Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Bellino Beats Tucci to Arco Wine Bar

 



All' ARCO

VENICE






ALBERGO GUERRATO

VENICE



I found this wonderful little Hotel in 1995, on my special trip to Explore the BACARI (Venetian Wine Bars) of VENICE. I had read a tiny little article about them in the New York Times that peeked my interest and inspired me to open one in New York. I book a trip for 8 days in Venice to explore, feel, experience and find out everything I could about the Wine Bars of Venice (Bacari). And I did just that. With the knowledge of that trip and my many years experience in the restauranat business in New York, I made a business plan, found a partner to join me, and I created the First Ever Bacaro in The United States, called BAR CICHETTI in New York’s Greenwich Village. 

Basta !








Daniel Bellino Zwicke

Venice

1995






Author Daniel Bellino Zwicke

The GRAND CANAL

VENICE, ITALY






Daniel Behind The Bar

HARRY'S BAR

VENICE

1995


They let me go behind the Bar and take a picture. I think it was Mirco who was tending bar that day. Quite nice of him to take my picture. This was on my Exploratory Trip of the Bacari (Venetian Wine Bars) of Venice, in March of 1995. Of course I had to go to Harry's Bar, as well as every Wine Bar (Bacari) in the city. I had lunch at Harry's Bar on this day. It was wonderful I also bopped in a couple times for cocktails (Negronis & Bellinis).








Me & ARTURO

aka "iL LUPO" THe WOLF

OSTERIA VIVIALDI - Venice

1995


Arturo was a famous Gondolier how I was fortunate to meet at a Venetian Wine Bar called
Osteria Vivaldi, in Venice. I was at the Bar eating Cichetti and I met Arturo and his friends at the Bar. We chit-chatted and took this picture, and I bought Arturo a glass of wine, which you see here in the picture. His friends told me he was Venice's most famous Gondolier, and he was called
"iL LUPO" The Wolf.

When I was talking to Arturo, he told me about the time when Bobby Kennedy brought his nephew John Kennedy Jr. to Europe, and Venice, and hired Arturo to take them in his Gondola around Venice. It was quite exciting to see Arturo and hang out with him, drinking local wine, and chatting at the bar with him and his friends.









All'ARCO

VENICE



"I got off the Vaparetto from Marco Polo Airport in Venice. I made my way to the Railto Market, dragging my suitcase along the way. The 1st Bacaro I came across, I would find out later, was once of the smaller ones, but it would also become one of the most famous some 25 years later when Stanley Tucci went there in 2020. This was March of 1995 when I (Daniel Bellino Z) stumbled upon it while walking to my hotel. I was quite tired, and hungry, and I stopped in for my first Cichetti & a glass of wine. For my Cichetti I got Baccala Montecato, a Venetian Specialty of whipped Salt Cod on toast (Crostini). I also got some Sarde en Soar (Sardines, Musetto (Venetian Sausage) and a glass of Tocai wine. I was trying different things and the barman gave me something quite different called Nervetti, which was cooked Beef Cartilage, dressed in Olive Oil & Vinegar on toast.




Baccala Manteca at All' ARCO



I left Arco, walked a couple minutes and came upon Do Mori. I knew it was one of Venice's oldest and most famous Bacari from reading about it in my guide book. I bopped in and had a couple cichetti and another glass of Tocai.

I left Do Mori and went looking for my hotel, and there I was at Calle Scimia, and I saw the sign, "Albergo Guerrrato" .. I went in and checked in.





ALBERGO GUERRATO

VENICE



I got in my room, and couldn't wait to take a shower, and so I did.

I got dressed and went back out to "Explore" The Bacari (Wine Bars) were waiting, and I was eager and excited to check out as many as I could,  eat cichetti and drink the local Prosecco, wine, and discover the Aperol Spritz one night before heading back to my hotel.





"BELLINO DISCOVERS All' ARCO"

VENICE, ITALY
1995


The statement "Bellino Beat Tucci" in the context of the search results refers to 
Daniel Bellino Zwicke discovering the Venetian wine bar "All' Arco" almost 27 years before Stanley Tucci visited and popularized it, according to an article on Positano's website. The author claims Bellino was there in 1995 on an "exploratory tour of the bacari of Venice" and later opened "Bar Cichetti" in New York, the first Venetian wine bar in America. 
This refers to a specific instance of a travel experience rather than a competition or "beating" in the conventional sense. The article on the Positano website is the primary source for this claim. 
It's worth noting that Stanley Tucci is a well-known actor and author with a popular CNN series called "Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy," where he explores Italian cuisine and culture, earning him two Primetime Emmy Awards. He is also a New York Times bestselling author of cookbooks and memoirs, including "Taste: My Life Through Food"





Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Making Meatballs and Sunday Sauce


WHEN NONNA MAKES SAUCE

"GRAVY"




NONNA'S SUNDAY SAUCE

with SAUSAGE & MEATBALLS








NONNA MAKES SUNDAY SAUCE

With MEATBALLS & RIBS

"Yumm" !!!








