Restaurant review, Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria: Rustic Never Sleeps.

In my book, a good first-date restaurant offers three key things: First, an intimate setting with soft, glowing light to flatter one's face. Second, a lively ambience. And finally, a good—but not necessarily challenging—menu. Italian joints usually fit the bill and are a good barometer of taste. If you can't appreciate a bowl of rigatoni and a bottle of Barolo, you simply aren't worth shacking up with. Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria, the smaller, cheaper spin-off of Il Buco, is about as good a rendezvous spot as you can get. The new Noho eatery doesn't give you anything you can't find elsewhere in the city, but even if your date's a dud, you'll still be charmed by the rustic-chic atmosphere.

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