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Both hip and haimish, Bis.co.latte feels like a mom-and-pop bakery run by the world’s grooviest parents. Fifty varieties of rough-textured, intensely flavored handmade biscotti are the house specialty; all are irresistible, from multigrain to marsala black pepper to mango cashew. Cheery cookiemeister Holly DeSantis once ran caterer-to-the-stars Party Girl Party Planning. Husband Antone, a music-industry exec by day, oversees Bis.co.latte’s business side. They’ve filled the place with thoughtful little touches, like a “samplings bar” of biscotti bites and a bookshelf loaded with quirky music-themed tomes and magazines. Locals, who jam this narrow, neon-trimmed space on weekends, seem thrilled to finally have easy access to Illy espresso and homemade sweets. If the schlep to Tenth gets you famished, Bis.co.latte offers more substantial fare like surprisingly refined soups (cauliflower purée with mushroom pesto is one cold-weather offering) and airy frittatas. Should Hell’s Kitchen still seem too far to travel for the city’s primo biscotti, the DeSantises' plans include a wholesale business, targeting cafés and specialty shops. — Michael Kaminer

Biscotti sampler plate, $3.85; cheese platter, $10.95