Last week after it was revealed that a bunch of clueless former Google employees wanted to “destroy” all bodegas by introducing an app controlled vending machine we, along with the rest of the internet, decimated their lack of cultural sensitivity and complete disregard for everything that bodegas stand for.

But the best take down of those idiots (we’re not gonna sugar coat it or mince any words, they ARE idiots) is by Bronx born and raised actress, producer, and writer, Jenni Ruiza.

Don’t take it from me, watch for yourself below:

Ever find the perfect frames only to not have them sit quite so perfectly on your face because, like me, one ear may be slightly higher than the other? Well thanks to Metro Optics, our favorite eye care spot in The Bronx, that’s one less hassle for you to worry about.

Through the magic of 3D printing (because let’s face it, that pretty much looks like magic even though it’s science) and a cool selection of Roger Bacon eyewear, the Dutch company who offers the 3D printed specs via Metro Optics, you can finally get the frames your face deserves!

But seriously, The Bronx may be known for all the sneaker heads that live here but we’re also very much into our eyewear and that’s where Metro Optics comes in with their selection of literally hundreds of different frames to choose from but let’s focus on the Roger Bacon 3D specs.

The frames themselves are pretty simple looking but that’s where I think they kinda rock because, well, less is more. The color selection is pretty cool with a bright red, blues, and dark charcoal grays in the mix.

Now how does the customization work you ask? Well, a trained technician at Metro Optics takes a scan of your face (actually your entire head) that turns the images it takes into a 3D virtual reality digital model of yourself.

Once that’s complete, you can look at a larger screen and see what different frames and colors will look on you and since it’s a 3D image of you, you get a much clearer picture of what it will look like.

And it’s this same avatar of yourself that allows for the customization of the frames from the bridge of the glasses to the temple length which are tailored to your exact face allowing for the most perfect fit you can get and the frames are super lightweight too so you’re getting the ultimate in comfort too.

Once the order is placed, your specs are 3D printed over in The Netherlands (Shout out to the other place with THE in their name) and then shipped back to Metro Optics where you can pick up the final product.

This technology is available at Metro Optic’s flagship store at the Throggs Neck Shopping Center or their Westchester Square location (the ONLY other place you can get these in the New York Metro area is at a shop on Long Island!) so if you’re interested, head on over and check it out along with the other hundreds of frames their offer on top of some of the best quality eye care you’ll get in our borough.

The hateful and hate-filled and homophobic New York State Senator Ruben Diaz, the same one who aligned himself with Republican (and another disgusting human being) Ted Cruz and brought him to The Bronx won yesterday’s Democratic primary election as he seeks to move from the state level back into City Council.

But make no mistake. He didn’t win with a mandate whatsoever. He was and is not wanted by the people of the district and for someone with such name recognition performed quite poorly. So poorly that 58% of voters chose someone else and should be embarrassed and it should serve as a sobering call that his name alone won’t necessarily save him in the future.

With 9,164 residents of City Council District 18 who voted, only 3,845 voted for the gross excuse of a man who is our state senator representing 42%.

A resounding 58% said NO to Ruben Diaz, 5,319 people to be exact which was divided up by other candidates like Amanda Farias, Elvin Garcia, William Moore, and Michael Beltzer.

These candidates need to regroup and pool their resources and collected efforts and perhaps even have one run against Diaz come November and maybe, just maybe they might be able to block him from entering the Council come January.

Wishful thinking? Perhaps, but we can’t give up on bringing down the corrupt Bronx Democratic political machine that builds political family dynasties instead of improving our communities.

First of all, a bunch of privileged idiots not only want to destroy bodegas but they are doing so by calling themselves Bodega AND using a bodega cat as their logo.

Two weeks ago we spoke about how bodegas are an integral part of what makes The Bronx so awesome.

Sure they are not bastion of healthy eating (generally speaking) but they are a place where local residents can get their basic staples, feed their families and many times get credit extended to them when times are tough because that’s what a bodeguero does: He builds community.

It’s not like you can logon to Seamless or FreshDirect and say, “Hey, I need a dozen eggs, 2 gallons of milk, 10lbs of rice but can I pay you next week?”

If you check those apps, that is NOT an option but it is one at most of your bodegas.

Can this Bodega app make you a chopped cheese just the way you like it? Or a fresh deli sandwich? Mangu with queso frito and longaniza?

We’re not saying Bodegas are perfect because they aren’t and surely there’s room for improvement but the audacity and greed of Silicon Valley not only wanting to destroy the way of life for so many immigrant families of color and mom and pop shops should disgust you.

