Today's letter is N which will showcase the North End.
About a week ago I showcased the letter I for Boston's Irish Connection. Today we will showcase the city's Italian influence.
While I am the equivalent to the human mutt... my husband is 100% Italian. I have always yearned for an ethnic heritage and am forever grateful for his family's acceptance of me into their rich ancestral culture.
While the North End is synonymous with America's iconic historical landmarks such as Paul Revere's home (look for the letter R entry) and the Old North Church (tomorrow's letter O entry) ... today it is known as Boston's Little Italy.
During my four week stay in Boston, I am sure I visited the North End no less than three times. It was home... in a longing, adoptive sort of way.
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| The influence of the Catholic Church is still strong in the North End. Several parishes can be found in this small neighborhood - each showcasing marble statues of their patron saints. |
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| My husband and I both attended parochial elementary school (his Catholic - mine Episcopalian). Seeing these young students dressed in their uniforms brought back many memories. Unfortunately, not all of them fond memories... |
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| As one would expect, authentic Italian restaurants abound in this neighborhood. We simply did not have enough time to taste-test our way through them all. |
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| Italian Wedding cookies are my husband's favorite. While the flavor is a bit bland for my taste, the varied colors and shapes make any dessert table a festive celebration. |
I bet those cookies were fabulous!
ReplyDeleteTruth be told... I find them prettier than tasty. But I do love a good canoli :)
DeleteI hear you about Parochial Ed. I went to public schools, but I certainly had my share of run-ins with Iron Fisted Nuns during catechism! Didn't get to this area, must go back.
ReplyDeleteYou absolutely MUST return - and be prepared to sample at least two meals :)
DeleteI have never heard of Italian Wedding cookies. All I have seen are Mexican Wedding cookies. Thank you for this.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Mexican wedding cookies - all that delicious powdered sugar sprinkled over a buttery dough :) Italian cookies are maybe more like shortbread (?) but quite colorful. They are typically sold by the pound and customers are encouraged to mix 'n match
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