CARLA'S SUNDAY GRAVY NAPOLITAN


Carla makes an Awesome Sunday Gravy .. 
She's so Sweet, we just Love her. 
Her and her awesome Gravy Napolitan .. 

Brava Carla !!!




RAGU NAPOLITANA

The ORIGINAL SUNDAY SAUCE



The HISTORY of SUNDAY SAUCE GRAVY

RAGU NAPOLITAN





NONNA GINA



NONNA GINA MAKES SUNDAY SAUCE

Video Recipe










SUNDAY SAUCE

alla BELLINO alla PACINO










NONNA BELLINO'S COOKBOOK

RECIPES From MY SICILIAN NONNA




 



DiANNE MAKES Her MEATBALLS

And SUNDAY GRAVY





SUNDAY GRAVY with MEATBALLS

One of the 1st SUNDAY GRAVY Recipes on Youtube 







SUNDAY SAUCE

alla CLEMENZA 

alla BELLINO alla PACINO








FLIGHTS & HOTELS 

WORLDWIDE





Thursday, July 3, 2025

12 Bellino 's

 














TWELVE BELLINO'S

At CIPRIANI DOWNTOWN

Soho NEW YORK

Daniel Bellino Zwicke






Who is Daniel Bellino Z

 

Screenshot 2022-07-26 2.37.17 PM


Daniel in SICILY

At The TEATRO GRECO - SIRACUSA 

2017

 
 
Daniel Bellino-Zwicke? Who is he? He's a Best Selling Cookbook Author and one of New York's Big Dogs of Italian Wine, a former Chef of such restaurants as; Woods, Corrado, and Bar Cichetti ... Daniel studied Hotel / Restaurant Management at New York Technical in Brooklyn .. Besides being the chef at the previous named restaurants, Daniel worked with Michel Fitoussi at the famed Palace Restaurant in the late 80's as well as at the Odeon under the great Patrick Clarke.
 
Daniel got out of the kitchen in the late 90's to become The Maitre'd at the uber hot # 1 Celebrity Hot Spot in New York at Da Silvano Ristorante where he took care of people like; Keith Richards, David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Uma Thurman, Richard Gere, Joe Pesci, Robert DeNiro, Calvin Klein, Nick Pileggi, Nora Efron, Graydon Carter, Gwyneth Palthrow, Madonna, Lucy Lui, and-on-and-on, the list is way to long to name them all.
 
Daniel took care of the high-flying clientele and "so called" Top People in The Worlds of Fashion, the Record Business, Publishing, along with Movie Stars and Rock Stars . Daniel is known for his easy going ability of taking care of all the big stars needs in a casual attentive manner without being intrusive in any way, and are the reasons he is well-known to so many Movers & Shakers of  the World.

Daniel had made quite a name for himself as the creator and Executive Chef / Wine Director and Managing Partner of Bar Cichetti, the 1st ever Venetian Wine Bar (Bacaro) in America, which was Daniel's proud creation. As Chef / Wine Director of Bar Cichetti, Daniel firmly established himself as one of New York and America's Top Italian Wine Guys .. He is personal friends with most of Italy's top wine producers, the likes of; Marchese Ferdinando Frescobaldi, Sebastiano Rosa winemaker of Sassicaia, Marchese Piero Antinori (proprietor) of Antinori Wines, Giovanni Folnari of Nozzole, Gianlucca Grasso, Gianpaolo Venica, Cavalier Luigi Cappellini of Castel Verrazzano, the Conte Capponi Sebastiano and Nicola Capponi. Just like all the Movie Stars & Rock Stars that Daniel knows, the list of Italian Wine Luminaries is even greater.
 
As we've already stated, Daniel left restaurant kitchens behind to become a noted Italian Wine Guy and Maitre'd who has a reputation of dealing with a  high-profile clientel. But not only them of course, there's everyone else, shall we call them the regular folk? Hey, they make up the bulk of any restaurant business, not the celebs, though celebrities help to draw in everyone else. Daniel will take good care of you as a number of his clients we have interviewed will tell you. He friendly and quite personable and really knows his stuff. 

