Buvette: Francophiles and Italianos in Harmony

Om Nomz Hero Note to Self: I still hate communal dining tables

The vintage looking bike is the only indications that you really have that you are at Buvette. That was all I knew about the place when I went to seek it out Saturday night, look for the quirk, vintage looking bike filled with corkscrews. Thankfully, I did not make myself look like a complete idiot stopping in from of every bike on Grove Street, seeing if there was a restaurant around there. Buvette is a fairly new place opened up by Jody Williams and it is best described as a Franco-Italian Tapas bar. 

Wine Board

DIY Bar Snacks of Walnuts

Walking into Buvette, it is cramping, tight and cozy. You will be getting to know your neighbors pretty well so discussing top government state secrets is out when coming here. The décor of the place can easily carry a conversation with its clutter walls of decorative plates, a blackboard mapping out their wine origins and in the backroom where we sat, a quirky chandler that looked like it is composed of Christmas lights, pitchers, and silverware. It is the kind of place that I can imagine a real life Pippy Longstockings would run and was into Dada art. However, I have concluded like Hello Kitty merchandise, it will make any girl coo and constantly remind you how “cute” everything is. We were seated in the back on a communal dining table which fits into the overall feel of the place but I unfortunately do not really like. My issue with communal tables is the privacy issue and like it or not, you are going to get cozy with strangers and hear their conversations and hear the lady next to you complain about how the majority of dishes have cheese and wrongfully tell her nonchalant husband erroneous facts about pasteurized cheeses in the US. (Lady, you are in a French and Italian restaurant, of course there is going to be cheese!)

Dada art or ambient lighting?

 Food, onward!!

Last Meals in Cusco: Cicciolina and El Buen Pastor

Om Nomz Hero Note to Self: Nothing creates the mood like sitting by an open window of a second floor restaurant and seeing a woman walk by with a llama on a lease

 Unassuming Courtyard...

Cusco is an ancient and somewhat rural city in the Andes Mountain that is unofficial base camp for expats, backpackers and tourists. As a result, Cusco is littered with tourist restaurants that serve pizzas, hamburgers, and spaghetti which makes it hard to navigate and find quality food in the city. Nothing wrong with pizza and tourist foods, to each their own but I did not personally come to stay in my comfort zone, especially when it comes to food. 

However, with a little effort, and thankfully down the street from my hotel, refined and quality food can be found here. Cicciolina was a place I have been hearing about when I first started doing my food research on my trip to Peru. As much as I like eating homey food from the streets and wandering around aimlessly until I found a madre y padre joint, I want some good food and a place like Cicciolina filled that void.

Open Kitchen and peppers from the ceiling= good things to come

Cicciolina is located right off the Plaza de Armas and after you get pass people peddling massages, alpaca wool and art the only real indication of the restaurant is a chalkboard at street level. You have to walk through these huge double blue doors into a courtyard and on ground level, is Cicciolina’s café and bakery, which can be mistaken that you suddenly walked into a Parisian café with their grand espresso machine, fresh baked croissants and baguettes. Upstairs however, is the restaurant. Cicciolina is Mediterranean restaurant that gives a strong nod to Peruvian cuisine. The space is small; however the open kitchen and open windows makes the space comfortable and spacious. 

I am weird that I like the sight of fresh pasta drying