The week before Christmas is crazy - holiday parties, last minute shopping, traffic, a foot of snow - which is why I decided to slow things down at
Il Buco. Dark, cozy and rustic, it was the perfect place to hide from the cold and craziness. What I
didn't realize, was that this time of year, there is no escaping the crazies. Grabbing a seat at the bar, I quickly realized I had sat down next to a woman whom I can best describe as
Snooki's wicked step sister - let's just call her Snickers. Large attitude with even larger boobs, which outright refused to stay in her dress, she must have drank the whole bar before I arrived. Bartender, boyfriend and coworker were all enduring the wrath of Snickers, while I quietly enjoyed my late night dinner, simultaneously snapping away at the scene with my iphone. Sadly, due to the low lighting in the restaurant, this is the only picture that came out - and try as I might, Il Buco didn't have anymore pickles.
While enjoying our free entertainment, we had a wonderful late night meal of creamy leek and potato soup, a salad of persimmon, arugula, pecans and blue cheese and their garganelli al ragu, homemade pasta with a rich tomato based sauce of roasted chicken and salty olives. All were delightful, as was our bartender, despite being berated for making Snicker's gimlet 'too weak'. The barkeep even threw in a few glasses of a fantastic barolo, free of charge, for enduring the pain.
My favorite dish was the salad, which allowed me to try persimmons for the first time. Persimmons look like orange tomatoes, but have a sweeter, citrusy taste. They have been showing up at the Greenmarket recently, though I have been too intimidated to try them. My only knowledge of persimmons are as a holiday decoration, as part of a centerpiece. Little did I know, they are a wonderful, seasonal addition to pies, puddings, and cookies. However, for my Christmas dinner, I have decided to mimic Il Buco, in fond memory of Snickers, and slice them into
this lovely salad of frisee, radicchio, pears and pomegranites. I encourage you to try the fruit this holiday season any way you can. Happy holidays!!
- The Heat
47 Bond Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 533-1932
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