A.L.C. features all of the top quality ingredients anyone who loves Italian food could wish for.  Shelves are stacked with colorful jars and cans, bottles and boxes containing everything from DOP San Marzano tomatoes to condiments, spices, honey, preserves and vegetables.  Bags of pasta and risotto, tall bottles and tins of olive oil, Italian sodas, water and beer, and bright packages of crackers and cookies had me longing to try them all.  A seasonal display features specialty items like jarred roasted chestnuts, preserved porcini mushrooms and canned truffles, perfect for gift giving or sharing with lucky dinner guests.  And as a reminder that Christmas is fast approaching, there are beautifully packaged panettones and other holiday cakes and candies. 
 

             If you can draw yourself away from the enticing display of groceries, you will find the store has some delicious things to offer in the refrigerator cases as well, such as fresh ravioli filled with butternut squash or lobster, imported butter and cheeses, and locally made sausages.  The young proprietor, Louis Coluccio, is proud to point out that his store also carries many Brooklyn made artisanal food products for which the borough is justly becoming famous.  There were breads and pastries from Bien Cuit bakery, locally made pickles, and fresh cheeses such as ricotta and mozzarella.  Renowned Brooklyn pizzeria Di Fara is supplying A.L.C. with fresh pizza dough.  There is also a big imported cheese selection as well as sliced to order salumi.  If you can’t wait to get home to enjoy your purchases, the friendly staff will prepare one of their signature sandwiches for you to munch while seated at a dining counter up front.  A recent mouthwatering special was made with sliced mortadella, Gorgonzola and fig preserves on chewy bread, a symphony of sweet, salty and tangy flavors. 

            Coluccio, whose grandfather founded D. Coluccio & Sons more than 50 years ago, said that he and his wife Alison opened A.L.C. to bring the pleasures of Italian cooking and eating to a new generation.  In a week or so, he plans to have the store’s kitchen up and running so shoppers can pick up freshly cooked pasta, soups, salads and roasts to eat in or take home.  Right now you can buy A.L.C. Super Tuscan Olive Oil, but soon the store will carry an entire line of grocery items under its own label.  Tastings, classes and other special events are on the agenda, so check in with A.L.C. often to find out more.  Their phone number is 718-836-3200.