Di Palo's Fine Food
The mozzarella at Di Palo's is made that day and never goes near a fridge, which is Ruth Reichl's whole case for the shop:
mozzarella should never be put in the refrigerator. It changes.1
Why go
Buy it while it is still warm, which is when she says it is at its best. It is cow's milk and not buffalo, she is clear about that, and she rates it anyway.1 The cheese counter is the other reason to come. In March 2024 Reichl described Lou Di Palo letting a customer taste four seasons of Parmigiano Reggiano and explaining why the spring cheese does not taste like the fall.2 The shop has stood on Grand Street for over a century and most of what it sells is imported from Italy.2
Order this / avoid
- Order: the mozzarella, warm if they have just made it.1
- Order: Parmigiano at the counter, and ask which season you are buying.2
- Avoid: a quick stop. Reichl:
This is a store you want to spend time in, and should go to when you're not in a hurry.
2
What locals & experts say
- Ruth Reichl, quoted by The Infatuation (2 April 2024):
Di Palo is the one place I know where you can get mozzarella that was made that day and has never been refrigerated. To just go in there, and especially if you get it when it's still warm, it is the most delicious thing.
1 - Ruth Reichl, via The Relisher (19 March 2024):
They have the best Parmigiano Reggiano — Lou Di Palo, the owner, will let you taste all four seasons of the Parmesan and explain to you why the spring Parmesan tastes different than the fall Parmesan.
2 - The limit: both of those are Reichl, two weeks apart in 2024, and I have not found a newer write-up by anyone else.
Good to know
- Timing: it is a shop, so come in the day and buy for later.1
- Price: Reichl called the prices ridiculous, meaning cheap, in April 2024.1
Verdict
should-visit — The Parmigiano tasting is Lou Di Palo personally, which is the detail most likely to have aged since 2024. One critic in one spring is the whole record here.