Roberto's Restaurant: The Best-Kept Secret of Little Italy in the Bronx

Outside Roberto's Restaurant on Crescent Ave.

For many New Yorkers, it’s no secret that the best Italian cuisine is located in the Belmont section of the Bronx.  A Piccola Italia in its own right, the neighborhood is an epicenter for Italian gastronomy.  Many of the best pizzerias, sit-down ristorantes, coffee shops, delis, bread bakeries, and meat markets are concentrated along one street, Arthur Avenue.  It is here that the Italian festival of Ferragosto occurred this past weekend, garnering hundreds of patrons to take part in festivities including music, dance, and of course food.

While the festival no doubt looked like fun, my family and I (they love to visit me on campus at Fordham whenever they get the chance) hoped to find a quieter venue to enjoy each other’s company.  After pushing through the crowds on Arthur, we wandered along Crescent Avenue and stumbled upon Roberto’s Restaurant.  Well off the beaten path, we had found the best-kept secret of the Bronx: a small eatery with an inviting, authentic atmosphere.  Best of all?  The wait time at Roberto’s was half as long, but the food and service were twice as good at Roberto’s than at any other restaurant I’ve visited in the Bronx.

The interior of the restaurant is classy with a brick wall, arches, and a colorful chandelier.

Every dish off the Southern Italian-style menu satisfied each of our appetites (and portions were big enough to provide us with tasty leftovers for the next day); however, there are some outstanding plates worth noting.  For pasta, the thick spaghetti strands smothered in a creamy zucchini sauce, called Bucatini a Modo Mio, was savory and just rich enough.  A standout chicken dish is the Pollo con Spinaci, which combines chicken breast, spinach, prosciutto, and mozzarella masterfully.  My brother highly enjoyed the Filetto di Manzo alla Griglia, a delicious grilled skirt steak.

Don't forget the Tartufo for dessert!

Finally, you can’t forget dessert at Roberto’s.  The rich Tartufo is the best choice for lovers of chocolate and ice cream, though the American-style Strawberry Cheesecake is another sweetly satisfying option.

Roberto’s Restaurant is located at 603 Crescent Ave. Bronx, NY 10458.  Open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday.

A Comprehensive Guide to New York City Airports

At the beginning of every semester, I anxiously await the final exams schedule’s release. I check flights for price drops rather religiously and think to myself whether or not I should take the plunge. Living cross-country from Fordham most definitely has its drawbacks, but I feel lucky to be able to call two very different places home. Additionally, with all of the flying I have done since I began here, I’ve become an expert of airlines, airports, flight preferences, and packing. So, for all of us who know the struggle of travel all too well, here’s a look at the experience of flying out of NYC’s three major airports.

Hello, JFK!

LaGuardia Airport (Queens, NY): 

Ideal Passenger: Local Traveller, Connecting Flight Traveller

Ah, LaGuardia: outdated architecture, and a beautiful pocket of time travel. The closest airport to Manhattan by distance, the airport is set to be completely overhauled over the course of the next few years. I lovingly refer to LaGuardia as “the maze.” While LaGuardia doesn’t bring the amenities, it does what it sets out to do with moderate efficiency. For all intents and purposes, LGA is a short-trip domestic airport, and probably your best bet if you’re not going too far, or taking a connecting fight within the US. From LC, LaGuardia is accessible by taking the Queens bound Q Train to Astoria Boulevard and transferring to the M60 Select Bus Service for free if you’ve swiped your MetroCard in the last two hours. (Note: This may not be fun if you have lots of luggage because there’s some pretty substantial stairs to climb down at this station) Cabs to LaGuardia from Manhattan run about $45 at a flat rate.

John F. Kennedy International Airport (Queens, NY): 

Ideal Passenger: Long Distance Traveller, Cost Effective Traveller

Aside from the construction occurring on the runways at (most) every given time, JFK proves to be a simple, reliable airport. JFK is probably the easiest to navigate and has lots of options for food and entertainment while you await your flight. Since I fly cross-country and prefer direct flights, JFK normally supplies the highest volume of flights at the cheapest cost. JFK is substantially busier than its smaller Queens cousin LaGuardia, so when flying out of here, it’s essential to account for travel time, check-in, and security to avoid a nervous breakdown in one of the nation’s most high traffic airports. Also note: in cases of bad weather, smaller airports will experience cancellations first, which is where and international airport like this one comes in particularly handy. From Manhattan, JFK is highly accessible via public transportation. But wait! Be careful! The A train connects to the AirTran at JFK, but it’s essential to choose a Howard Beach-JFK bound or Far Rockaway bound A train, and not a Lefferts Boulevard bound train. Do not board a Lefferts Boulevard bound train. You will not make it to the AirTran, and you will be sad. However, if you have made this error, a connection to the Q10 bus is possible! The A train to the AirTran takes about an hour and ten minutes from Columbus Circle to your specific gate, and the fare for the subway and the AirTran comes to a combined total of $7.75. A cab to JFK from Manhattan will cost you around $60, but traffic at most times will make for a longer trip.

