Two new bookstores—Archestratus Books & Foods and I Am Books—slated to open next month offer readers a taste of Italy in their book selection. And in the case of Archestratus in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn, N.Y., in its food offerings.
The 1,000 sq. ft. new and used bookstore and café, which has been in the planning stages since 2013, will hold its grand opening on October 2. Named for the Greek poet and philosopher known as the Father of Gastronomy, Archestratus will have a strong cookbook selection along with general books with a food theme and/or food in their name. Books like Somerset Maugham’s Cakes and Ale, Jeanette Winterson’s Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, and Tomie dePaolo’s Strega Nona series for kids. Owner Paige Lipari describes the inventory as “an interpretation of food and art. We try to be as inclusive as possible.”
Starting at 19, Lipari has worked at a number of bookstores in New York City, including Barnes & Noble in Chelsea, McNally Jackson, HousingWorks, and Idlewild. Having a café, where she will prepare sweet and savory Sicilian bites, follows in the tradition of her Sicilian grandparents who opened a latticini fresca with homemade cheese in Bushwick in the 1950s and ‘60s. The café has a beer and wine license, and Lipari is planning to hold literary and food events, including food and book dinners.
I Am Books, which claims to be the country’s first Italian-American bookstore, is slated to open in mid-October in Boston’s Italian neighborhood in the North End. “Our goal is to offer a common space for all those who are deeply passionate about their Italian roots and heritages,” says store president and cofounder Nicola Orichuia. The 33-year-old Italian immigrant launched the Bostoniano Info website four years ago, followed by a monthly print magazine, Bostoniano, in December 2012 to celebrate Italian-American life.
To raise money for the bookstore, which plans to be “an Italian-American cultural hub,” Orichuia and partner Jim Pinzino, a semi-retired executive from the IT sector, launched a Kickstarter campaign for $36,000 earlier this week. In a posting there they note, “we wouldn’t be able to hold a grand opening before late November, as the Kickstarter funds are fundamental in purchasing all the necessary inventory and getting together a team of people to run the day-to-day operations.”
