Little Italy in Minneapolis??? (St. Paul, Beltrami: home, neighborhood, to buy)

[C-Chelle]

Is there an Italian section of Minneapolis? I am looking for a good Italian store to get some Italian sausage and a few other things. I prefer one owned by Italians that make their own.

Thanks

[xandrex]

Minneapolis has never really had a substantial Italian section to my knowledge. We're all a bunch of Germans and Scandinavians! The only communities I can think of are the Eastern European places (Nordeast), Somali areas (Cedar-Riverside being the focus), and Mexican communities (south Minneapolis near Lake always pops to mind). Italian though? I'm sure we have an authentic shop or two, but I can't think of any Little Italy areas.

[C-Chelle]

Originally Posted by xandrex

Minneapolis has never really had a substantial Italian section to my knowledge. We're all a bunch of Germans and Scandinavians! The only communities I can think of are the Eastern European places (Nordeast), Somali areas (Cedar-Riverside being the focus), and Mexican communities (south Minneapolis near Lake always pops to mind). Italian though? I'm sure we have an authentic shop or two, but I can't think of any Little Italy areas.

Yes, I have seen the Hispanic section, which is good, I love their food too. I have found that I can order the tomato's and sauces I have become accustom to on-line but OMG the shipping of the cans is 3 times the cost of the actual product. The only thing I do miss about Pittsburgh is that I lived 2 blocks from their "Little Italy" section of town and OMG this one store made THE BEST Italian sausage I have ever eaten. I was really hoping to find one here.

I guess still not having found a place that makes good pizza, I see what you mean. LOL I have made homemade pizza and pasta for a few of my friends here and they tell me it's the best they have ever eaten. Maybe I should open a little place and start cooking for you all hahahaha. Of course, getting the ingredients I need might be a challenge as I brought a lot with me when I moved here that I am now out of.

[xandrex]

I've had pizza is Chicago and New York and elsewhere and never been overly impressed with the pizza. You can find several great options here if you're not looking for something that's exactly the same as what you left.

[Min-Chi-Cbus]

There is NO Little Italy in either city anymore but St. Paul had one (in Lowertown). Both cities have some pretty decent Italian food fare though, from Di Amico Cucina Italiana to Broder's to Mancini's. Try Googling "Top Twin Cities Itlian" for a truer list, with reviews.

As far as pizza goes, it's not ever going to be NYC, so hopefully you can live with that. That being said (and as somebody who's lived in many different cities), the Twin Cities can and does make good pizza....you just have to find it. I prefer Davanni's for chain pizza, which is local and makes a pretty damn good traditional (hand-tossed) crust. There's also Pizza Luce, which a lot of people love but I just like. I also like Fireside Pizza and Lake Harriet Pizza for that cracker-thin Chicago-style Thin pizza. Black Sheep, Punch Neapolitan and Pizzaria Lola are the better/best Italian-style brick-oven pizzas (similar to your NYC stuff). If you dig deep-dish, I prefer Green Mill over much of what Chicago has to offer, but it can depend on the location and the person making it (I like Uptown's location the most).

[mn55110]

Most of the Italians in the Twin Cities have historically lived on the East Side of St. Paul. usually along Payne Avenue in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood and along Arcade Street (US Hwy 61) near Lake Phalen. You might want to try eating at Romalo's on Arcade Street. Not on the east side but along west 7th Street, just blocks from the Xcel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul is the historic West End area which has been Italian for years and home to Cossetta's Market and Pizzeria. Has anyone tried Palumbo's Pizzeria on Snelling Avenue South yet?

St. Paul is far more like Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Syracuse, Scranton than Minneapolis is. In fact, a few years ago the Pioneer Press ran an article claiming that Toledo, Ohio should really be St. Paul's Twin City not Minneapolis. The newspaper article did gave a number of demographic comparisons between St. Paul and Toledo to support their thesis then made the same comparisons/contrasts between St. Paul and Minneapolis. To say the least, it was interesting.

[Min-Chi-Cbus]

^I know a bit about Toledo and always thought it was a depressed hell-hole, but perhaps it's more charming and interesting like St. Paul? My opinion of To-do came from a acquaintance from college who lived there and seemed to hate it (and its black inhabitants, to boot!). He was a strange dude, for sure!

[Beenhere4ever]

Beltrami has always been considered "Little Italy" in Mpls. NE Minneapolis just south of Broadway.

[stl_mdwst81]

I have been planning on a MSP relocation from St. Louis for some time but have not made it yet. I'm sorry to hear that about MSP actually as we have/had a large Italian population here. Our scandinavian influence wanned some time ago, we have an area called 'The Hill' with Italians living here who still run the businesses and restaraunts. Google 'Volpi Salami' and you will find options to buy many of their products, the name in ubiquitous with St Louis sandwich shops. I'm not a part of the familiy or anything like that but I know I will be looking them up myself when I leave here. There are something things that really are the icing on the cake about living in different cities.

[kuan]

The only grocer I know of is Delmonico's.

1112 Summer St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413