NYC's Il Buco Alimentari Starts The Year Off With A New Menu

At the beloved Italian eatery il Buco Alimentari, restaurateur Donna Leonard has revamped the menu with a little help from some new faces. The venue's new executive chef is Garrison Price, an alum of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in NYC and Jean-Georges' Culinary Concepts.

His global palate and passion for whole-animal butchery means we can enjoy dishes like riso nero made with Venetian black rice, housemade pork sausage, blue prawns, and farm eggs; Polpo a la Plancha with braised baby octopus, Gaeta black olives, and kumquats; and Elysian Fields lamb, which Price is sourcing whole, serving roasted alongside a tea-smoked broth. Breathe easy; classics like the roasted short ribs and crispy artichokes are staying put.

Along with a new menu comes a Chef's Counter at the Alimentari where small plates can be shared before heading back to il Buco for dinner. The goal is to unite the two spaces.

The restaurant also brought on a new head baker, Sheena Otto, who worked as head boulangère at the Michelin-starred Atera and most recently at beloved Brooklyn bakery Bien Cuit. Also joining Price and Otto is executive pastry chef Robert Bryant, who has worked in the pastry kitchens of Rouge Tomate, Craft, The Standard Grill, and The Breslin.