open 7 days a week and they do have a website.

Academy Records & CDs - 12 West 18th Street between Fifth & Sixth Avenues

Good News - Tacombi has heated outdoor dining! Updated 8 February 2021

I haven't eaten at this location of Tacombi yet. You can see my review of the location in Nolita here in the Discover NYC blog. The food is fabulous as is the atmosphere and the servers are very friendly. This is beach style Mexican cuisine with an emphasis on local and organic ingredients while maintaining the culinary traditions of Mexico. This is not the heavy cuisine of so many Tex-Mex style restaurants. I know that I will be returning to Tacombi.

Tacombi, 255 Bleecker Street