Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria

53 Great Jones Street
New York, NY  10012
212.837.2622
www.ilbucovineria.com

Il Buco is a great little "jack of all trades" shop located in the East Village.  It has offerings of specialty Italian goods and a cute restaurant space in the back room.  If you ever find yourself craving some wine or coffee or some prosciutto, you'll never be disappointed if you go visit Il Buco.  The space itself reminds you of a rustic Italian Cafe complete with old wooden barrels, a coffee bar and a wide spread of meats and cheeses available to take out.  The whole space is filled with various sizes of tables and chairs where people can sit and enjoy the various offerings of Il Buco.  This gives the joint a feel of an busy market with people milling about throughout the space.

I've been to Il Buco a ton of times but today, we needed a pick-me-up before starting an afternoon of enjoying some drinks before dinner.  We sat down at the coffee bar which was also complete with its own fresh squeezed orange juice machine (I'm noting this because that thing was huge with whole oranges that roll down from the top into the squeezer).  I ordered a latte and a dark chocolate brioche.  The latte was crisp and smooth and gave me just the right boost to continue the day.  As I've gotten older, I've also learned to appreciate dark chocolate and the rich, savory and bitter flavor.  It was blended will with the brioche and was a good pairing with my latte.

If you ever find yourself strolling through the East Village and craving some cheese, salami, a glass of wine or even just coffee, I would recommend a visit to Il Buco.  It has something for everyone.