One of the biggest perks of working from the Rose Hill campus is the smorgasbord of food and drink options nearby, especially from the many small, family-run establishments that have been serving the neighborhood for generations. There are so many good options that it can be hard to know where to begin!
We can help with that. Last month, we gathered food and drink recommendations near Lincoln Center, and this month, we asked Rose Hill faculty and staff to share their top spots near campus. They did not disappoint! Read on to discover Fordham’s favorite places to eat and drink in the neighborhood.
But first, do you have recommendations of your own to share? Use this form to tell us where you like to grab lunch or an after-work drink and we will add your recommendations to the list.
1. Zero Otto Nove, 2357 Arthur Ave
Zero Otto Nove’s pizzas are made in the Sorrento style, with a thin, crispy crust and a soft, saucy center. Kirsten Swinth, professor of history, says it’s the perfect place for an outing with the family. She likes to order the “La Riccardo” pizza, which has smoked mozzarella, pancetta, and basil on top of a butternut squash puree.
2. DeLillo Pastry Shop, 610 E 187th St.
It wouldn’t be a trip to Arthur Avenue without some Italian pastries, and Swinth says DeLillo Pastry Shop is a great option for a coffee and an after-dinner treat. She says the pignoli cookies are her favorite, but her family loves the cannoli.
The family-owned pasticceria is celebrating its 100-year anniversary this year, so they must be doing something right.
3. Gino’s Pastry Shop, 580 E 187th St.
Gino’s Pastry Shop is another neighborhood favorite for Italian baked goods, and one that’s been around for over 60 years. Ahead of the Easter holiday, Gino’s sells a distinctly Sicilian treat that you won’t find in many places: edible lamb figurines made out of marzipan.
Year round, you can order a fantastic cannoli, cookie, or sfogliatelle. That’s what makes it a favorite for Summer Lily Egan, communications officer at Fordham’s International Institute of Humanitarian Affairs.
Egan is also a fan of Morrone Pastry Shop, which makes a special seasonal Easter egg bread, as well as Bronx Beer Hall inside the Arthur Avenue Retail Market, where she recently organized a happy hour for faculty and staff.
4. NYBG’s Pine Tree Café, 2900 Southern Blvd.
For Professor Keri Walsh, who teaches English literature and Irish studies, the Pine Tree Café within the New York Botanic Garden is a springtime oasis right in Fordham’s backyard.
“I like to meet colleagues, students, or visitors to campus there for a cup of tea or cappuccino and then a walk through the garden in any season, but especially spring and fall,” Walsh said.
She recommends checking out the farmer’s market when it’s open, especially the Boogie Down Bronx Honey stall.
Best of all, admission to the garden is free with a Fordham ID.
5. Teitel Brothers, 2372 Arthur Ave.
Teitel Brothers is a great example of the New York City melting pot: The Teitels are a Jewish family who immigrated from Austria and then opened the Italian grocer on Arthur Avenue in 1915. The small shop is known for its wide selection of Italian imports, from prosciutto and Parmesan, to olives, pastas, and tomato sauces.
It’s also a business with a Fordham connection. Mike Teitel, FCRH ’80, is the third-generation co-owner. “I’ve come full circle. I love working here and meeting the students. It’s like a homecoming,” he told Fordham Now.
6. Antonio’s Trattoria, 2370 Belmont Ave.
Antonio’s Trattoria prides itself on “authentic Italian food cooked with love, approved by Nonna,” according to its website. Palma Salerno, department administrator for the Computer and Information Science program, couldn’t agree more.
Antonio’s has “incredible food made with locally sourced ingredients,” Salerno said. For example, the ravioli comes from Borgatti’s, a 90-year-old business with a Fordham connection: Christopher Mario Borgatti, who has worked at the 90-year-old business that’s been in his family for generations, is a 2019 alumnus.
7. Johnson’s Bar-B-Q, 790 E 163rd St.
Mark Naison, professor of African American studies and history, says his favorite spot to eat near campus is about two miles away in the Morrisania section of the Bronx: Johnson’s Bar-B-Q, a family owned restaurant that’s been serving take-out soul food since 1954.
“It’s so good that my Rose Hill students who’ve been there often take their friends and roommates,” Naison said.
The owner, Dwayne Johnson, is the son of the late founders, Pauline and James Johnson. “He’s incredibly welcoming and loves having Fordham students and staff come there because he went to high school with Denzel Washington,” Naison said.
