I'll admit it. I didn't go to 460 Court Street to Caputo's Fine Foods. I haven't been to Carroll Garden's in quite some time. Even when I first Googled it, I confused it with Caputo's Bakery, which is at 329 Court Street (718-855-8852). I assume that the Court is somewhere around there, but I'm too much of an annoying Manhattanite to really know. Having said that, I was glad that work friends of the Lovely Wife kindly brought not one, but two different types of homemade dry sausage to our house for the lovely wife's "Holiday" work party.
Given that I didn't actually go to Brooklyn, I rely on the internet and the descriptions of the Lovely Wife's work friend for Caputo's Fine Foods. The place sounds like a small Italian specialty place selling fresh mozzarella (for this I will have to take a trip, particauarly the Buffala mozzarella), ravioli, and sandwiches. Ed Levine (of New York Eats fame) puts Caputo's on his list of five greatest meatball heroes in New York.
The final kicker for my eventual trip to Brooklyn was eating the two dry sausages presented to me. The smaller one, a "toscano," was mildly moist, slightly spicy, and had a great pork flavor. I thought it was excellent. The "sweet sopresatta," slightly larger, was drier, and had a hint of both spice and maybe even a drop of sugar. It was a very good homemade sausage, clearly better than the sopresatta I usually buy at Zabar's. Tonight I went to Stew Leonard's with Boy 1 and Boy 2 and bought their sopresatta for comparison. Not even close (actually way worse than Zabar's too, if you ask my opinion.)
Although I have been planning a trip to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, the sausages I just ate from Caputo's may reroute my trip South to Carroll Gardens.
5 comments:
I want to go to Arthur Ave with you.
Speaking as the 'wife friend' so loving referred to in Ira's piece, I will encourage any and all to come on out to Caputo's (Carroll St. stop on the F train-only 4 stops in from Manhattan, so you've got no excuse). Caputo's is a classic, family-run Italian specialy shop. The mozzarella, both bufala and standard, are made fresh daily in the back and are alone worth the trip. They have a great selection of other cheeses, fresh pastas, homemade soups and sauces and a dizzying array of cured meats including some fantastic artisanal salamis (I'll bring the Piemontese next year, Ira). While you're in the hood, check out Esposito's Pork store on Court St/President St. They also make their own sopressata and dried sausages, equally good.
Speaking as the 'wife friend' who brought the cured meats to the party last week, I will urge Ira and all others to make the trip to Caputo's (Carroll St. stop on the F train-only 4 stops from Manhattan, so you've got no excuse). Caputo's is a classic family run Italian specialty shop. The mozzarella, both bufala and standard, are made fresh daily in the back and are worth the trip alone. They have a great selection of other cheeses, olive oils, fresh pastas, homemade sauces and soups as well as a dizzying array of cured meats, including some fantastic artisanal salamis. (Ira-I'll bring the Piemontese next time; you'll thank me)
sorry about the dual posts. didn't think the first one went through.
As I've said before, I love Brooklyn and would gladly move there. But I can't go more than one subway stop without feeling exhausted. ROAD TRIP SOON!!!!
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