We’re not even talking about the utter cultural appropriation of the word bodega which they claimed they had vetted with the Latino community and apparently 97% of them said they’re cool with it but we know that’s bull.

But how do you in good conscience think that it’s ok to destroy the livelihoods of people and disrupt entire communities?

At least we know they’ll fail miserably if they even try to come into The Bronx and if it’s up to Frank Garcia, chairman of the New York State Coalition of Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, he’d ask that members do not allow these soulless “bodega” pantries on their properties in the entire state of New York.

Bodegas are an important part of our culture and we’ll protect them how Bronxites know best.

Today we celebrate our 8th year anniversary writing, ranting, photographing, documenting, and publishing on all things that make The Bronx such a wonderful place.

Since we started our journey on September 12, 2009, there have been 1,731 articles and posts, 2,905 Instagram images, 15,500 tweets, quoted, appeared, and featured in the mainstream media over 400 times from the very fist at the Mott Haven Herald to dozens of times on NY1, News12 The Bronx, The New York Times, Curbed, Brick Underground and many more.

Heck, we’re even in a few books now, including Vanishing New York: How A City Lost Its Soul by the amazing chronicler of gentrification, Jeremiah Moss.

And last but certainly not least our entire website is now archived by Columbia University Libaries for posterity.

When I published that very first post in what seems like forever ago, I had no idea where this was going. All I wanted to do was just to get the stories out there from our corner of our world which weren’t being told or shared by the mainstream media.

I was sick and tired at how everything they wrote about us was all negative so that’s basically how this all started: To celebrate The Bronx, its people, the history and rich culture that we are lucky to have.

Back in 2009, we only had The Boogie Downer (Rest in Peace to the first awesome Bronx blog that inspired me to take the jump. Alas, it is only but a memory) and of course, BronxMama run by the incredible Nicole Perrino.

We have helped shaped the narrative when it comes to The Bronx but this isn’t because of myself but because of all of you who have believed in what I do and uniting our collective voices.

That’s a huge achievement that as I sit back and think about it all, I really never thought it would happen but with your help and persistence, we did it. YOU did it.

And what about the slew of websites and social media accounts that have since followed us each adding their unique voices to the mix filled with Bronx pride and even if we don’t agree with some of them, we can’t help but look back and smile that we’ve inspired, together with BronxMama, to to not follow our lead but to join us in telling their stories too.

As we look towards the next 8 years and beyond we can promise you one thing: We’ll still be loud, we’ll still rep The Bronx proud, and most importantly, we’ll NEVER sell ourselves out or The Bronx because The Bronx is NOT for sale.

Our integrity means more than being featured in pro-gentrification pieces in the media just for simple exposure. We’re better than that and we won’t go down that route ever and it’s not like the opportunities haven’t presented itself but we are not blinded by money. There is no dollar amount that can be sent my way to ever sell out my community. Ever. It just won’t happen.

That being said, thank you to all the friends we’ve made along the way, all the opportunities. For all the good times and especially the bad times where we learned to grow together.

We love you all from the shores of City Island in the East Bronx to the “bluffs” of Riverdale to the ethnic melting pot of the South Bronx.

Every. Single. One. Of. You

Let’s make some more memories together, ok?

East Bronx residents, is this who you want representing you? 

NYS State Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj is bent on paving his path to the city council by whatever means possible.

Gjonaj had already set a record for city council races with a war chest of over $700,000 filled with donations from real estate interests and now from individuals indicted on charges of money laundering connected to drug trafficking and even weapons smuggling into Kosovo.

Make no mistake, however, Gjonaj does not act alone in his quest for glory. Equally culpable in pushing this candidate is the corrupt Bronx Democratic Machine.

Tomorrow you decide at the polls, District 13 communities of the East Bronx, and we urge you to make an informed decision that you won’t end up regretting later on.

Your communities are at stake which is why we feel strongly about endorsing John Doyle who hasn’t been purchased by private interests and instead has been supported by those who actually live in the community. 

Tomorrow, Tuesday September 12th is primary day and our city, our borough’s future is at stake. This isn’t hyperbole but a statement of fact as dysfunctional and ineffective Albany politicians like NYS Senator Ruben Diaz, NYS Assemblyman Robert Rodriguez, and NYS Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj are attempting to bully their way into the New York City Council.

It is our responsibility as decent citizens not to let this happen which will leave a lasting legacy of harm on our city which has come so far for everyone.