Newark Liberty Airport (Newark, NJ): 

Ideal Passenger: Long Distance Traveller

Newark Airport is located about 14 miles from Midtown Manhattan and claims the title as one of the oldest airports in the nation, and also the busiest in the NYC/NJ Metro Area. Be warned, this place is BIG, so make sure to leave enough time for yourself if you're ever trying to make a connecting flight elsewhere out of Newark, because if you have to change terminals, it will take some time. From Manhattan, Newark has easy access from the west side because of its proximity to New Jersey. However, when travelling back to Manhattan from Newark, be advised that New York City Yellow Cabs are not permitted to pick up, and therefore you will have to use a New Jersey cab as well as cover the charge of the toll to re-enter Manhattan. By public transit, the equation becomes pretty simple! From Penn Station, you can hop aboard a New Jersey Transit train for $12.50, which includes the cost of boarding the AirTran once you enter the airport’s radius. Be sure to ask at the window when the next departing train to Newark Airport is if you are not familiar with NJT’s system. Like JFK, Newark has a high volume of flights and extreme passenger traffic, so plan ahead.

All and all, you'll always be ready when you know what you're getting into! May your travels always be safe and stress free!

A Yankees Game Adventure

I’m a huge baseball fan and have spent most of my summers at the ballpark watching a game. So when CAB was offering $10 tickets to see the Yankees take on the Red Sox over at Yankee Stadium, I was absolutely thrilled.

Yankee Stadium

My friends and I were fortunate enough to win tickets to one of the two games CAB offered to see baseball’s most legendary rivalry. It was a cold, Friday night in early April. Since it was my first time at the new Yankee Stadium, we explored the ballpark and its upgraded amenities for a while before getting some food and taking our seats in the bleachers in the outfield. All Fordham students in attendance got FREE Yankees hats as well, which was a great treat.

The game was really exciting; in fact, there was a problem with the lights in the middle of the game, causing a fifteen-minute delay while the issue got resolved, and the game even went into extra innings – twenty innings in total compared to the typical nine. Unfortunately, my friends and I opted to leave around the thirteenth inning as the night was only getting later and colder, and, since it’s only about a fifteen-minute ride on the D train back to Fordham Road, it was easy getting back to campus. The Red Sox ended up winning, so it was probably better we didn’t stick around anyway.

Our view from the bleachers!

Though I am a big fan of the Philadelphia Phillies, it was a lot of fun getting to see two of baseball’s biggest team go head-to-head in a seemingly never-ending game. I have one more year left living in the Bronx, so I hope I get to attend more Yankees games in the future.

Enjoying the game!

Who Doesn't Love a Good Field Trip?!

Believe it or not, field trips do exist in college! And when you go to school in the best city in the world (although I admit I am biased), the field trips and experiences outside of the classroom can be amazing.

Being an English major, I've visited sites such as The Wall Street Journal, The NY Times offices, and I've attended numerous lectures hosted on Fordham's campus and in the city featuring famous authors and prominent people in the advertising and journalism fields.

The NY Times building! 

Art history class? Chances are your professor will take you guys to The Met. Sports marketing class? How does a Yankees game sound? Whatever subject or field you plan on going into, I promise that the city can and will be used for your benefit.

Today, my journalism workshop class got a private tour of The Wall Street Journal, which was AWESOME! We toured all of the offices and different departments and had an in depth talk with a Fordham grad who works as a writer for WSJ. He gave us tips and tricks for after graduation and told us if we ever needed help or advice to feel free to contact him. The alumni network at Fordham is so strong, and he was super helpful!

A cool shot I took at the WSJ today!

No matter what field you're going into, the city is a great resource that you'll learn to take advantage of. As Father McShane, Fordham University President exclaims, major in what you want to major in and minor in New York!

