IL BUCO ALIMENTARI & VINERIA
Built in what was once an old woodworking shop filled with wood, tools and supplies of the kind is the gorgeous Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria restaurant and market. With details like mini distressed wooden cubbies, a one-of-kind industrial metal and glass chandelier hanging from a skylight and a reclaimed wooden bar made with the actual wood from the former shop, the restaurant has paid homage to its roots.
Walking through the market section and into the seating area of the restaurant, my girlfriend and I claimed a booth that could fit six, underneath that gorgeous chandelier, sat back and explored the eats the restaurant had to offer. Three hours later and three different server shifts, it's safe to say that we thoroughly explored the pranzo, aka lunch, menu.
Known for their Crispy Artichokes, we started there. Squeezing a touch of lemon that they pair with the dish on top made all of the difference! Each bite has a tang, crunch and then the soft buttery center. Mentally, I’ve always found artichokes kind of a weird eating experience, but the grazer in me somehow always loves it. This was no exception. Right around this time is when the Pulpo, aka octopus, appetizer came out. I’m a sucker for octopus (no pun intended, I’m really just that awesome). With the black garlic and the Spanish paprika, there are some great flavors that linger on your tongue. Much like the artichokes, the flavor here combined with the texture makes this an exciting dish to eat. For the risk of a “that’s what she said moment”, it feels good in your mouth (oy…).
Everything we had was delicious! I’d say you couldn’t order wrong, but the staff definitely had some favorites to recommend. They did not steer us wrong. The Cacio E Pepe is killer. Somehow, such a simple dish, always brings me ample amounts of joy. If you’re a pasta person, order it! I won’t delve too deeply, so, just like Nike says, “just do it”, you’ll be happy you did!
We didn’t save room for dessert, but you can be we ordered it anyway! The deconstructed olive oil cake with blueberries was incredible. By our third server’s head titled quizzical response, I was fearful that we ordered poorly for the first time during our meal. Nope. If anything, she was wrong. It was outstanding! For such a boring sounding dessert, the flavors and textures were so right! Like vultures, we demolished it! Such a great lunch, I highly recommend that you check it out!