That is why we are happy to endorse the following individuals in the following hottest races in The Bronx:

Diana Ayala, City Council District 8 (El Barrio/East Harlem, Mott Haven, Port Morris, Concourse, Highbridge, Longwood)

With all of the issues facing district 8 (which is being vacated by term-limited NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito) from health crisis to the opioid epidemic, homelessness, and gentrification just to name a few, we need someone who is not only intimately aware of these issues but someone who has been working boots on the ground in our neighborhoods and no one on this ballot is more better prepared and informed than Diana Ayala.

A survivor of domestic violence who also has lived through the shelter system and in NYCHA, Ayala is literally the face of District 8 making it more clearly why we need actual representation who we can be confident that will best represent us.

Ayala’s track record first as Constituent Services Director and then Deputy Chief of Staff for NYC Council Speaker Mark-Viverito has already shown us some of what she’s capable of accomplishing together with the community from her commitment to our senior population, especially in Mott Haven to her fight against the scourge of K2 which led to legislation passed by the Council to combat against this epidemic, shows us that she is more than capable of doing the work necessary for the betterment of our communities.

John Doyle, City Council District 13 (Allerton, City Island, Country Club, Edgewater Park, Ferry Point, Locust Point, Morris Park, Pelham Bay, Pelham Gardens, Pelham Parkway, Schuylerville, Silver Beach, Spencer Estates, Throggs Neck, Van Nest, Waterbury LaSalle, Westchester Square, Zerega)

The Bronx’s geographically largest city district is currently led by term-limited Jimmy Vacca and the race is one of the most crowded in our borough and although there are a couple of qualified candidates to represent this part of The Bronx there is no one better suited or prepared than John Doyle.

District 13 is diverse in not just the basic demographics of ethnic backgrounds but it is also economically diverse as well as politically with a one of the largest concentrations of Republican voters and although Doyle is a Democrat through and through, he has demonstrated being able to work with everyone and bring consensus to the issues that matter to the communities of the East Bronx.

If the people of District 13 are truly concerned about issues like over-development then they should stay away from NYS Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj who has bullied his way into the campaign through the backings of the Bronx Democratic machine as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars ($716,469 to be exact breaking all city council records and where is that money coming from you ask? Almost $100,000 from real estate interests who know Gjonaj will side with them when it comes to rezonings and over-development). Remember Gjonaj’s roots as a real estate broker and one of the wealthiest lawmakers in the state and ask yourself if he’s TRULY looking out for you and your pockets or his.

Randy Abreu, City Council District 14 (Morris Heights, University Heights, Fordham, Kingsbridge)

The issues of District 14 have only gotten worse under current Council member Fernando Cabrera but that shouldn’t be much of a surprise from a highly homophobic man who actually endorsed Uganda’s anti-gay policies which includes the death penalty for members of the LGBTQ community.

This is not to mention that residents of District 14 are some of the most rent-burdened in NYC making them even more vulnerable to the forces of gentrification but during his tenure, things have gotten only worse. Cabrera actually said that it is harder to be rich than it is poor yet his constituents of which almost 60% are under the poverty line would disagree with this statement.

That’s where Randy Abreu comes in. In order to continue towards a truly progressive New York City, we need someone who will work for everyone and not just those who fall in line. Abreu has a commitment to bring better employment opportunities for Bronx residents by creating the borough’s first Grassroots Community Media Center, “…which will offer free media training and certification courses to Bronxites.”

Abreu understands that bringing jobs isn’t merely the solution because what good are they if Bronxites don’t qualify due to lack of skills? We must also step up and train our workforce to be able to uplift everyone.

Elvin Garcia, City Council District 18 (Soundview, Castle Hill, Parkchester, Clason Point, Harding Park)

Yet another seat being vacated by a term-limited council member, this time Annabel Palma, and yet another seat under attack by Albany with State Senator Ruben Diaz trying to infiltrate and bring his message of hate on the city level.

Elvin Garcia is the antithesis of what Ruben Diaz stands for. In his decades in office, the district still hasn’t progressed much and let’s not forget his homophobic ant-lgbtq stance despite having a lesbian grand daughter. As an LGBT leader here in The Bronx, there’s absolutely no way I can even agree with this man.

That’s why Elvin Garcia is our choice for this crowded race. He’s a fresh, young face as well as an openly gay man which we need to continue seeing more of in terms of representation.

For almost 3 years, Garcia worked as Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Bronx Borough Director as well as an LGBT Liasion to the mayor affording him the opportunity to work with a hugely diverse borough like The Bronx in its entirety. It is this experience that he brings to the table to be able to work with many different groups and sides that we feel Elvin will make a great addition to the Council in order to continue on an inclusive progressive path.