Volunteering on Broadway

My uniform! Check out the BC/EFA at broadwaycares.org

I've loved live theatre and the Broadway community for as long as I can remember. In fact, the accessibility to Broadway shows was one of the main reasons I wanted to come to Fordham. I also love volunteering, so when I heard about an opportunity to volunteer with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (also known as BC/EFA), I was very excited to get involved.

The BC/EFA raises money to combat HIV/AIDS, and last semester, I signed up to be a volunteer for the Bucket Brigade. As a member of the Bucket Brigade, I stand with a red bucket at the end of participating Broadway shows and collect money for the BC/EFA during their fundraising seasons. I also sell autographed Playbills and fun souvenirs to benefit the cause. At the end of the collecting seasons, the BC/EFA celebrates with the Gypsy of the Year and Easter Bonnet Competitions where casts from Broadway shows perform both hilarious and moving original pieces.

It’s been an incredible experience to help with such a wonderful cause. Because I have a weekly night class at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus, it’s very easy for me to walk over to the theatres and help out. There are so many ways to get involved around New York City, and this is one of my favorites. And the next time you go to a Broadway show, don’t forget to drop a dollar or two into the red bucket!

Do We Go to the Met? You Bet!

One of the greatest parts about attending Fordham University is going on adventures to Manhattan. This weekend, my roommate and I decided to go to one of our favorite New York City hotspots: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. My roommate had to complete a scavenger hunt in the museum for one of her history classes, so we used this scavenger hunt as a way to explore the Met on a whole new level. 

One of the many rooms in the Met that had artwork
based on ancient Greek culture 

The museum is very large, so it was impossible to see the entire building in one day. However, my roommate knew exactly where to go for her scavenger hunt because of what she learned in her history class at Fordham. Because of her knowledge of ancient Greek history, we got to see all of the fascinating Greek statues and artwork that the Met had to offer. I cannot wait to visit the Met again, so that I can see another one of the many types of art that the museum houses.

The statues in this part of the Met were so majestic! 

Many of Fordham's history, philosophy, and theology classes have assignments that require students to visit a museum or a place in Manahattan for an assignment. Like my roommate's Greek history class, Fordham classes allow students to explore our wonderful campus: New York City. I am so glad that Fordham encourages students to adventure to different places in New York City. The city really is our campus, and we are able to learn and experience so much because we live right in the middle of it. 

This is a picture of me in the Met, ready to live by Fordham's
mantra and explore my New York City campus

Sunday Mass at Fordham (and in the city)!

One of the primary reasons I choose Fordham University, the Jesuit University of New York, was its Jesuit mission. While Fordham is welcoming to people of all faiths, it is important to recognize our unique Jesuit, Ignatian identity and Catholic faith. 

The University Church

As a child who grew up attending mass every Sunday, participating in weekly mass has become second nature. Fordham Campus Ministry offers so many means for students to become involved in the spiritual atmosphere at Fordham including, but definitely not limited to, Christian Life Communities, Ignatian Programs, Interfaith Ministry, Liturgical Ministries, Music Ministry, Retreats, Bible Study and of course daily masses.

When I came to Fordham I decided I wanted to become more involved during masses so I decided to become a Eucharistic Minister. Now, as a junior, I continue to serve at Sunday masses and masses on special occasions. When I serve as a Eucharistic Minister I feel a strong connection with the Fordham and Jesuit community, and I am able to reflect on my values and beliefs. I would strongly encourage anyone who is invested in his/her faith to take part in Fordham’s Campus Ministry Program and mass in some way.

Inside the University Church

With that said, I also love attending masses at different parishes to broaden my perspective. While Fordham has its own beautiful church, being so close to the city also allows one to go out and explore other parishes and churches, such as St. Patrick’s Cathedral. This past weekend I was in the city with friends. We spent the day shopping and dinning. However, we decided to try something different and, in fact, went to mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The cathedral is absolutely stunning and to be able to celebrate a mass there was unreal. There were people from all over the world visiting and professing the same faith; it amazed me!

St. Patrick's Cathedral 

While walking out of St. Patrick’s I took special note of the stained glass windows. The stained glass windows in Fordham’s church were originally gifts from King Louis of France to Archbishop Hughes and were intended for the Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral. However, when they did not fit, Fordham built a church that would fit these windows. So, the next time you are in the Fordham University Church, take a look! 

The University Church was dedicated to Archbishop John Hughes in 1845