20 Questions with Il Buco's Donna Lennard — Resy | Right This Way
il Buco
4.7 ·
Mediterranean · $$$
NoHo
il Buco Alimentari e Vineria
4.7 ·
Mediterranean · $$
NoHo
Il Buco Al Mare
4.7 ·
Mediterranean · $$
Amagansett
Published: Sept. 13, 2024
In this edition, we spoke to Donna Lennard, the founder and owner of the Il Buco family of restaurants in New York and Spain, which includes Il Buco, Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria, Il Buco Vita, Il Buco al Mare, and Bottega Il Buco.
The Resy Questionnaire
1. Favorite thing you’ve ever cooked?
Baked buckwheat/timilia/rye bread. During the pandemic, I was living in my beach cottage with my son and cat, Keiko. It was the first time in motherhood that I allowed myself the time to bake bread and cook three meals a day for my family. Mixing the wonderful flours from our Alimentari bakery and experimenting with the flavor profiles to have fresh bread constantly at home was a true joy. The process was slow, made with love and time.
Photo by Gentl + Hyers, courtesy of Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria
2. Kitchen tool or equipment you couldn’t live without?
Definitely my Presso coffee maker. It’s a beautifully designed, fully manual device that brings a zen-like ritual to my mornings.
3. What five culinary items would you bring on a desert island?
Easy! Sea salt, Italian olive oil, almonds, fennel pollen, and tinned fish.
4. What’s your favorite place to get a slice in New York?
John’s of Bleecker Street. I love a classic New York slice.
5. Favorite cookbook?
“Hartwood” (Eric Werner, Mya Henry), “The Vineyard Kitchen” (Maria Sinskey), and “Dinner At the Long Table” (Andrew Tarlow).
6. Your drink of choice?
A gorgeous glass of vintage Champagne.
7. Favorite food movie?
“Babette’s Feast.” It’s about the art of cooking, community, and the joy of sharing.
8. Which industry people, living or dead, would you love to cook for or have over for a dinner party?
Julia Child, Ferran Adrià, and Massimo Bottura.
9. What restaurant industry person do you admire the most?
Massimo Bottura for his culinary excellence and his philanthropic commitment to reduce food waste and feed the homeless. And here at home, Andrew Tarlow for his sheer love for what he does.
Il Buco on Bond Street turns 30 this year. Photo by Michael Grimm, courtesy of Il Buco.
10. What’s been the greatest restaurant experience of your life so far?
Two come to mind: El Bulli on the terrace with Roberto Paris and Sara Jenkins on a star-filled summer night; and a splendid lunch on the northwest coast of Spain in a local seafood spot eating a whole roasted turbot with sliced potatoes, tomato, and herbs, washed down with the most delicious Albariño.
11. Your greatest professional achievement?
Creating a community of food lovers and creative thinkers here on Bond Street.
12. What single dish best describes your personality?
Stuffed, fried zucchini flowers with ricotta, anchovy, and fresh basil.
Photo by Gentl + Hyers, courtesy of Il Buco.
13. If you could go back in time, which restaurant would you dine at?
14. Your favorite meal from childhood?
TV dinner in the den with my sisters and 1-2-3 My-T-fine Jell-O!
15. What is your wish for the restaurant industry?
To become more sustainable and inclusive.
Photo by Gentl + Hyers, courtesy of Il Buco.
16. What do you wish you did better? What do you do well?
On the kitchen front: I wish I had better knife skills and a sauté pan “toss”!
On a personal level: I wish I had listened more, and relaxed more.
17. If you could eat through a city for a day, where would you go?
My top three are Copenhagen, Tokyo, and Barcelona.
18. The one thing you can’t resist splurging on when you go out?
Great sushi!
Photo by Charlie Chalklin, courtesy of Hōseki.
19. What do you value most in restaurants?
Attention to detail and the building of relationships amongst a team of like-minded people.
20. It’s your last meal on earth, what are you eating?
A beautiful fish crudo, the best tomatoes with salt, olive oil and herbs, chef Roger Martinez’s fried zucchini blossoms.