To let Diaz steal this seat (and let’s be frank it’s stealing and do we really need to spell it out for you on why?) will set the city backwards, instead of forward. We know Diaz is easily bought and sold by lobbyists, we’ve seen him easily give away are environment and children’s health to FreshDirect in exchange for a few hundred turkeys during the holidays.

Honorable Mention:

Rafael Salamanca Jr, District 17 (Concourse Village, Crotona Park East, East Tremont, Hunts Point, Longwood, Melrose, Morrisania, Port Morris, West Farms, North Brother Island, South Brother Island)

This one I’m sure is a bit of a surprise since we endorsed opposing candidate and worked for Julio Pabon when Maria del Carmen Arroyo stepped down but we appreciate seeing how hard Salamanca has been working and in many ways for the better than his predecessor. The changes are definitely noticeable especially when responding to constituent concerns, something that we did not get under Arroyo. Our district suffered greatly under her and her lack of responsiveness to actual constituents.

Don’t know where to vote? Find out here at NYC’s Poll Locator. Remember, poll sites open tomorrow, Tuesday September 12th from 6AM-9PM.

Four years ago when Mayor Bill de Blasio was running for office for mayor, he pledged hard to end the so called tale of two cities where communities and the services they receive were generally better in more affluent parts of the city.

But the mayor and his administration has failed miserably, particularly in the case of Roberto Clemente Plaza at The Hub in the South Bronx.

Although this is a project that began 8 years ago under Bloomberg, it is one that has been stalled for far too long costing the city more money at this point with all the delays than it should.

When Michael Brady first came on board as executive director of the Third Avenue Business Improvement District (of which I am a board member as of July of this year) last December, one of the many issues impacting the area which he focused on was to make sure that the plaza construction wasn’t delayed any further.

He brought together the necessary city agencies, DOT, NYC Council members to get concrete timelines on completion and at first it looked like things were finally getting done.

Pavers arrived, trees were planted and it looked as if it would be all ready by June of this year.

But then nothing happened.

Construction pretty much came to a stand still and a lot of it has to do with simply gross incompetence from the city. The wrong size power box which is to provide the necessary electrical connection to the plaza was ordered.

We were told that it would take about 3 months to rectify that problem.

In the meantime, pavers to line the plaza had arrived a month prior to that. They sat and sat there on the plaza with zero installation. We were then told that the wrong pavers were ordered.

What exactly is going on at DOT? How incompetent do you have to be for such continuous errors? How is it that a small plaza can take 10 years to construct, yet the Times Square pedestrian plaza in the madhouse that is midtown was able to be constructed in 7 years which spans 5 blocks and according to amNY spans about 2.5 football fields in size.

In a statement to Welcome2TheBronx, Michael Brady, said, “The Third Avenue Business Improvement District in partnership with the Bronx Borough President and Councilmember Salamanca have worked tirelessly to ensure this public infrastructure project comes to completion. The silence received from City Hall and lack of work undertaken by the DDC sends a very clear message to South Bronx residents, a message of neglect and inequity in services and resources. It is time that City Hall gets it together and delivers on broken promises for area residents and businesses. ”

“This project now in its 8th year is a symbol of the unfair and unjust treatment of South Bronx residents. After decades of community disinvestment, I would encourage the Mayor to get on board with the renewed community hope that is in our borough. The BID will continue to fight for equity in resources and services for the South Bronx and calls on City government to take action on the beleagered public works project. ” Brady added.

And he’s right. We aren’t second class citizens, we all deserve equal and fair treatment on all matters. We are just as important as the Upper East Side, TriBeCa, downtown Brooklyn, we do not matter any less.

“We will accept nothing less.” said Brady.

We know The Bronx is awesome and simply the best borough of NYC because we are, afterall, the one true borough where you can still get a taste of what New York City life is all about before the white-washing of gentrification took it over and made it into a mid-westerner’s playground.

So here’s why The Bronx is pretty amazing or as we say, dope:

Bodegas.

Now why bodegas you might be asking yourself? Well, besides that on one block you can find four of them, each with their own feel and regular customers (and hopefully a bodega cat), these spaces usually can extend credit to local residents who might be in need.

Relationships are fostered here like true communities so not only do you get the local paper but you get the local gossip with that chopped cheese, cereal, milk and basic staples you need to keep you going or feed your family.

The bodeguero will often let regular customers keep a running tab when they need it. You can’t do that at your local Upper East Side Duane Reade or your Harlem Whole Foods.

Arthur Avenue.

We weren’t gonna put this one on this list because it’s so obvious but heck, we’ll put it just to make sure it makes it (and before you guys yell at us for not including it!).

