Former Il Buco Owner Heads to the Williamsburg Waterfront

Ark Restaurant Group and Mole aren't the only Manhattanites expanding to the Williamsburg Waterfront. The Brooklyn Paper reports today that one of the original owners of homey Noho Italian eatery Il Buco Alberto Avalle—though he is no longer associated with the restaurant—and partner Felipe Avalos is opening a bakery, market, and trattoria in a funky new standalone space at 291 Kent Ave.

Avalos tells the paper, "Someone needs to make the best damn bread in New York and our goal is to be that person...I don’t think people have seen a bakery the way we’re doing our bakery."

They are importing two ovens from Italy this month, have hired bakers from Balthazar and Bouley, and plan to grind their own flour. They'll also sell cheese ("the best Pecorino known to man"), salume, olive oil in the like. Also included in the 6,200 square foot space: an 80-seat Mediterranean-style restaurant and a roof deck. They hope to open by April.

Update: An earlier version of this post implied the current team at Il Buco is expanding. As it turns out it's one the original owners, who left the restaurant over ten years ago. Felipe Avalos had nothing to do with Il Buco.
· Ecci pane! Italian food gods to open bakery on Kent Ave [Brooklyn Paper via Curbed NY]
· All Coverage of Il Buco [~ENY~]