Daniel has great passion for the food and wines of Italy that's almost impossible to duplicate. Frankly, Daniel is one of the best. He can tell you wonderful stories about the wine you are drinking; its history, who the owners and people who make the wine are (his Friends). His trips to all these Wine Estates all over Italy have given him the experiences that he conveys to his many clients. And Daniel's knowledge and passion for the food is equal to that of his vast knowledge of Italian Wine. Often you'll be drinking a bottle of Italian Wine that Daniel suggests and he'll pull out his iPhone and show you pictures of the people who own the estate and make the wine. One example would be Daniel's good friend Luigi Cappellini who owns Castello Verrazzano in Greve in Chianti (Tuscan) Italy. He'll show you pictures of him and his cousins Anthony & Joe at Verrazzano when Daniel took them there and they stayed on the property and ate breakfast and dinner in the castle, while drinking the great wines of Castello Verrazzano.
.
 
 
 


Daniel Bellino-Zwicke with Luigi Cappellini
of Castelo Verrazzano
 
 

After 5 years at DaSilvano, Daniel went on to become the Wine Director of Barbetta Restorante on West 46th Street in New York to head up the Greatest Italian Wine List in all of America. Daniel says, "the cellars are amazing." Places like Babbo and Del Posto (now closed) get more press for having great Italian Wine Lists, which they do, but Daniel says, "The Wine List of Babbo & Del Posto are awesome, but in comparison to Barbetta, they are akin to Childs-Play." No exaggeration, merely fact Daniel says. And within that Wine List which is the Greatest Italian Wine List in all of America, is the Barolo / Barbaresco section of which Daniel says is the greatest Barolo list in the World with its many Verticals of all the great Barolo Crus, like, Vietti Barolo Brunate and Lazarito, Cerretto Bricco Roche Bricco Roche, Marcarini Brunate, Michele Chiarlo Cerequio, Aldo Conterno Grand Bussia, Giacomo Conterno Barolo  "Monfortino" Giacamo Conterno "Francia," Mauro Veglio's Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata, Contratto Barolo "Cerequio," Elio Grasso Ginestra and more ...
 
Daniel said he was quite fortunate in his job as Wine Director of Barbetta for 5 years as he was able to taste and drinks so many of these great Barolo Crus of various vintages, as well as all the multi vintages of  Barbaresco, Amarone, Brunello, Super Tuscans, Champagne, and the all the top California Cabernets and Meritage Blends such as Opus One and Insignia.
 
Daniel had been writing for years, mostly essays, articles, and short stories. He wrote his first book La TAVOLA while he was at Barbetta in 2006 .. He said that 85% of the book was written in about 6 weeks time (quite fast), however he edited, polished it up and worked on it for another year before trying to get it published, which took five years. Actually La Tavola was published in June of 2012, followed by The FEAST of The 7 FISH which is the top selling cookbook of its genre. 

Daniel published Got Any Kahlua? The Collected Recipes of The Dude in the Summer of 2013, followed by SUNDAY SAUCE which has been a # 1 Best Seller Italian Cookbooks on Amazon for 5 months ... Daniel published another # 1 Best Seller in June of 2014 with SEGRETO ITALIANO / Secret Italian Recipes & Favorite Dishes ..
 
Daniel says he's currently working on a book on Chianti one of his great passions, as well as another Italian Cookook and an American Cookbook, all yet to be named ..

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INTERVIEW by Michael Roma




.


Marchese lamberto Frescobaldi
with Daniel Bellino-Zwicke
and Lamberto's Father
Marchese Leonardo Frescobaldi
 


 
 
 
Sebastiano Rosa (Winemaker of SASSICAIA)
Daniel and Giovanni Folnari of Nozzole




 
 
 
BOOKS by DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE
 


SUNDAY SAUCE

WHEN ITALIAN-AMERICANS COOK

 
 
 



 

SEGRETO ITALIANO
 
Secret Italian Recipes






Screenshot 2021-03-05 at 11.30.10 AM

POSITANO The AMALFI COAST 

TRAVEL GUIDE - COOKBOOK

.



Positano The Amalfi Coast Cookbook / Travel Guide is the latest by Best Selling Italian Cookbook Author Daniel Bellino Zwicke. It was just published on February 11th 2021 and is already a Best Seller in Italian Cookbooks and Travel Books as well. Author Daniel said that he is quite happy of the early success of the book POSITANO and hopes it continues and grows, and Daniel asked us to say hello and thank all of his loyal readers both old and new.

