What We're Loving: Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria's Valentine's Day Gift Basket

Try something different this year: nix the pre fixe menu and the flow — well, maybe keep the flowers. Staying in this Valentine's Day can prove successful if you have the right equipment, and rather than scurrying around to find the perfect ingredients to build your Valentine's Day menu, there's a one-stop-shop, Manhattan's il Buco Alimentari & Vineria.

The market offers a selection of the finest house-cured salumi, house-baked breads, cheeses, roast chicken with sides (carrots and potatoes), pastries, and more. It's also a perfect place to put together a Valentine's Day gift basket for your loved one, with local and imported artisan items like il Buco's olive oils, salts, vinegars, Pugliese tomatoes, jams, preserved veggies, mostardas, anchovies, and tuna. So build your dinner in a basket and get to cooking.

Here's what Chef Justin Smillie thinks makes a great basket from il Buco Alimentari & Vineria:

"I love the idea of a picnic for Valentine's Day—it's easy to put together and really romantic. If I were making a picnic basket, I'd start with a great wine, and then add items from our market. We have beautiful Pecorinos made by Italian cheese maker Renato Brancaleoni, whose family has been handcrafting cheeses in the Emilia Romagna region for over a century. I'd pair that with house-cured salumi and bread from our baker Kamel Saci, and finish the meal with our Pastry Chef Keren Weiner's dark chocolate ganache loaf."

Sounds amazing, right? For those who are set for a nice dinner date, there's always breakfast the next morning, and they've got you covered there as well.

Breakfast Basket ($75) Here's what it includes: 

• Local Amber Maple Syrup (from Old Field farm)

• Whole-Grain Farro Pancake Mix (Bluebird Farm Washington State)

• La Colombe Coffee (12 Ounces Whole Bean Dark Roast)

• Jar of Imported Italian Jam or Marmalade

• Bag of House-Made Biscotti

• Loaf of House-Made Bread