This is New York City’s real Little Italy. It isn’t up for debate. It is not an opinion it is fact written in stone (at least for now).

Fresh baked bread from Madonia Brothers Bakery or Addeo Bakers, fresh homemade pasta from Borgatti’s (spinach and cheese or pumpkin ravioli anyone?), fine dining at Roberto’s or Enzo’s or any one of the awesome restaurants that line area all make for a special outing right here in our borough.

Food.

Speaking of fine dining, thanks to the diversity of our borough, you can enjoy cuisine from all over world right here in The Bronx. As a Puerto Rican kid from the South Bronx, I was able to not only relish in the culinary delights of Puerto Rico but also that of my Italian friends where I could eat REAL Italian cooking at their place on summer nights during school break, or Dominican mangu.

As I got older and the population began to change I was able to also try a plethora of Mexican dishes thanks to restaurants like Xochimilco, Mexicocina, and La Morada, each with their distinct style of home cooking and from different regions in Mexico. African food, like that at Bate, became more accessible as The Bronx became home to one of the largest African diaspora in the United States.

Then there’s Albanian burek, Salvadoran pupusas, Indian chicken tikka masala, Garifunan hudut, Colombian empanadas like La Masa’s ridiculously delicious varieties, Latin American and Cuban pastries at Capri Bakery, and of course, a nice Jewish pastrami on rye (perhaps the best in the city) from Liebman’s.

City Island.

We can’t have a list of awesome Bronx places without talking about one of the most unique communities in NYC (ok THE most unique community in all of New York City).

With a population just over 4,300, this island neighborhood is quite compact on a 1.5 mile by .5 mile island that’s part of the Pelham Archipelago (sounds pretty exotic no?) in the Long Island Sound.

From end to end along City Island Avenue, the neighborhood’s “Main Street” you can find some of the best seafood restaurants in the city taking full advantage of this New England style nautical community.

Archie’s Tap and Table is one of my personal favorites and is run by Chef Alex Pertsovsky and offers what they all, “homemade comfort food with a modern American twist.”

Now with all these really good restaurants, you aren’t a Bronxite if you didn’t end up at the end of City Island Avenue at Tony’s Pier or Johnny’s Reef for some delicious fried fast seafood.

The New York Botanical Gardens.

NYBG, founded in 1891, the 250 acre sanctuary is an oasis of carefully sculpted and designed gardens to the last “wild” and original forest that once covered NYC.

Living in a borough that is home to one of the premier and most respected institutions in the world of botany kind of spoils you because there simply isn’t anywhere else in the city that can compare to what you get here from world-class science and educational programs to entertainment and amazing yearly exhibitions like Frida Kahlo which broke attendance records and this year’s return of glass sculpture Dale Chihuly.

NYBG has always been a favorite of mine since a kid and as an adult in college it was one of my go to places to just get away from it all. In a borough of 1.4 million people, to have a place like this to escape to is just simply precious.

Wave Hill.

Although nowhere near as large as NYBG, at 21 acres, this landmark garden in Riverdale isn’t any less grand and packs a wallop for its size. This was another escape for me within the confines of The Bronx and NYC. To be able to wander along a country estate overlooking the Hudson River and the New Jersey Palisades is yet another unique Bronx experience. It is a place steeped in history just like our borough.

Parks.

On the subject of these green spaces, parks is what makes The Bronx pretty dope. We are the greenest borough with 25% of our land dedicated to parks and we are home to NYC’s largest park, Pelham Bay Park (home to The Bronx’s Riviera aka Orchard Beach), Van Cortland Park (which is probably one of my favorites but don’t tell anyone), the city’s 3rd largest.

But from big parks like the aforementioned or smaller parks there’s something to do like Virginia Park in Parkchester where Bronx artist (and Morris Perk coffee entrepeneur) has a year-long art installation called “Daylighting” with retired canoes completely repurposed and the Bronx River painted along the asphalt surface along White Plains Road section of the park.

In collaboration with Loving The Bronx run by Nilka Martell, this tiny .92 acre park is offering programming like movie nights, game nights and so much more on Fridays from 6PM to 8PM.

So you see, whether it’s a giant park like Pelham Bay at 2,772 acres or a small park, there’s something always going on for everyone across this great borough.

The Grand Concourse.

The Bronx’s ‘Boulevard of Dreams’ The Grand Boulevard and Concourse is yet another reason why The Bronx is so awesome. With one of the largest collection of art deco buildings in the world, this 4 mile long, 180 feet wide thoroughfare winds through a diverse bunch of Bronx neighborhoods of all socio-economic walks of life but somehow still manages to have a rather cohesive feel to it.

