LITTLE ITALY- Are you planning a trip to Little Italy soon? You may need to rework your route, as road construction will begin making things a little more difficult for drivers and business owners.
Annette Klika Hudson has owned Trattoria in Little Italy for 37 years, ever since the day the keys were literally tossed to her.
“I don’t know, I just came down here one day and the man who used to own it, he says here. He threw the keys at me and said it’s yours. That was it,” says Hudson.
She’s seen a lot over those 37 years and helped to perfect her fair share of dishes too. Hudson says, “Our eggplant is number one. The sauce is great and all of our dishes are good. They really are.”
Now, it’s time for something she doesn’t recall seeing before. Roadwork on Mayfield Road begins Monday and will shut down eastbound traffic from Euclid Avenue to East 126th Street. It will eliminate parking on the street as well.
Hudson says, “It’s going to hurt. Nobody is going to want to come down if it’s a big mess. It’s going to take a little adjustment.”
Annette plans to get by with fewer customers by closing on Mondays. “If they is nobody here, what’s the use of having people here. I feel bad for my help, because it’s going to take a day out of their week, you know,” says Hudson.
The project is expected to be complete by July and Annette is sure they have enough loyal customers and excellent cuisine to get through a little road work and come out on the other side smelling like a fresh baked chicken parmigiana.
“It should go back to normal I would think. Maybe better, maybe better we’ll see. I hope better,” concludes Hudson.