| Babbo www.babbonyc.com 110 Waverly Pl. (bet. MacDougal St. & 6th Ave.) Manhattan, NY 10011 212-777-0303 |
Babbo (Italian) - Manhattan, NY - 12/29/05
It's been several years since I've had the pleasure of eating at Mario Batali's restaurant, Babbo. Most of you probably know the superstar chef by now
from Iron Chef America, Molto Mario and appearances all over the food network. Babbo is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in the world.
Getting a reservation at Babbo can be very difficult. My advice for Babbo and any other restaurant in the city is to go early. It seems like everyone
feels they have to eat dinner late to be part of the scene. Well if you are going for the food go early. It’s easier to get a table and you have the
undivided attention of the staff at your service. I’m sure people would pay large sums of money to have the entire restaurant to themselves, so why
not go early and get that kind of experience for no extra charge. On our first visit we had a 5:30 reservation on a Monday night. When we first
arrived the place was pretty empty. We were seated on the main floor in a kind of unique way. At a table for two both guests sit on the banquette
side facing into the center of the dining room. This is a perfect setup which allows both diners to view the center table. As Batali describes in his
Babbo Cookbook the center table is the “sun of Babbo’s solar system”. The table is home to cheese, fruits, staging area of wine service and where
many dishes are finished like the rib-eye for two. By having both diners facing the room it becomes a theatrical performance.
This evening we started our meal with empty tables to both sides but by the time we left the place was jammed packed, including an overflowing
bar area. You will probably be surprised to know that despite having a 5:30 reservation on a Monday evening Mario Batali was actually in the
kitchen in his chef whites and trademark orange crocs. We first got a glimpse of him through the circle windows of the kitchen door and then later
he came out to meet with another guest. Despite being a superstar it’s nice to know he’s still hands on. The service at Babbo is both informal and
formal at the same time. I know it’s hard to imagine but it’s the only way I can describe it. The wait staff is knowledgeable without coming across as
cocky. They take pleasure in explaining the food you are about to enjoy.
Based on our waiters recommendation we each started with an appetizer, shared a pasta course (which they are happy to do) and then each had our
own main course followed by cheese and desert wine. My wife and I are not big on sweets so we will always side with cheese when given a choice.
Wine service is an important part of the Babbo experience. Instead of service wine by the glass they practice an Italian tradition of wine service
called hosteria-style. Wine is served by the quartino, which is a mini wine decanter that holds a quarter liter. It comes out to be about a quarter of a
traditional bottle. There are several benefits to this approach. The first for me is that it allows you to order different wines to compliment each
course. It’s not really logical to do this with full bottles when you are only a party of two. Another benefit is that you are able to control the amount
of wine in your glass. When you traditionally order a single glass of wine it all comes at once and you cannot control the amount, its one straight
pour. With the quartino you can pour as you drink to control the level. Another less obvious benefit is that much of the wine served by the quartino
comes from a magnum or double magnum bottle. Wine lovers know that the bigger the bottle the better the wine. So this practice allows you to get
the improved quality of the magnum without the $600 price tag.
Now onto the food. It’s been a while since our first visit so I am writing on memory. I ordered Black Spaghetti with Rock Shrimp, Chorizo and Green
Chilis, Barbecued Skirt Steak with Endive alla Piastra and Salsa Verde. Skirt Steak might sound like a pedestrian choice but it was something I had
just cooked from his cookbook a few weeks ago so I was curious to see how I measured up. I was not disappointed with either choice. My second visit I
started with the Babbo Salumi with Cipolle Modenese then a pasta course of Mint Love Letters with Spicy Lamb Sausage and finally Duck with
Sweet and Sour Cabbage, Speck and Brovada as my main course. The Mint Love Letters are one of the most popular dishes at Babbo. The love letters
are really a form of ravioli stuffed with sweet peas, mint, Parmigiano-Reggiano and heavy cream. The dish is served with Babbo’s basic tomato
sauce.
