Glen Cove's Feast of St. Rocco returns for its 51st year

There is an art to making a proper braciole. Slices of beef or pork are pounded out thin and seasoned with garlic. The center is stuffed with Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley and herbs. But the nonnas of St. Rocco’s Roman Catholic Church in Glen Cove know the secret to properly preparing them before they get cooked.

“It’s all in the hands,” says parishioner Matilde Zozzaro, 78, of Glen Cove, as she ties strings around the braciole with care. “You have to make each one the same size and roll them tight, so the filling doesn’t come out.”

The nonnas are the matriarchs of the parish, ranging in age from 60s to 90s, who prepare the homemade Italian specialties that make the Feast of St. Rocco in Glen Cove, which returns July 30-Aug. 2 on the church grounds for its 51st year, so special.

“The nonnas are the core of our cooking crew. They have the recipes that they pass down from generation to generation that brings a special type of atmosphere,” says Deacon John Fielding. “Plus, they serve the food themselves to the people. It brings back good memories of sitting down with your grandmother and parents to have a good meal.”

Favorite dishes include chicken Parmesan ($22 with pasta), cavatelli with broccoli rabe ($20), rice balls ($6 each), eggplant parmesan ($20 with pasta), fried shrimp ($15) and pasta Bolognese ($9). This year’s nightly specials will be filet of sole and shrimp oreganata over rice ($25) and fried calamari ($18) on July 31, veal saltimbocca with pasta ($28) on Aug. 1 and Nonna’s Special featuring pasta with meatballs, sausage and braciole ($25) on Aug. 2.

TRY SOME TRIPE

One unique Italian delicacy that is served annually is tripe (small: $12, large: $20), the inner stomach lining of cattle that’s prepared in a stew-like fashion.

“It’s amazing how many people come just for our tripe. We not only sell individual portions but quarts of it as well,” Deacon Fielding says. “For many it reminds them of something they might have grown up with in Brooklyn or Queens. It’s very nostalgic.”

Watching the nonnas work in the kitchen is something beyond what viewers see on The Food Network. There’s a strong camaraderie between them and a common denominator of faith.

“The strength that these women have is astounding,” feast committee member Maria Greco says. “They are all so dedicated and they love doing it. Being together and cooking for the community means everything to them."

From braciole , the nonnas move onto making rice balls, also know as arincini. They start at 8 a.m. and go until they finish. No complaints and no seats, they all work on their feet.

“We laugh a lot and we even dance because you’ve got to keep moving,” Virginia Laudisio, 79, of Glen Cove says. “We are all here praying it forward, not paying it forward. God gives us the strength and coffee helps.”

FAMILY TRADITION

Keeping the tradition going is the driving force behind the feast. Lori Testa, 65, of Glen Cove, has four generations of her family working the feast -- her mother, herself, her daughter and grandchildren.

“My grandparents Phil and Rose Capobianco taught my mother Lucille [Capobianco] Johnson. They did this along with all their sisters and brothers. My uncle ran the kitchen when it was extremely primitive. All my aunts made the sauce for the entire feast,” she says. “Nobody wants to see the church go under. We all rally together and do what we have to do.”

Guests can dine indoors at the Madonna Room, which is air-conditioned and where people eat at tables in a communal fashion or outdoors in Nonna’s Garden Cafe on the grass.

“People come from all over Long Island and some from out of state who include this feast in their vacation plans. We see the same faces that show up every year. They are die-hards,” says Ida Johnson, 58, of Glen Cove, manager of the Pasta Pavilion in the Madonna Room.

Testa adds, “There are people who come every night for dinner. They say, ‘We can only get food like this once a year for four days.’ Plus, the portions are huge!”

Don’t forget desserts -- stop by the Caffe Cannoli to pick a cannoli ($6 each) flavor of your choice (limoncello, pistachio, Nutella or classic plain) or a bombolone ($6 each), a fried Italian doughnut rolled in sugar, with pistachio, Nutella or raspberry flavoring to go with your cold cappuccino float ($7) or hot espresso ($3).

SUNDAY PROCESSION

Another key element of the feast is the procession of the St. Rocco statue, which takes place at 11:15 a.m. on the last day of the feast (Aug. 2) after the 10:15 a.m. mass. The two-hour event involves hundreds of people parading through the streets surrounding the church with the statue of St. Rocco and an Italian marching band. People pin money to the ribbons on the statue and ask St. Rocco to answer their prayers.

“There are many people who are homebound and not able to come to the feast directly therefore we bring St. Rocco to them,” Deacon Fielding says. “Sometimes we will knock on the doors to say hello, other times they will come outside to greet us.”

Nightly live music, a vendors market plus a carnival section with rides and games, presented by Newton Shows, round out the four-day event.