Fine Dining and Led Zeppelin

A close friend went out of her way to get me a reservation to Babbo, Mario Batali’s restaurant in the West Village that many consider one of the best places to eat in Manhattan. Do a quick Google search and you will be bombarded with glowing reviews for the restaurant from legitimate publications (i.e. The New York Times, New York Magazine, Gourmet Magazine) and one not so legitimate (i.e. Tastychomp). In addition to this, you will see interviews with Bill Buford, the author Heat—the book which chronicles the life of Babbo’s kitchen--and photos of just about everything on the menu. For this reason, I refrained from taking any photographs and will hold my tongue from rambling off lofty adjectives to try and describe the food that Babbo produces. Instead, I will be terse and get straight to the point:

Babbo is quite possibly the best place I have ever eaten. (Emphasize that “.”)

I was expecting a lot from the restaurant ever since I was told we had one of the coveted months-in-advance-reservations, but every single one of my expectations were surpassed.

The restaurant is fancy without feeling stuffy. Halfway through my first glass of wine I realized the Led Zeppelin’s first album was playing in it’s entirety over the speaker system. Throughout the night I heard The Black Keys, Dinosaur Jr. and a few other albums you would never expect to hear in a 3-star restaurant.

The menu is compact and blows you away with unfamiliar ingredients hand-in-hand with Italian staples. Do you like lamb’s brains and sweet breads? Both are old-school Italian staples and well represented here. However, if the thought of these gross you out (although this would definitely be the place to try them) there are goat cheese raviolis, calamari and other delights to placate the minds of the timid but inspire the tongues of the faithful. I plan on going back as soon as I can to try as much as I possible can.

The wait staff is knowledgeable, helpful and will make you feel like a million bucks. Our waiter was fantastic and he could have sold me his wife and child if he wanted to. He knew everything about every dish and could answer any obscure question I mustered up. The sommelier provided us with a delicious Amaro tasting after the meal and I won’t even get into the amount of knowledge I picked from his brain.

All in all, Babbo knows how to take care of you. Whether you are coming in for a bite at the bar—which I saw many people doing. A shame they didn’t have anyone snagging reservations for them—or decide to sit and eat for three hours—this was my situation—the experience is spectacular. I have tried several of Batali’s other restaurants—Lupa, Otto and The Spotted Pig—but none have come close to transporting me to the euphoria that Babbo did. Mario Batali, I love you more than ever.


Following is a brief run-down of the meal:

-A bottle of a delicious Aglianico
-Bruschetta with garbanzos and olives
-Marinated Fresh Sardines with Caramelized Fennel and Lobster Oil
-Neci con Funghi Misti (a mushroom crepe with porcinis and oysters)
-Goat Cheese Tortelloni with Dried Orange and Wild Fennel Pollen
-Pumpkin“Lune” with Sage and Amaretti
-Spicy Two Minute Calamari Sicilian Lifeguard Style (Lifeguard style apparently is olives, capers, couscous, and a most delicious and slightly spicy tomato broth)
-Roasted Beet “Farrotto” (a type of cous cous/ risotto with beets)
-Ricotta and maple cheesecake (the absolute best dessert I’ve ever had. It was as soft as an angel’s wing and tasted what heaven must taste like)
-Amaro tasting (4 delicious glasses of various bitter after dinner drinks. Accompanied by a boatload of knowledge about each drink).

Eat here immediately.