The feast of St. Joseph’s Day is coming up on March 19th and there’s no better place to celebrate than here in the Bronx in Little Italy! If you’re unfamiliar with St. Joseph’s Day, it’s the day that Italian Catholics honor Joseph, husband to the Virgin Mary. It also happens to be when Italy celebrates Father’s Day. In addition, if your name is Joseph or Josephine, you will be celebrating your name day- or Onomastico. St. Joseph’s Day is an important tradition in the Italian community and serves as an occasion to celebrate with family, friends, and of course, with a cake or pastries. So even if you aren’t Italian or Catholic- it’s still a fun day to partake in and enjoy some yummy seasonal treats.
Of course, the Bronx’s REAL Little Italy has no shortage of local small businesses that celebrate the holiday by serving patrons traditional Italian goods to set their Tavola di San Giuseppe, or Table of Saint Joseph. So you can head to Arthur Ave to hit up your favorite Italian pastry shops and grab either a Zeppole di San Giuseppe or Sfingi di San Giuseppe– or both of course! These pastries are traditional cream-filled pastries topped with powdered sugar and citrus fruits named in honor of the patron Saint.
Here’s a list of pastry shops in the Bronx Little Italy to grab some yummy St. Joseph’s pastries:
- Artuso Pastry Shop (670 East 187th Street) – For the holiday, Artuso carries zeppole and sfingi. The zeppole is filled and topped with vanilla custard cream and amarena cherries. The sfingi is filled and topped with rich cannoli cream and adorned with candied citrus fruit, a glazed cherry, and sprinkles. The pastries, available now until St. Joseph’s Day, cost $4.50 each in store. National shipping is available for $19.95 for three pastries on their website and local delivery is available through DoorDash or GrubHub.
- Delillo Pastry Shop (610 E 187th Street) – In honor of St. Joseph, Delillo carries sfingi and zeppole. Sfingi feature cannoli cream, topped with a glazed cherry and candied orange. The zeppole features custard with glazed cherries. Pastries are $4.50 each in store and are also available for delivery through GrubHub or UberEats.
- Egidio Pastry Shop (622 E 187th Street) – Egidio Pastry has been using the same recipes for their sfingi and St. Joseph zeppole since 1912. The sfingi feature ricotta cream, bergamot orange and a glazed cherry. The St. Joseph zeppole features custard cream and an amarena cherry. The zeppole is $6.50 and the sfingi is $6.95, both available in store.
- Gino’s Pastry Shop (580 E 187th Street) – Gino’s has carried on the tradition of St. Joseph’s Day for more than 60 years with their traditional deep-fried St. Joseph zeppole with vanilla custard and amarena cherries as well as their St. Joseph sfinigi stuffed with cannoli cream and topped with an orange citron strip. Both pastries are fried fresh daily and are $5 each. Shipping is available, call the shop for more information.
- Morrone Pastry Shop & Café (2349 Arthur Ave) – Morrone keeps it traditional by carrying St. Joseph zeppole with custard, topped with an amarena cherry, and a St. Joseph sfingi featuring cannoli cream, topped with a candied orange slice and a glazed cherry. Each pastry is $6 in-store.