In recent years, thanks to Boogie On The Boulevard, for one Sunday a month during the summer, the center lanes of this huge boulevard are closed to traffic and opened to pedestrians on foot, bike, rollerblades. There are also art and fitness programs happening on any of these given Sundays (the next and last one is on September 10th).

Community Gardens.

What do you do with empty lots filled with rubble and garbage during the turmoil of the 1970s and 80s? You jump in, begin to clean them and turn them into little garden paradises! At least that’s how it started with the late Jose “Chema” Soto of Melrose in The Bronx.

Around 1975 or so, he couldn’t stand walking by one of the many abandoned lots in the South Bronx and began to clean one up by himself.

By the end of the day, he was joined by 50 other community residents inspired by his actions. Soon after, they built what is considered to be one of the first garden casitas at Rincon Criollo (aka Casa de Chema aka La Casita) the little houses that dot many of these gardens in Puerto Rican communities inspired by the old shacks that once dotted the countryside across Puerto Rico.

In The Bronx, community gardens are an important part of the fabric of our communities where activism intersects with so many other aspects of daily life whether its guerrilla urban farming like Libertad Farm run by Tanya Fields or Friends of Brook Park with their army of youth volunteers that are gardening, farming and even canoeing, collectively these gems provide and fill in the many gaps for our children and communities where the city has often failed and short-changed us.

People.

The Bronx’s most precious resource is its people and that’s where the beauty is. We wouldn’t be awesome without this diversity that we have whether it’s a celebration of Puerto Rican culture at Rincon Criollo or Ferragosto celebration of all things Italian or simply one of the dozens and dozens of other ethnic groups in our borough, we are only as amazing as our people are.

We live mostly in harmony alongside each other.

I live in a neighborhood filled with Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Mexicans, Africans, Blacks, Christians and Muslims and so many more and everyone is getting along fine. No DRAMA. That’s what The Bronx is about, it’s a borough of immigrants where everyone can work together for the greater good and that’s what ultimately makes this a truly wonderful place to live and raise your family. I mean, do you want to live in isolated homogeneous communities that are rather bland or would you rather be in a vibrant, thriving community composed of people from everywhere?

This is why we are so vocal against gentrification and it’s white-washing brush that destroys communities and turns them into Midwestern paradises. That’s simply not who we are.

What makes YOUR Bronx awesome? We want to know. This list is by far complete and perhaps will never be complete. We’ll revisit it in the future sure, but let us know what makes it awesome to live in The Bronx to YOU!

MELROSE―Porto Salvo, a new Italian restaurant in the South Bronx, has beaten my expectations after being spoiled by Arthur Avenue, The Bronx’s real Little Italy.

Armed with a full bar offering traditional and specialty drinks and a generous happy hour from 4pm to 8pm Mondays through Fridays, this new restaurant isn’t just on par with The Bronx’s Little Italy, it actually manages to surpass many of them and that’s a pretty difficult feat if you’ve regularly dined on Arthur Avenue but more importantly, Porto Salvo simply enhances what The Bronx has to offer in terms of fine, authentic Italian cuisine.

Now when most people think Italian food, they immediately tend to think Olive Garden, fettuccine alfredo, and other very generic, mainstream Italian dishes but that’s not what you’ll get here.

Executive chef, Luigi Ghidetti, created a menu of Old Italian style cooking with a diverse range of dishes like homemade crab cakes over mushrooms and Canellinni beans (no imitation crab here or frozen patty reheated, actually the REAL deal) or several different bruschetta (I’ve tried them all but my favorite is the funghi e fontina with fontina cheese, mushrooms and truffle oil…it’s as delicious as it sounds).

And those are just the appetizers all affordably priced at $9 bucks.

Moving on to the main dishes, (all priced at $14, salads at $12) you’ll have an equally difficult time in choosing just one because they all sound pretty darn good (and they taste even better).

I’ve been here now EIGHT TIMES in the past 3 weeks (ok maybe 2 weeks) so I’ve had the time to sample quite a number of dishes and let’s just say that I have yet to be disappointed. I mean, how could you with fresh pasta they either make right here or have imported directly from Italy?

Everything is just so exquisitely prepared and tastes so good but best of all it is so affordable that you can eat here quite often but let’s not get too side tracked and back to the food.

The Costolette di Agnello alla Griglia, grilled lamb chops with roasted potatoes and cannellini beans are just the right balance of a meat dish and sides that work beautifully together. The flavors don’t overwhelm or compete but rather enhance each other.

