Francesco Panella’s Favorite Italian Sunday Spots – in NYC

Even though he works 22 hours a day for his two restaurants in New York City (Chelsea and Williamsburg), Francesco Panella manages to carve out some free time for his domenica all’Italiana. As the ideal ambassador for Italian cuisine in New York, mr Panella is the first Insider of La Cucina Italiana to share his favorite Big Apple spots for enjoying Sunday like an Italian.

Francesco Panella’s Italian Sunday

When I arrived in the United States, the first thing I immediately missed was the Italian Sunday. For me, it’s priceless, a question of historical memory, while here it’s lived more as a brunch occasion. I grew up in Rome, in the Trastevere neighborhood, and my memories are linked to the pastarelle at the café in Via del Moro, or to the church mass because I really like to breathe that atmosphere, and then to family lunch. At my grandmother’s house everyone gathered around a large table full of so many good things. To me, the taste of Sunday is in the spaghetti frittata, made with eggs and breadcrumbs, an excellent dish I prepare with the leftovers of the night before.

Since I live in New York, and despite my professional commitments, I try not to lose the good habits of the Italian Sunday, although there has been some local contamination, like my morning jog. Breakfast is very important to me. I care about keeping it Italian style: I love having breakfast at home with cappuccino and cornetto or Italian biscuits, which I take from Feroce. Then, I spend time reading Italian newspapers to keep me up-to-date and help me feel closer to my nation. A good place where you can find Italian and international press is Soho News International. This is a classic NYC magazine shop packed with a wide selection, including lots of fashion and literary journals.

Food isn’t just work, it’s a passion of mine. My favorite place to go on a Sunday is Smorgasburg, the largest weekly open-air food market in America. On Sunday, it takes place in the picturesque setting of Prospect Park’s Breeze Hill until November. Now it’s moved indoors to 25 Kent Ave alongside Brooklyn Flea. My advice is to take the ferry to enjoy the magnificent view of the Manhattan Skyline. It attracts 20,000-30,000 people to Brooklyn each weekend to eat from 100 local vendors. I like to venture among the stalls to sample food from every kitchen for a different Sunday lunch.

Sunday is also the perfect day for cultural visits such as museums or art galleries, which I’m passionate about. After all, I grew up with my father, who was happy to give a hot meal to the bohemian artists of the Roman scene. In return, the incredible original works of art painted directly on the walls of the large winter hall of our Roman restaurant are still visible today. The last exhibition I saw was by Yayoi Kusama at the new Chelsea outpost of Rome’s Mucciaccia Galleries, which present 28 works by the artist dating from 1951 to 2008. Massimiliano Mucciaccia has great taste and I also go to his gallery in Rome – a good reference for all art lovers.

On Sunday evenings, pizza and soccer matches are a must! A traditional combination that I never fail to repeat every Sunday, even while living in New York. The pizza, of course, is Roman style: the authentic Antico Forno Roscioli one prepared at Feroce Pizza & Bocce. And my favorite team is Lazio. I love soccer, and I really like watching all the matches, not just of my own team. I’m a real fan!

As told to Stefania Virone Vittor

Francesco Panella's Portrait

Francesco Panella moved to the United States in 2012 with the ambitious project of exporting Roman cuisine to New York and has been a huge success. As the fourth-generation restaurateur of the historic Antica Pesa restaurant opened in Rome in 1922, he has brought the best of the Italian cooking to the U.S. with Antica Pesa Brooklyn. The traditional menu, with its light modern reinterpretations, is based on high-quality ingredients, either imported from Italy or purchased from local farmers. It’s a successful formula that has won over American foodies and convinced Hollywood stars to give in to Italian carbs, such as cacio e pepe or paccheri al pomodoro – just ask Madonna or Jennifer Lopez! And that’s not all: the international hospitality giant TAO Group has also been entranced by Panella’s passion. They’ve entrusted the cuisine at the Moxy Hotel in Chelsea to him. Opened earlier this year, Feroce Ristorante & Bar has already been awarded Best Opening 2020 by Gambero Rosso, testament from Italy to the authenticity of its food and wine proposals. The results are amazing, even for a Roman who is well known in Italy as a TV personality, travelling around in search of real Italian cuisine – first in America, then around the world – with TV shows like The Brooklyn Man and Little Big Italy.