Here’s the UWS Dish: CASASALVO’s Cannoli and Maritozzo

By Abigael T. Sidi

If I told you the pope was running a coffee shop on Amsterdam Avenue between 82nd and 83rd streets, serving espresso and Italian pastries as they taste on the streets of Rome, you’d probably think I should have my head examined.

But you’d be only half right: Salvo Lo Castro, owner of CASASALVO Coffee Shop — yes, the restaurant’s name is spelled with capital letters — worked in the kitchens of the Vatican for a decade. “From 2000 to 2010, I was the chef for the pope: four years for John Paul II and six years for Papa Ratzinger,” he said in an interview with the West Side Rag.

A few weeks back, Amy R., a self-identified “fan” of this column, reached out raving about Lo Castro’s “first-rate espressos and cappuccinos at just $2.51 (!), as well as … cornetti ($3), plus cannoli, bomboloni, maritozzi. Sfogliatelle … with a lovely seating area outside under big fringed aquamarine umbrellas. Inside is a market stocked with imported Italian specialty foods.”  Amy further called Lo Castro “a most genial host.”

Amy: You sent me my first piece of fan mail, so this one’s for you! CASASALVO was exactly as you described, so I’ll focus on the dish: I went for the cannoli (and maritozzo, how could I not?) – and, of course, to talk to the owner.

CASASALVO’s cannoli, which are kept fresh in a small fridge by the counter, have that iconic fluffy-yet-consistent cream filling, with a graininess and subtle tart that leave no doubt as to the main ingredient, ricotta, in keeping with the original Sicilian recipe. (Mainland cannoli will sometimes use mascarpone.)  The shell has the traditional, rustic dark brown hue, with a pleasant crunch and subtle cinnamon undertones providing a hint of sweetness to the pastry.

The cannoli stood out for its simplicity and authenticity: no fluff or gimmicks, just the real thing, as you’d eat on a street corner in Palermo, Rome or Naples. Same with the decadent maritozzo ($6.00), a whipped-cream-filled, orange-infused sticky brioche I’d been craving since I returned from Italy last year: simple, fresh, and absolutely delicious.

“CASASALVO is an artisanal coffee shop,” Lo Castro told the Rag. “Every night I roast my coffee, every night I prepare my pastries, and I put all my heart in everything.”

“I was born in Sicily, in Taormina,” he continued. “I left at the age of 18; it’s been 34 years. … My mom, my brother, everyone in my family stayed in Sicily. I went to Florence, Milan, Switzerland, France, Great Britain, [and then] the Vatican, in 2000.” After a stint in Bucharest in 2015, where he ran “the most famous restaurant, Picasso” until it was brought down by the coronavirus, Lo Castro moved to New York City on December 8th, 2022.  He had initially intended on spending a vacation here, but decided to stay because the city’s “vibe was very beautiful for me.” Because of his extensive restaurant and catering credentials, he said, “I got my green card in just one month. And then I opened my first coffee shop here” on the Upper West Side. It was the first of now five CASASALVO locations in Manhattan.

Reflecting on his first years in the city, Lo Castro said: “The New Yorkers, they love me because I do the best price with the best quality, and they trust me for this. I have students, normal people, older people, the families. The secret is not just the cheap price, the secret is the best quality.”

CASASALVO is open from 7 a.m. till 7 p.m. every day. No seating inside but a wonderful outdoor area, as Amy R. described. The shop is a great addition the Upper West Side coffee scene, which is short on genuine, “artisanal” (as Lo Castro would qualify it) Italian coffee shops. Not only are the espresso and cappuccino affordable, they are unapologetically strong, probably the tastiest I’ve had this side of town.  The market inside is equivalent to a small Eataly outpost, with lots of the usual suspects (olive oils, vinegars, jams, cheeses, fresh pasta) but also more rarely seen products such as Escarole e Olive and three variations of dry polenta.

Asked for an inside scoop or some secret anecdote on his time in the kitchens of the Vatican, Lo Castro unexpectedly (and quite cleverly) answered: “Look… [pause]  I cooked the same food I’d cook for you. The secret with my work is, for me, every client, every guest is the same, whether it’s the president, the lawyer, the teacher, or the driver, I prepare everything, the same.”

The Dish: Cannoli ($6.50 each)

The Restaurant: CASASALVO, 473 Amsterdam Avenue (between W 82nd and 83rd streets)

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