Daniel has mad a companion Website to POSITANO The AMALFI COAST COOKBOOK & Travel. The website is calledPositano-Amalfi-Coast and can be reached by clicking this Link @ Positano-Amalfi-Coast.com

Daniel said he made the website as he realizes that people love pictures in books, and as his books normally do not contain pictures, he made the site to fulfill this need, as the website has hundreds of beautiful pictures of Capri, Positano, Naples, Minori, Ravello, and the rest of the Amalfi Coast of Southern Italy. As well as having these pictures, excerpts and recipes from the book at the publication of the book, the website will be ongoing and will continue to have new pictures posted to it, along with articles, news, and ongoing pertinent information on Naples, Positano, and the Amalfi Coast of Italy.

Note : If you are on the Kindle Edition of Positano The AMalfi Coast Cookbook / Travel , you will be able to reach the website Positano in a Link inside the Kindle Book





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Screenshot2020-01-02at7.26.32PM
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The RAGU BOLOGNESE COOKBOOK

The WORLD'S BEST RECIPE

RAGU BOLOGNESE








SINATRA SAUCE

The COOKBOOK

Daniel Bellino "Z"




 



 
 

The Feast of The 7 Fish
 
ITALIAN CHRISTMAS


.
 
 
 



 La TAVOLA

ITALIAN-AMERICAN NEW YORKERS

ADVENTURES of The TABLE

 
 
 


 
 
 


GOT ANY KAHLUA ?

aka The BIG LEBOWSKI COOKBOOK

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Sinatra Favorite Foods Stuff

 



FRANK at JILLY'S

Entertaining FRIENDS & Daughters TINA & NANCY SINATRA

NEW YORK NY






PATSY'S

West 56th STREET, NEW YORK NY

"FRANK'S FAVORITE RESTAURANT"








VEAL MILANESE

POUNDED Thin - COOKED CRISPY






CLAMS POSILLIPO

FRANK SINATRA'S Two FAVORITE DISHES

VEAL MILANESE & CLAMS POSILLPO








FRANK'S EGG SANDWICH

When FRANK was at HOME iN PALM SPRINGS

His FAVORITE Afternoon SNAKC was an EGG SANDWICH

Prepared by His Valet GEORGE JACOBS


RECIPE in SINATRA SAUCE COOKBOOK








FRANK SAMMY & DINO

FRANK LOVED His JACK DANIELS





TOOTSIE ROLLS

"ONE of FRANK'S FAVORITES"


Frank Sinatra's favorite candy was the Tootsie Roll. He enjoyed them so much that he even appeared in a Tootsie Roll advertisement in 1942. He was also known to request them in his dressing room as part of his rider, and some even say he was buried with them according to Tootsie Roll Industries. 

That's right, even Ol' Blue Eyes himself had a list of demands on show day. Per Forbes, the "New York, New York" crooner was a big fan of mini Tootsie Rolls and liked to eat them for dessert after he feasted upon a spread that included fruit, a tray of brie cheese and crackers, egg salad sandwiches, chicken salad sandwiches with no mayo, ham and cheese sandwiches, and chips and pretzels. 

It makes sense that Sinatra would want to have food on hand to feed himself and his crew so they could deliver an energetic and high-quality performance for  fans every night. Not to mention, who doesn't love Tootsie Rolls? They are all kinds of sugary, chewy, chocolatey goodness, and they're individually wrapped, making it easier to share with a big team.









FRANK LOVED LIFESAVERS

"The RED ONES"



While it's not exactly known why the 1950s and '60s hitmaker had such a fondness for Life Savers, it can be assumed he liked them for a few reasons. Undoubtably he enjoyed their sugary sweet taste, for one. But the suckers also might've helped him prevent dry mouth prior to performing. They may have also relieved throat irritation from using his voice so much.

Sinatra could've asked for a different candy brand, but his go-to was Life Savers. One could theorize that his penchant for them was due to growing up on the candy, and sucking on them could have reminded him of his days as a young boy. While Jolly Ranchers, for example, didn't become popular until the 1960s, Life Savers came out in the early 20th century around when Sinatra was born. It's possible that after taking a liking to the hard candy as youngster, he simply stuck with them ever since. Sinatra's last meal was a grilled cheese, a childhood classic, after all. Another longtime favorite of the "New York, New York" singer was Entenmann's cakes, which launched in 1898. Famously, Sinatra had the grocery store dessert delivered to him weekly. 













Bellino Beats Tucci to Arco Wine Bar