An uptick in visitors follows after New York congresswoman recommends Bronx restaurants

Aurora Cerrato says it took all of one day for the AOC effect to take hold at her restaurant in Little Italy in the Bronx.

When Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – the New York congresswoman, progressive rising star in the Democratic party and local Bronx celebrity – tweeted about her visit to MangiPasta earlier this month, Cerrato saw an almost immediate uptick in visitors.

“They were like ‘you know why I’m here?’ I’m like ‘no’. Even take out, they’re like ‘I want to try your food because Ocasio-Cortez mentioned you, said you have quality food,’” says Cerrato, 33.

The restaurant, which specialises in homemade pasta, was one of four Bronx establishments recommended by Ocasio-Cortez, 29, after she was asked for tips of local food spots in her home borough on Twitter – describing MangiPasta as “SUPER fresh, handmade Italian, family owned”.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Ocasio-Cortez described MangiPasta on Twitter as ‘SUPER fresh, handmade Italian, family owned’. Photograph: Miranda Bryant/The Guardian

Embarking on a tour of the four restaurants, the Guardian spoke to Cerrato one lunch time last week, as she paused intermittently to bid farewell to customers.

Cerrato said she did not immediately recognise the Bronx-born congresswoman, but her husband Estevan, who is American, and their customers soon did.

“The clients that we had that night here, they took a few pictures,” says Cerrato. “She was very nice, she even got up, she went to the table of some customers who were asking her questions, she stood there, spent some time with them, so very polite, very nice person.”

Cerrato said she likes that the politician has not lost touch with her local community since relocating to Washington after taking office in January.

“I understand that, because I’m from Naples and I don’t forget my background,” says Cerrato.

The next two stops on the list – both described by Ocasio-Cortez as “incredible” – are a 30-minute bus ride away in Parkchester, where she used to live.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Ocasio-Cortez described Taqueria Tlaxcalli as ‘incredible’. She usually orders a ‘chicken burrito, not spicy’, says Rosa Gomez, right. Photograph: Miranda Bryant/The Guardian

At family-run Mexican restaurant Taqueria Tlaxcalli, there’s a friendly atmosphere as staff chat and the chefs make a burrito order in the open kitchen behind the bar.

Rosa Gomez, 23, whose father opened the restaurant 13 years ago, says she has seen Ocasio-Cortez in the restaurant a couple of times. Her order, she says, is “usually a chicken burrito, not spicy, and she usually cuts it in half and shares it with someone”.

Gomez, who has lived in the area her whole life, likes the attention she is bringing to the area. “Parkchester itself, the Bronx, is not very talked about and when it is it kind of has a negative aspect to it, so I feel like it’s definitely a positive attention that she’s bringing to the Bronx and to areas like ours.”

At Neerob, a Bangladeshi and Halal Chinese restaurant across the road, owner Mohammed Khokon greets the Guardian enthusiastically from the table where he’s eating lunch.

After offering tea and samosas, he says that Ocasio-Cortez used to live across the road from him. “She’s a wonderful lady. She came before the election to our restaurant.”

He says he is sceptical of most politicians but likes new people entering mainstream politics. “I don’t like it to be same guy over and over … I see their promising, they never keep their promise,” he adds.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The owner of Neerob says Ocasio-Cortez used to live across the road from him. ‘She came before the election to our restaurant.’ Photograph: Miranda Bryant/The Guardian

But Ocasio-Cortez, he says, is standing up for her community. “She’s fighting for us.”

When she comes, he says, she “likes everything” they serve at the restaurant.

AOC is not his only high profile visitor he’s had. On the wall is a framed picture of Khokon and the late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain.

Khokon, who started out as a delivery person when he moved to New York in 1991 from Bangladesh, launched his business in 2009. When he started he made $200 a day, but now he says the restaurant is successful. “I never give up,” he says.

In five to six years, the Bronx, he predicts, will be “another Manhattan”.

The final stop on the tour, Louie & Ernie’s Pizza – a “top NYC pizza spot”, according to Ocasio-Cortez – is a short subway journey away.

Owner John Tiso, 52, said Ocasio-Cortez has been there a couple of times – after appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and most recently two weeks ago.

His daughter Victoria, who has a photo of herself with Ocasio-Cortez on her phone, says her order consists of: “Chicken slice, peperoni slice, regular slice, it’s usually the same thing.”

Tiso, who bought the business with his brother 32 years ago, says the Bronx is becoming known as a foodie destination.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Louie & Ernie’s Pizza is a ‘top NYC pizza spot’, according to Ocasio-Cortez. Photograph: Miranda Bryant/The Guardian

“Before it was mostly always pizza, Chinese food, but now we’re starting to see a lot of different urban foods like Cuban food, Mexican food, Puerto Rican food, starting to see a lot of that. So it’s getting a really diverse neighbourhood here. No more just bars and hamburgers and fries.”

While he doesn’t necessarily see eye-to-eye with Ocasio-Cortez on politics, he is happy that the community is being represented.

“I’m glad that she’s doing a lot of stuff for the community. I know that she’s trying to help all areas, all aspects that the other gentleman didn’t do. I don’t agree on all her stances, but you know I think she’s doing the right thing … for now,” he adds with a laugh.