If I pass a place that claims to have a chandelier made of food, I’m going inside, without question. So, when I saw that sign outside of in the Bronx’s Little Italy that said, “Sausage Chandelier,” I beelined in from across the street.
“” is about as accurate a description that can be made for what lies inside Calabria Pork Store. As you enter the tiny storefront, look up and be dazzled by the hundreds of hanging sausages. With it comes the smell — a funkified stink that can only permeate the room the way coppa, and other dried sausages could. It’s definitely a love-it-or-hate-it sensation, but as a massive fan of cured meat, I was on team “love it.”
A place that is solely dedicated to cured pork is a bold move, but when Nicola and Marisa Parrotta saw a pork store on Arthur Ave. for sale, they went for it. The couple wanted to pay homage to their southern Italian roots, and thus, in 1973, Calabria Pork Store was born. As someone whose family also hails from southern Italy, I can confirm that we do indeed love our pork. The only two items consistently in my fridge are almond milk and prosciutto. I digress.
Their Bronx-born son Pete grew up in the shop, and as of 2014, is the proud owner. Occasionally, I wander neighborhoods in search of something good to eat, and I popped into Calabria Pork Store without even knowing if they offer any type of takeaway food. Luckily, they have sandwiches that can be customized or chosen from their small yet well-curated list.
It felt sinister to order anything but a sandwich with soppressata, a cured pork typical of (where my family hails from), Puglia and Calabria. All three regions neighbor one another, with Basilicata being smack in the middle, but there are different variations of soppressata among the three. Most notably, Calabria has , which is made with those signature Calabrian chili peppers, giving it a kick and a bright red color.
At Calabria Pork Store, the soppressata sandwich has the addition of mozzarella and sweet or hot cherry peppers. I went for a mix, not wanting to totally set my taste buds on fire. The soppressata is sliced so thin that if you look closely enough, it’s almost translucent. It’s all piled onto an Italian loaf, topped with mozzarella, colorful peppers, and, if you really want to go nuts, a balsamic and olive oil drizzle (10 out of 10 recommend).
There’s nowhere to sit inside, and my visit felt too short, but once my sandwich was wrapped up, it was time to head out. I walked back to my car, sat inside and couldn’t wait until I got back to Queens to dig in, so I ripped the parchment paper open right then and there.
My one qualm with Italian cured meat is I usually have to really dig my teeth in to get a bite. The soppressata from Calabria Pork Store might as well have been butter, though. Melt-in-your-mouth spicy pork with fresh mozz, tangy balsamic and pickled cherry peppers, all on pillowy bread? And for less than 10 bucks? I immediately questioned where Calabria Pork Store gets its meat from, only to learn that they cure all soppressata, along with sausage and pancetta, inhouse.
It all reiterates that the has somehow managed to remain the biggest hidden gem of all. It’s a place where you can be transported back to old-school New York, to experience the true grit only first-generation Italian New Yorkers could have. But it’s not just the people and the streets but the food that transports you. Calabria Pork Store, from the way it proudly advertises its literal sausage chandelier to the simplicity of its seriously stellar sandwiches, is proof that amid the fast-moving trends, the best of the old school is here to stay.
- Address: 2338 Arthur Ave., Bronx, NY 10458
- Phone: (718) 367-5145
- Hours: Sunday 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; Monday-Thursday 7 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Prices: Sandwiches: $8-$16; Per Pound: Fresh Sausage: $5.99 and up; Dry Sausage: $13-$26.99; Soppressata: $19.99-$20.99; Prosciutto $16-$275; Coppa: $24.99; Cheese: $8.99-$27.99; Calabrese Pancetta: $11.99; Pancetta Rotolata (¾ Pound): $10.99; Olives (per pound): $9.99
- Takeout available; delivery on some products (check www.calabriapork.com); no reservations
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