Falai Panetteria   

79 Clinton St
New York, NY 10002
212-777-8956
www.falainyc.com

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Iacopo Falai, a pastry chef who used to break (and make) bread at Le Cirque, caused a stir on the Lower East Side with his inventive Italian pastas and filets at his eponymous Falai. This small bakery, his second spot, is across the street (a third has since opened in Soho). The doors open early for the irresistible smell of fresh hot loaves of bread and other baked goods, like croissants. Hot focaccia panini can be ordered with Genova salami, speck and shrimp. There are a few dinner dishes, such as polenta with wild boar ragu or cicchetti (Italian tapas), small plates of cod, veal meatballs or gorgonzola foam. Despite the popularity of the place, which attracts buttoned-up uptowners wandering in with good review in hand and a confused look on their face due to the lack of a downtown street grid, it remains a staunchly local shop.