Living in Westchester, NY, I have the privilege of being less than 20 miles from New York City and some of the best food I've ever eaten. Most people know of Little Italy located downtown in the SoHo area, but head to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx for your next stop. This authentic Italian food that rivals most everything else I've ever tried. Not only is the food delicious, but the people are kind and welcoming as you walk from store to store.

You don't even need lunch, just try a little of everything from each spot.

I personally am a huge fan of mozzarella cheese, and Casa De Mozzarella has some of the best I've ever tried. I got to see them make it from scratch, and even tried it fresh from the bowl they just finished forming. I swear, nothing compares to fresh cheese and olives – I could eat it all day. The man behind it all is from Sicily and came to the United States when he was 27 – so you know he has high standards for his cheese.

Next, I went to a bakery, Addeo and Sons, that has been in the Bronx since the 1900's and is run by three generations of the same family. They lived above the bakery in a tiny apartment and have been making delicious bread for years. Down the street is Teitel Brothers, a Jewish run Italian Deli. Weird combo since the brothers had never actually been to Italy when opening their store over 100 years ago, but they have it all figured out. They have the most amazing prosciutto, olive oil, cheeses, and olives. Try the truffle cheese. I swear you will like it – how could you not?

Down the street from there is the famous Arthur Avenue Market, with all sorts of fresh meat, cheese, plants, and even a guy rolling cigars from scratch. The prices are unbeatable, and the quality is amazing. Right outside across the street is Randazzo's Seafood. They have live crawfish in the front of the store and a half a dozen oysters for $6, something I couldn't say no to trying! I'm a huge fan of seafood, and probably could eat it for every meal, so this was one of my favorite spots.

Each place had amazing samples and little things to try...

Finally, we ended up at lunch at a restaurant called Fiasco. Of course, we had pizza, because what else would you have to end an Italian food tour? I personally was full when we got to lunch and somehow managed to have two slices of the delicious thin crust Margherita pizza they brought out and it was totally worth it. If you like Italian food, or just love New York and want to branch out from the usual places in Manhattan, then definitely head to the Bronx to Arthur Avenue… but maybe skip breakfast beforehand.