#InauguralReview #Dominicks Since 1962 by Angela Paone Di Paolo and Charlie Di Paolo #SouthernItalian 2335 Arthur Avenue Bronx Little Italy
The real piece de resistance here is the Linguini alla Gianni
Oh my goodness it looks like Dorothy is not in Kansas anymore!
It's not who you know, it's WHOM YOU KNOW and FINALLY Peachy Deegan has ventured North in New York City! You know we have simple taste: we only like the best, and we had heard such spectacular remarks about Dominick's and Charlie so we had to find out for ourselves. The minute we arrived at Dominick's, Charlie himself was at the door to greet us and seat us and tell us all about our new discovery. Peachy kind of felt like Christopher Columbus discovering America!
We have spent over 30,000 posts telling you why the classics rule and could not be more excited to shine the spotlight on Angela Paone Di Paolo and Charlie Di Paolo, owners of Dominick's. They don't even have a website and only started having a printed menu after covid, so Dominick's is as old school as you can get. Obviously, it is older than Peachy herself who as a child certainly was asking, "What is a Belmont?" when she saw Dion with her family. Dion has dined at Dominick's. Well, if Dominick's is good enough for Dion and Peachy, it's good enough for you too so it's time to take a train a little bit North to discover deliciousness you didn't know about yet perhaps. The old-school style here reminded us a bit of the late great Durgin Park in terms of style (not cuisine, Durgin Park was not Italian) and we are so sad that closed in Boston. Often, not always, there is a reason why a venue endures for generations. Here are some of the first reasons we found:
Meet the Salad for One!
There are exactly two salads on the menu at Dominick's.
Iceberg, tomato, red onion and black olives greeted us and they listened and put the dressing on the side for the picky one here who always likes to apply the salad dressing herself. Boiano's Produce Market is Charlie's produce choice. You do not need to ask for the bread: it arrives with the utmost hospitality and is super local, from Madonia Bakery. Everyone knows farm to table is just marketing and Charlie quite literally uses vendors that are on his street, Arthur Avenue, and everything is delivered fresh every day. You can see these places as you walk down the street of course on your way to see Charlie. Everyone knows Peachy drinks vodka (that's a different Charles, also Italian!) and just as good as drinking vodka is eating vodka at Dominick's! The classic ziti with vodka sauce was perfection and lived up to our expectations with the ideally al dente pasta and luxurious sauce.
If you are new to us, you ought to know that we never edit pictures.
You excel like Charlie, or we do not publish. He has set the bar high for anyone else we may or may not consider in the Bronx! Fettuccine Alla Dominick's is a light Alfredo Sauce with mushrooms and pancetta (the menu says bacon but you ought to know this is PANCETTA. That means even better than bacon in Italian in the world according to Peachy Deegan.)
You excel like Charlie, or we do not publish. He has set the bar high for anyone else we may or may not consider in the Bronx! Fettuccine Alla Dominick's is a light Alfredo Sauce with mushrooms and pancetta (the menu says bacon but you ought to know this is PANCETTA. That means even better than bacon in Italian in the world according to Peachy Deegan.)
Charlie started as Head Bartender here in 1982 and became an owner in 1992. In 2014, he became the sole owner. We have not met Angela yet, but she is even more integral than Charlie because she has been involved longer: she was born that way because she is the daughter of Ida and Joe Paone! Ida, you deserve an awful lot of credit for being an asset for the duration of the storied history here.
In 1962, Dominick and Joe Paone from Calabria, Italy opened Dominick's.
How did they know each other?
Dominick married Joe's sister. And the rest is history.
Peruse some Fettuccine alla Dominick's glamour shots:
In all of the Italian dishes we have had for sixteen plus years, we do not recall having this before and if we did it couldn't have been done as well because Peachy can't remember it. The components were of the utmost quality in perfect proportion.
The meatballs also insisted upon mugging for the camera with their most tomatoey smile:
Yes, the linguini and 100 percent beef meatballs are truly a wonder to behold and even better to delicately devour. The Lady and the Tramp are likely to visit Dominick's. Obviously, like most things in life, they are even better with grated cheese!
Peachy can nearly never contain her sincere excitement for great Chicken Parm and her Dominick's experience proved to be no exception as she was genuinely so happy to see it she started cutting it before taking a picture. She is smart enough not to photograph that angle! The generous portion is simply smashing with mozzarella of perfection luxuriating upon perfectly pounded chicken with linguine hiding underneath. They don't ask you ridiculous questions here like would you like pasta with your chicken parm. Since when would you not?! The pasta arrives with no silly questions!
Charlie told us, but he is correct: the real piece de resistance here at Dominick's is the Linguini alla Gianni. It is shaking its right hand out to meet you virtually:
Of course, this precipitated the question of who is Gianni?
Not Versace~! An avid Dominick's enthusiast who went all the time, Gianni once asked the chef to make him something different sometime prior to 1982 and the chef came up with this: it's diced shrimp and clams, so super fresh from Randazzo's Seafood supplier of all fish here, also quite literally next door.
This dish is perfect, however, we will tell you that after eating it, Peachy dreamed about crabmeat being added and in her dream it was like the Holy Trinity of seafood - this is just her subconscious talking now but if something inspires dreams you definitely ought to be eating it.
We next reveled in the purity of the Broiled Branzino, which was so brillant in its delicate, flaky, silky qualities that you will love to love on your own fork to quickly melt in your mouth. All fish arrives fresh every day.
Along with the Linguini alla Giani, the Branzino was our favorite and you are going to have some difficult choices narrowing down this menu.
Veal with Potatoes is a specialty here and Charlie brought it over to us with his winning way of introducing exactly what you ought to try and again he is right! In a striking white wine sauce with mushroom and onions plus garlic and oil, the Veal and Idaho potatoes team up for this smashing original dish that has endured since 1962 and always has been a menu highlight. Biancardi is the butcher.
Make one of the 80 seats yours.
Do not overlook the majesty of the Broccoli Rabe, among the very best we have had anywhere at all this year gorgeously garlic-enhanced and Peachy's favorite Haricots Verts, green beans bien sur! They are just right and a total must for a side with their garlic and oil accentuation.
Except for the occasional Chacha Peachy, Peachy is really not one to boogie down (what they call Da Bronx), but if she is going to boogie down, she's going to do it with Angela and Charlie in the most delicious way and go to Dominick's and indulge in the talents of his well-established champion team!
We were so impressed with Dominick's authenticity, commitment to the classics and genuine hospitality and we look forward to seeing them keep up the excellent work.
By the way, do not miss their premium Amarone from Verona and they also have Merlot and Pinot Grigio from Veneto. Say a prayer for our late great friend Gianfranco Sorrentino who taught us so much about Italian wine and was truly one of our most favorite people and go see Vito today, also one of our most favorite people.
Dominicks's is at 2335 Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, New York 10458.
718 733 2807
When Charlie joins the party of business owners that have websites, you will be the first to know because we will tell you!
The menu:
They are open Thursday, Friday, Saturday 12-9 and Sunday 12-8.
WE LOVE that there's the IWO JIMA picture on the wall at Dominick's and it made us feel like Grampy was with us. (An Iwo Jima survivor, shown to the right with Grammy.)
