Bye Bye, Vesuvio Bakery

An old friend shared this photo on Facebook earlier this morning. Without much fanfare or publicity, Vesuvio is gone.

I don’t live in New York City any longer, but I’m still very, very sad. I had a tiny apartment around the corner from this spot in the ’90s. The bread was very good, but the community spirit that Vesuvio nurtured was amazing. It was my bright green Soho landmark, an old friend who said “hello, sunshine!” during my subway walk.

I’m surprised I’m just now hearing about Vesuvio’s demise. I guess I would have expected more food fans and bloggers to celebrate the beautiful Italian bakery. Jeremiah did commemorate the little spot on his site, with love and history, late last year. And, The New York Times wrote this obituary, of sorts, in February. Still, I saw this photo and wanted to share my sad face with all of you.

I wish I could grab just a little piece of that familiar awning to hang in my kitchen, to inspire all my Italian cooking. But that would be stealing… 

(Thank you, Amy, for letting me post the photo and for making such lovely art.)