And that has been the case with pretty much every dish I’ve tried where you’re actually able to taste the different herbs, spices, and seasonings letting the food speak for itself, so to speak.

There’s a trofie al pesto di pistacchi which is a homemade pasta with pistachio pesto that blew me away.

For the pescatarian in you, fret not, for there are plenty of seafood options including the salmone al salmoriglio, a Sicilian style grilled salmon with roasted potatoes and cannellini beans in a salmoriglio sauce, a traditional southern Italian condiment that usually consists of olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, parsley, and pepper.

That’s what my father ordered this past Friday and nothing was left on his plate so I guess it was good, no?

The only selection I have yet to try is the crudo (Italian style raw seafood and meat dishes) but will do so the next time I stop by (maybe tonight or tomorrow?).

After you’ve had all that food, is there room for dessert? Well, considering the portions are very good and yes you might very well be full, there’s ALWAYS room for dessert.

Last night we tried to get out of dessert because we were stuffed but then we were told that they just made chocolate mousse and who are we to deny our taste buds the delights of homemade mousse?

It would be blasphemy to do so.

Do we need to even describe how rich and creamy it was? Probably not.

All desserts are made right at Porto Salvo so you’re not getting a second hand dessert from elsewhere even if it is freshly made.

Here, you’re getting something straight from their kitchen made to the same standards you’d expect after eating all these delicious meals.

The tiramisu is just like nonna makes (well not my nonna but my friend’s nonna but again, you get the picture) but my favorite was the basil infused crème brule.

For those who like to imbibe a bit, may we suggest the sangria (we love the white with a hint of limoncello) or the Ombra, the house wine? Or literally just ask for your favorite cocktail because the bartenders do a great job of mixing up your go to drink and somehow make it taste even better.

Besides the food and the drinks as well as the ambiance which makes you feel like you are in an old Italian port tavern, it’s the entire experience that makes Porto Salvo a special place and somehow they manage to take it even a step further.

This isn’t just a restaurant or bar but a true part of the community and Porto Salvo is leading by example of how a business should come into The Bronx and operate.

Mark Lu, Porto Salvo’s owner and general manager as well as Luigi’s husband says that, “Besides a place for encountering good and perhaps great food, we want this to be a place where Bronxites can network.”

The couple have been living in the neighborhood for just over 5 years and since arriving, their goal was to somehow contribute in a concrete way to our borough.

One such way is through a scholarship program that will also provide internship opportunities for students graduating in the culinary arts to get real, hands on experience not just at Porto Salvo but with other diverse Bronx restaurants so these Bronx students can get the necessary experience to elevate their careers to the next level and be able to be competitive in the food industry here in NYC which, as Mark Lu points out is not always just about talent and skills but who you know.

“We don’t want to be another business in the community but we want to be a part of the community.” said Lu.

How can you not love a restaurant or business for that matter, who’s sincerely looking to contribute to our community?

That being said, I think you have plenty of reasons to support this business and I’m happy to say this is a new and welcomed gem to our borough and neighborhood.

We wish them nothing but success.

Oh and don’t forget, even if you’re not in the mood to eat, they’re a great spot for drinks and happy hour, something which the staff and attorneys at The Bronx Defenders have figured out so it’s the perfect lunch or dinner spot for not just locals but those who work in the Bronx court system too.

Porto Salvo is open Mon-Thurs from 12PM to 11PM, Friday from 12PM to 12AM, Saturday from 11AM to 12PM and Sundays from 11AM to 11PM and is located at 424 E 161st Street between Melrose and Elton Avenues.

Brunch is served Saturdays from 10AM to 4PM.

Grilled octopus (below) and bruschetta funghi e fontina are some of the perfect appetizers to get you started.

The cocktails here are top notch as well.

Locals as well as attorneys and staff from nearby Bronx Defenders have made this their go to place after work. The crowd starts streaming in generally around 4 to 5PM.

Have we mentioned they have a nice selection of bruschetta?

The space was designed by executive chef and owner Luigi Ghidetti and you can see the attention to detail even in the most basic ways as the garnishes at the bar and their presentation.

Local residents appreciate the option to dine al fresco.

Three different types of sangria made by 3 different bartenders are part of the happy hour and just $6 bucks. The owners encourage the bartenders to unleash their creativity, and it shows in their signature cocktails.

Owner and General Manager, Mark Lu (left) chats with local residents. Luigi and Mark can often be seen at the restaurant mingling with the patrons.

Each day, unmarked buses come up to The Bronx to parade tourists through our neighborhoods for quick photo ops and then scoot them quickly back onto the bus onto their next destination.

