{"id":15013,"date":"2012-10-10T08:00:16","date_gmt":"2012-10-10T13:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mommybites.com\/newyork\/?p=15013"},"modified":"2012-10-08T18:22:07","modified_gmt":"2012-10-08T23:22:07","slug":"an-old-school-italian-market","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mommybites.com\/newyork\/an-old-school-italian-market\/","title":{"rendered":"An Old School Italian Market"},"content":{"rendered":"

Looking for fine semolina to make pasta? Fresh mozzarella? Imported olive oil? Then look further than D. Coluccio & Sons<\/a> in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.<\/p>\n

There is no shortage of blogs and articles on Coluccio\u2019s, but I feel compelled to spread the word about this extensive, no frills, warehouse-style establishment. D. Coluccio & Sons is a third generation Italian importer, distributor and supermarket. A remnant of the fading Italian-American population. A piece of a vanishing old Brooklyn neighborhood – like Villabate-Alba Bakery, Queen Ann Ravioli and Italian pork stores.<\/p>\n

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This place is the real deal – not a swanky, sleek specialty shop. The staff speaks Italian. The imported products\u2019 weight is in grams. It is surrounded by auto shops.<\/p>\n

Walking through the aisles brings me back to my Italian grandmother\u2019s pantry. Pickled eggplant, San Marzano tomatoes, DeCecco pastas, and Italian sweets alongside basil and tomatoes picked from the yard\u2026 I\u2019m already salivating. It also lets me relive my most recent trip to Italy where my husband and I rented a house in Tuscany and we did a lot of cooking. It was a great way to explore Italy\u2019s supermarkets and outdoor markets.<\/p>\n

Coluccio\u2019s is an importer and wholesaler, so prices are reasonable as there is no middle man. They also lack fancy food displays and checkout scanners, yet they are a foundation in the old school Italian-American community.<\/p>\n

Nowhere else can you find this selection of pasta – including whole wheat and spelt (faro), olives (many I\u2019ve never even heard of), or varieties of polenta. They also have an expansive selection of fresh Italian cheeses and meats which, for many people, is the reason that they travel back to the old neighborhood. Parmgiano Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, Grana Padano, Provolone, Piave Vecchio, fresh and Buffalo Mozzarella. I\u2019ve read that you can even get real burrata from Italy there (which is apparently hard to find in the U.S.)<\/p>\n

As for the meats, Coluccio\u2019s does not sell them sliced, but in hunks. Go and get yourself a nice cut of prosciutto di Parma, pancetta or salami.<\/p>\n

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Here are some additional products they carry:<\/p>\n