Recently a guest at Villa Mosconi wrote a review on Yelp (see below) noting how he found us during his search for a restaurant which also served Biscuit Tortoni.
For those who are unfamiliar with this dessert, Tortoni is an almond-flavoured ice cream treat covered in amaretto crumbs and topped with a maraschino cherry. Biscuit Tortoni is an old classic from the early 1900s. It is said to have originated from an Italian restaurant called Cafè Tortoni in Paris, France. The owner was an immigrant from Naples, Italy who began serving this sweet treat to his rich clientele. When it arrived in the United States it was readily available and more economical, thus it’s rise to popularity. To this day it’s existence is unbeknownst to Italians in Italy. It’s mainly an Italian-American secret treasure. But nowadays, it is slowly becoming extinct as more authentic Italian desserts have taken over the menus of red sauce restaurants.
However, a feeling of nostalgia forced a renewed curiosity on this topic after reading the experience of one of our guests. Biscuit Tortoni brings back endearing memories of our patron and grandfather, Nonno Paolo Mosconi. Whenever one of the grandchildren would make a visit to the restaurant we were always greeted with a warm hug, a pinch of the cheeks, the “I gotcha ya’ nose trick” and those never-ending questions:
“Are you hungry? When did you eat? Dai nani! (come on sweetie) You have to eat something; Wait, wait I know what to get you….
And a few minutes later, Nonno or one of the uncles would be coming towards you with that classic Villa Mosconi saucer decorated with a pristine white doily, a shining silver spoon and a paper cup of Tortoni!
Read Julian Q.‘s review of Villa Mosconi on Yelp
Villa Mosconi …where we nurture your cravings and memories! xxxooo