DINING OUT: A.L.C. Italian Grocery

The feel of an old-fashioned, old-world grocery is alive and very much 21^st century at one of Bay Ridge’s newest food stores, A.L.C. Italian Grocery.

The Third Avenue emporium, which had its soft opening less than a month ago, offers a wide range of imported Italian and locally sourced foodstuffs, many of the latter from Brooklyn-based firms.

The inspired mix gives shoppers the opportunity to sample imported salumi, pasta made in Italy in a cornucopia of shapes, and oils and vinegars from the Mediterranean as well as an array of treats from much closer to home, including gorgeously hued and rippled heirloom tomatoes from upstate New York, milk from the Hudson valley, pickles from Brooklyn Brine, pizza dough from the legendary DiFara Pizzeria, and baked goods from such renowned local companies as Robicelli’s Cupcakes.

“I think people appreciate the mix of made in Brooklyn and made in Italy,” noted Louis Coluccio, a co-owner of the store with wife Alison, who said their vision was to create “a modern take on an Italian grocery.”

Besides a variety of tempting cheese by the pound, olives and freshly baked bread, muffins and cookies, A.L.C. offers a selection of elegant-looking, amazingly flavorful sandwiches, with a deeper menu of store-made delicacies to come shortly.

We sampled several and found them delectable, with mouth-watering fillings neatly compressed inside lightly toasted focaccia for a lunch that was light and satisfying.

The Valentina ($6, $7.50 with Prosciutto di Parma) was the epitome of what a tomato and mozzarella sandwich should be. The fresh cheese was creamy, the arugula delicate yet savory and the thinly sliced tomato absolutely sang on the palate, its sweetness enhanced by the subdued pepperiness of the green.

The Lucia ($8) spoke eloquently to how satisfying good cured meat can be. A compilation of Genoa salami, fresh mozzarella, bel paese cheese, wild arugula and a puree of black olives, it offered a culinary lesson in harmony, with the olive paste bringing all the divergent notes together.

The Ava ($8) featured imported yellow fin tuna, that had a delicate taste - unlike that stuff that comes from the can - that tasted more meaty than fishy. It was prepared with shallots, capers and Kalamata olives with wild arugula and fresh mozzarella. The slightly tart saltiness of the flavors danced on the tongue.

The Pork Ridge ($9) highlighted succulent and unctuously tender roasted porchetta, enhanced by Crucolo cheese and n’duja, a spicy spreadable pork sausage that hails from Calabria, in Italy’s boot.

Sweet tooths will be equally satisfied by A.L.C.’s offerings. We sampled the chocolate biscotti called cantuccini (75 cents apiece), which were studded with chunks of chocolate. Crunchy, they yet melted in the mouth, kind of like biting into a cup of cocoa – an adult indulgence par excellence.

We also tasted the chocolate dipped cannoli shells (75 cents each), which are made in Brooklyn. They are a chocoholic’s dream come true; while it’s easy to imagine how they must taste with a piping of cannoli cream within, they are incredibly good without any – the wafer crispy and buttery, the chocolate sweet, but not cloying.

The treats were easily washed down with coffee, fresh brewed by Intelligentsia. The flavor was warm and rich, with notes of caramel and vanilla, that could be enjoyed black.

The current offerings are just the beginning; Coluccio promised such treats as faro salad, homemade porchetta and Sicilian bucatini pie, which he described as having “the texture of lasagna, made with bucatini from an old Sicilian recipe.”

Whether to indulge ourselves at lunchtime, or to get the fixings for a home-cooked meal with European flair, we know we will return, and soon, to this jewel box of a grocery which offers so many different flavor options, just waiting to be explored.

A.L.C. Italian Grocery

8613 Third Avenue

Brooklyn NY 11209

718-836-3200

Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.