In my opinion you have to eat at Babbo at least once. It’s a fantastic experience that can’t be missed. Mario Batali lives up to the hype Make a
pilgrimage and you will not be sorry.
It's been several years since I've had the pleasure of eating at Mario Batali's restaurant, Babbo. Most of you probably know the superstar chef by now
from Iron Chef America, Molto Mario and appearances all over the food network. Babbo is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in the world.
Getting a reservation at Babbo can be very difficult. My advice for Babbo and any other restaurant in the city is to go early. It seems like everyone
feels they have to eat dinner late to be part of the scene. Well if you are going for the food go early. It’s easier to get a table and you have the
undivided attention of the staff at your service. I’m sure people would pay large sums of money to have the entire restaurant to themselves, so why
not go early and get that kind of experience for no extra charge. On our first visit we had a 5:30 reservation on a Monday night. When we first
arrived the place was pretty empty. We were seated on the main floor in a kind of unique way. At a table for two both guests sit on the banquette
side facing into the center of the dining room. This is a perfect setup which allows both diners to view the center table. As Batali describes in his
Babbo Cookbook the center table is the “sun of Babbo’s solar system”. The table is home to cheese, fruits, staging area of wine service and where
many dishes are finished like the rib-eye for two. By having both diners facing the room it becomes a theatrical performance.
This evening we started our meal with empty tables to both sides but by the time we left the place was jammed packed, including an overflowing
bar area. You will probably be surprised to know that despite having a 5:30 reservation on a Monday evening Mario Batali was actually in the
kitchen in his chef whites and trademark orange crocs. We first got a glimpse of him through the circle windows of the kitchen door and then later
he came out to meet with another guest. Despite being a superstar it’s nice to know he’s still hands on. The service at Babbo is both informal and
formal at the same time. I know it’s hard to imagine but it’s the only way I can describe it. The wait staff is knowledgeable without coming across as
cocky. They take pleasure in explaining the food you are about to enjoy.
Based on our waiters recommendation we each started with an appetizer, shared a pasta course (which they are happy to do) and then each had our
own main course followed by cheese and desert wine. My wife and I are not big on sweets so we will always side with cheese when given a choice.
Wine service is an important part of the Babbo experience. Instead of service wine by the glass they practice an Italian tradition of wine service
called hosteria-style. Wine is served by the quartino, which is a mini wine decanter that holds a quarter liter. It comes out to be about a quarter of a
traditional bottle. There are several benefits to this approach. The first for me is that it allows you to order different wines to compliment each
course. It’s not really logical to do this with full bottles when you are only a party of two. Another benefit is that you are able to control the amount
of wine in your glass. When you traditionally order a single glass of wine it all comes at once and you cannot control the amount, its one straight
pour. With the quartino you can pour as you drink to control the level. Another less obvious benefit is that much of the wine served by the quartino
comes from a magnum or double magnum bottle. Wine lovers know that the bigger the bottle the better the wine. So this practice allows you to get
the improved quality of the magnum without the $600 price tag.
Now onto the food. It’s been a while since our first visit so I am writing on memory. I ordered Black Spaghetti with Rock Shrimp, Chorizo and Green
Chilis, Barbecued Skirt Steak with Endive alla Piastra and Salsa Verde. Skirt Steak might sound like a pedestrian choice but it was something I had
just cooked from his cookbook a few weeks ago so I was curious to see how I measured up. I was not disappointed with either choice. My second visit I
started with the Babbo Salumi with Cipolle Modenese then a pasta course of Mint Love Letters with Spicy Lamb Sausage and finally Duck with
Sweet and Sour Cabbage, Speck and Brovada as my main course. The Mint Love Letters are one of the most popular dishes at Babbo. The love letters
are really a form of ravioli stuffed with sweet peas, mint, Parmigiano-Reggiano and heavy cream. The dish is served with Babbo’s basic tomato
sauce.
In my opinion you have to eat at Babbo at least once. It’s a fantastic experience that can’t be missed. Mario Batali lives up to the hype Make a
pilgrimage and you will not be sorry.
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Hudson Valley Food Blog
