"It's a pizzeria, bottle shop, and marketplace – all rolled into one," explains managing partner and beverage director, Jacqueline Pirolo. "It's meant to be a space for everyone in the Little River community; whether you're looking to host a killer dinner party or just want a place to wind down with pizza and a glass of wine after work, we've got you covered."
Bar Bucce does a coffee and lunch counter service by day, offering pizza-by-the-slice and an array of prepared Italian staple dishes.
Photo by RC Visuals
By Day, an Italian Marketplace
By day, Bar Bucce operates as an alimentari with coffee and lunch counter service offering pizza-by-the-slice and an array of prepared Italian staple dishes. The daytime menu includes items like eggplant caponata, chickpea salad, bomba Calabrese (a spicy Calabrian pepper spread), and "Zucchini Scapece" – crispy fried zucchini chips tossed in vinegar and mint, Neapolitan-style.Industry vets Marcellus Ramsey (chef de cuisine) and Olivia Kiddon (general manager) head operations at the no-reservations spot. Both bring experience from their time at Macchialina, where Kiddon began in 2021 and Ramsey in 2022.
The market shelves stock hand-sliced salumi, regional cheeses, fruit preserves, and imported pantry goods ideal for creating gift baskets, dinner party supplies, or picnic needs. Yes, they even stock Italian-brand antacids. Fresh pasta by the pound created by the Macchialina team themselves, jars of homemade pomodoro sauce, and Jacqueline's handmade ceramic candles – thrown on a pottery wheel and filled with wax and natural oils – round out the retail offerings.
By Night, A Cool and Casual Wine Bar and Pizzeria
In the evening, Bar Bucce morphs into a lively gathering place. Guests choose bottles, make food selections at the counter, and let servers handle the plating and delivery to tables. The night menu features baked ziti, eggplant parmigiana, insalata di mare, chicken cutlets fried to order, and specialty sandwiches—plus those same pizzas available whole rather than by the slice.Michael Pirolo's pizza recipe – thin, crispy-yet-chewy pies made with a poolish and high-protein flour that ferments for 48 hours – comes after years of underground tastings at his home. Customers can call ahead to order whole pies or grab slices during lunch service.
The bottle shop features over 100 international wines starting at $30, focusing on low-intervention and lesser-known grape varieties. More than 20 esoteric spirits, including hard-to-find amaros, vermouth, sherry, and sake, complete the selection. "First of all, sake and pizza is a thing," Jacqueline insists.
The 2,651-square-foot interior with a 2,050-square-foot, 120-seat garden patio sports soft blues, vintage creams, cement floors, and a custom tiled bar top inspired by 1960s Italian architecture. Bar Bucce (pronounced "BOO-chay") takes its name from the Italian word for peels, skins, or rinds – a motif seen throughout from cocktail garnishes to the logo.
Bar Bucce. 7220 N. Miami Ave., Miami; barbucce.com. Opening Monday, April 21.
