Everyone knows St. Patrick’s in New York, but to celebrate an authentic Italian feast in March head to legendary Patsy’s Italian Restaurant. On Sunday, March 19th, Patsy's will host a St. Joseph’s Day celebration. A patron saint to many Italian-American families, St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, has been honored for generations with a special Lent feast. Patsy’s will be serving special dishes including stuffed artichokes and mushrooms, pasta fagioli (beans and macaroni soup), broccolu rabe, spaghetti with anchovies, striped bass alla Livornese. Come dessert, it’s time for some New York favorites: zeppole de San Giuseppe.
One of New York’s best-loved Italian restaurants, Patsy's has been family owned and operated for more than 70 years. A white tablecloth restaurant of simple elegance and warmth, it was made famous long ago by Frank Sinatra (whose family still comes here). What makes it a lasting institution in New York is not the celebrities (though there are many), but the food. This is where you come for some “down home” Southern Italian fare, and where they really know how to make red sauce—from marinara to pizzaiola.
St. Joseph’s Day dates back to the Middle Ages, when a drought fell upon Sicily and the locals prayed to St. Joseph to send them rain. In return, they promised to honor him with a grand feast, which they've been putting on every year on March 19th ever since.