One such destination is the 42nd Precinct in Melrose off 3rd Avenue and 160th Street where the exploitative film Fort Apache was filmed and each day hundreds of tourists descend like vultures and parasites picking off the carrion flesh of a rotting corpse.

That rotting corpse is the 40 year old image of a burning Bronx that still is alive in the global consciousness of our borough, one they seem to think is still alive and well.

We have come a long way since then but such tours are beyond offensive because they neglect the history, the decades between then where thousands of lives were lost in our neighborhoods through the subsequent drugs and violence; to the activists like Yolanda Garcia and Dr Evelina Lopez Antonetty, the Hell Lady of The Bronx who passed away much too soon and long before they could complete their life’s work of rebuilding our communities from within.

These “ghetto gawking” tours contribute NOTHING to our communities as they do not even spend a dime in our communities.

There’s so much to see and learn in The Bronx and this is not the way. We are not a zoological exhibition on display for you to come on a bus as if on safari but don’t interact with the local culture, it’s people or at the very least patronize a local business.

I’ve witnessed this on a daily basis for well over a decade but something just snapped yesterday morning and made me just hold up the camera and record them with reckless abandon. Some people became visibly uncomfortable as I recorded them and narrated what was going on and that was my intention: To turn the lens back on these clueless parasites.

If you’re coming to the Bronx, learn about our histories and people through local home grown Bronx tourists who won’t exploit our people like Bronx Historical Tours or ‘Loving The Bronx’ run by Nilka Martell.

The popular department stores Burlington and Marshall’s are coming to The Hub in Melrose at the old Alexander’s building on Third Avenue at 153rd Street.

These will be the second stores in the immediate area for both chains as they are currently located less than a mile away over at The Bronx Terminal Market.

The building, which dates back to 1928 when the now defunct Alexander’s Department stores was founded at that very location and lasted until 1992 when they went bankrupt and eventually became a Conway’s until they too folded.

In September 2013 the building sold to its current owner for slightly above $16 million and since last year the building has been going major gut renovations. In fact, very little is left of the original art deco department store as everything from interior to exterior walls were demolished.

Gone are the beautiful terrazzo floors that graced the department store that served The Bronx for almost 7 decades.

Marshall’s will be occupying the cellar level of the building while Burlington will take up the 2nd and 3rd floors leaving the ground floor still available for lease but no leads so far have been reported as to who will take up the space.

The Hub, the Bronx’s oldest and busiest shopping district which sees over 200,000 pedestrians pass by daily, has seen a lot of changes in the past 5 years as both landlords and retail chains have increased confidence in the area thus leading to higher rents and displacement of long time businesses on the avenue that stayed put during the burning years.

Five years ago was when Planet Fitness, the national affordable chain of 24 hour gyms opened up on Third Avenue just a block south from the old Alexander’s.

This marked the first foray of a national chain at The Hub outside of cell phone stores like AT&T, Verizon, & T-Mobile.

Shortly thereafter, Blink Fitness opened up 5 blocks away followed by Children’s Place, Carter’s, the opening of two luxury boutique hotels, The Opera House and Umbrella hotels, a Crunch Fitness, and a Boston Market.

Last year we documented how these national chains have driven up rents and forced longtime businesses out to the point that there were over 20 vacant storefronts throughout the shopping corridor of Third Avenue and 149th Street.

Now landlords are beginning to activate the upper floors of these commercial properties which have been dormant and vacant for over 40 years.

Blink Fitness is opening it’s third Melrose location at the old Sach’s building on 150th and Third Avenue and will be occupying the 2nd and 3rd floors of that building.

The building where Children’s Place is located, 2918 Third Avenue, has been completely renovated from the exterior to the interior with new mechanicals hoping to lease the upper floors as more offices are relocating to the area.

Bronx Coworking Space located on the 3rd floor of 2825 Third Avenue (where our offices are located), the area’s first office sharing space which opened in May, is already 75% occupied as local businesses have taken up the spaces and Bronx FlexSpace, another coworking space in the area at 452 E 149th Street is also starting to gain tenants as well.

With gentrification already creeping in something must be done to protect existing mom and pop shops which are the lifeblood of commercial corridors like The Hub. Large big box stores and national chains are already here and will continue to come but there is still room for everyone if landlords can agree to somehow let the smaller businesses thrive.

In the meantime, at the very least, Burlington and Marshall’s offers deep discounts that are affordable to the existing population of the neighborhood and not out of reach for the average consumer in the area.

The stores are slated to open early 2018.