Friday was a glorious day of leisure, so I walked to Il Buco to partake in some good old-fashioned porkiness for lunch.
After ordering the porchetta panino, I nibbled on a warm basket of super crusty, yet soft and airy bread.
The bread was served alongside thick flakes of sea salt and housemade olive oil. Il Buco makes a few varieties of olive oil that they sell by the bottle or can be ordered as a flight. Fruity and lovely.
In fact, the whole space was just lovely. Full of rustic Italian charm. I couldn't help but beam happily at my table, sunshine streaming from outside and warming the whole place with its light.
So beautiful. The panino was nothing more than layers of thinly sliced porchetta sandwiched in between crustaceous goodness. The aromatic herbs were balanced and flavorful, with notes of rosemary and sage.
Layers of fat are plentiful, generous and most appreciated. The bread also served as a wonderful sponge, soaking up every bit of pork grease possible. Nothing could escape. I was in heaven.
I was feeling so great that afternoon that I even ate some of the greens on the plate. The leaves were simply dressed in bright lemon juice, and it was delightful. They serve the salad with a plump half lemon for self-added citrus. So thoughtful!
After just half the sandwich, I was perfectly content, much to my heart's relief. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and while I feel the quality of the sandwich is higher at Il Buco, they did not include any bits of crunchy skin that makes Porchetta's sandwiches so irresistible. That type of touch would really bring Il Buco over the top.
Word on the street is that Il Buco serves one serious set of short ribs. I think those short ribs are definitely calling my name!
Il Buco
47 Bond St
New York, NY
cannot tear my eyes away from the hanging piece of fat!!
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