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Other Activities on July 4th Include Free Shows by Castle Critters Puppets & Performances of Patriotic Songs by Folk Singer Robin Greenstein
What has become an annual Independence Day Weekend tradition in New York City – The 7th Annual Little Italy Pasta Eating Competition – will be held this year on Saturday, July 4, at 3:00 PM in front of S.P.Q.R. Restaurant, 133 Mulberry Street (between Hester and Grand Streets), in the heart of New York City’s historic Little Italy.
The event, open exclusively to employees of Little Italy restaurants, cafes and shops, is expected to attract eight to ten competitors who will be vying for the coveted title, “The Biggest Pasta Eater in Little Italy.” Last year the competition was won for the fourth time in six years by Fabrizio Rinaldi, a food-loving waiter at IL Cortile Restaurant, who out-ate a comely newcomer, Emily Bloom, a waitress at S.P.Q.R. Restaurant, in a hotly contested eat-fest.
Fabrizio has notified competition organizers that he is in training to defend his title and will be there on July 4th with every intention of winning the handsome trophy and first place cash prize of $250 that goes with it. The first runner-up takes home a cash prize of $100. Fabrizio, who lives in the Bronx, says if he wins a fifth trophy, he might need to move into a larger apartment with an extra room where he can display his competition hardware!
Fabrizio is expected to be joined by pasta lovers from other restaurants and cafes, including Original Vincent’s, Umberto’s Clam House, Grotta Azzurra, Buona Notte, Focolare, Sorrento, Caffe Napoli, Giovanna’s, La Mela and possibly some others.
They will try to match, or best, the Little Italy Pasta Eating record, which was established in 2006 by Victor Hugo Quintuna, a waiter at Caffe Sorrento, when he devoured a record 4 ¼ pounds of cooked pasta in eight minutes to upset a strong field of competitors.
There will be free shows by the Castle Critters Puppets from noon to 5 PM at various locations along Mulberry Street between Canal and Broome Streets. Renowned folk singer Robin Greenstein will also be in Little Italy between the hours of noon and 5 PM and will perform patriotic songs throughout the day at the intersection of Mulberry and Hester Streets.
The annual Summer in Little Italy festival is presented by the Little Italy Merchants Association (LIMA) and is supported by Peroni Beer, “The Official Beer of Little Italy,” Pepsi Cola/Schweppes/7-Up, “The Official Soft Drinks of Little Italy,” and the Italian Tribune.
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