Babbo Review and a Surprise
05/07/2008 
16 Comments
Jamie and I finally got into Babbo this past Sunday, May 4th. Having been well-armed with research and a list of signature dishes, we were ready to make the most of our experience. And yet, while we were well-prepared with a plan, we wanted to be open to the specials of the day, and anything providence (or the Greenmarket) might spontaneously throw our way. Even more importantly, by the time this meal was over, we would have a major, life-changing surprise in store…
First Impressions
The space, a converted Washington Square two-story townhouse was warm and cozy, with Italian signature yellow walls, and dark wood. While we were ready for a hard rock sound track, the theme of the evening was World music, with international reggae and African music predominating, including Manu Chao’s “Proxima Estación: Esperanza
Antipasti
Ordering proved to be one of our biggest issues, as there were almost no appetizers or pastas that we didn’t want to try. Armed with a glass of the light, citrusy and green-apple-tinged house Malvolti Prosecco, (Prosecco di Conegliano NV Carpene Malvolti Veneto) we settled on:
- Marinated Fresh Sardines with Caramelized Fennel and Lobster Oil
- Mozzarella di Bufala with Ramps and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Jamie is a huge fan of sardines, and I was determined to try the seasonal ramps. Things started off extremely well. The fresh sardines seemed to be almost ceviche-like, with the caramelized fennel and the colorful lobster oil garnish providing delicious counterpoint to the pungent sardine fish flavor. The buffalo mozzarella was extremely fresh and tender, exhibiting only slightly the bitter and sour nature of most buffalo mozzarella, tending far more towards the buttery and soft texture and flavors, with a hint of salt and tang. The mozzarella was served on perfectly toasted thick Italian bread, wrapped in several ramps, and drizzled with an extremely green and light extra virgin oil. The prosecco provided an excellent accompaniment to the first course.
Pasta
Ordering here was also tough, although we ultimately went with our previous research, and settled on:
- Mint Love Letters with Spicy Lamb Sausage
- Beef Cheek Ravioli with Crushed Squab Liver and Black Truffles
The accompanying wine: Schiopettino Selezione Antico Brolio 2005 Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Light ruby in color, acidic and with light cherry and coffee notes, the wine was a great choice to stand up to the complex and varied pasta dishes.
The Mint Love Letters justifiably lived up to their hype. The pasta used to make the rough-hewn ravioli was thin, silky, perfectly textured. The filling was some phenomenal blend of what appeared to be ricotta and mint, extremely light in color and flavor, and simply perfectly counterbalanced by a relatively thin, spicy lamb sausage ragu’. Distinct meal highlight!
When ordering the Beef Cheek Ravioli, our waiter prepared us for the fact that they would be very subtle in flavor. Being pretty familiar with subtle Italian food, we ordered anyway. While still an excellent dish, it may have benefitted from appearing before the brilliantly-conceived and highly-flavored Love Letters. Still an excellent dish, with equally delicate pasta enrobing the tender beef cheeks and crushed squab liver. The sliced black truffle garnish was definitely on the subtle side, although hats off to Babbo for not going the easy route, and dousing the plate in truffle oil.
The Main Course
Again, ordering was problematic, and were set to go with both a meat and fish entree, until our waiter brought us back to Earth, and advised us to share the excellent Grilled Lamb Chops “Scottadita” with Sunchokes, Grilled Onions and Lemon Yogurt. Probably the best lamb chops I’ve had in the States, these were warmed through to the bone, yet rare inside, and with a quite perfect char on the outside. The balsamic grilled onions were incredibly sweet, the sunchokes crunchy and fragrant, and the lemon yogurt silky, and a thrilling stage upon which the entire dish was set.
Accompanying the main course was the wonderful Rapini with Roasted Garlic, a nice take on the colorless and bitter “Raab Broccoli” that one usually gets. Brilliant green, with perfectly cooked garlic that melted in your mouth, the dish had a nice and untraditional touch of preserved lemon to spike the flavor pleasantly, and not in a cloying or overdone fashion.
Our accompanying wine, also suggested by our very capable and enthusiastic server was the big and tannic Sagrantino di Montefalco Colsanto 2003 Umbria. Deep garnet in color, this had great structure and an extremely silky mouth feel, boosted by an endless, strong finish.
Dessert
Again, we were torn over the dessert choices, although I went exotic with pastry chef Gina DePalma’s Saffron Panna Cotta with Quince, Pink Peppercorn and Quince Sorbetto. Coming from a similar esthetic as the earlier brilliantly conceived and executed Mint Love Letters, this combination delightfully juxtaposed the classic silken texture of Italian panna cotta with the puckering quince and pink peppercorns, balanced by the refreshing zest of the quince sorbet. Extremely memorable, which paired beautifully with a glass of the Moscato d’Asti Bricco del Sole 2007.
Jamie, while a huge chocolate lover, is not as enthusiastic about nuts, so the Chocolate Hazelnut Cake with Orange Sauce and Hazelnut Gelato posed some conceptual problems. These were quickly resolved when it appeared that the hazelnuts would be extremely finely ground, and that the basic flavor would approach the classic Italian delicious combination of Nutella. Jamie also loves flavored grappas, and found the house-made Apricot-Infused Grappa to be a perfect accompaniment.
A Surprise
As carefully orchestrated by the Babbo staff, when the desserts were brought out, a third plate was also placed on the table in front of Jamie, covered with the classic, silver-domed cover. With a flourish, the waiter pulled away the cover to reveal…
A Diamond Engagement Ring
Jamie, momentarily stunned, burst into tears, and immediately hugged me. “Will you marry me?” I whispered in her ear. “Yes,” was her hushed and ecstatic reply.
The Final Verdict
Aside from the fact that the meal turned out to be a life-changing event, I would probably have to rate it among the top dinners I’ve ever had in the city, right up there with experiences at Le Bernardin and Del Posto.
And, importantly, when people speak of Babbo, two things are most often cited:
- Impossible to get a reservation
- Extremely expensive
First off, anyone with a redial button should have no trouble getting into Babbo; just start calling at 10:00 am a month to the calendar day from when you want to eat there, and keep hitting that redial button until you get through.
And given the extremely high QPR (Quality-Price Ratio) of the overall experience, I would have to say that Babbo deserves to be called a good value, as well.
Mike Rating: Five out of Five Stars
The Photos
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Salutti e tante belle cose.
The detail and presentation was thorough and un-pretensious, informed without pandering and a pleasant read.
Blog on.
congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!
congratulations!
Congratulations Mikey!!
I knew you could cook …..and you love to dine…and the wine…and the music….but an eloquent writer too!
Loved your blog….thanks for sharing.
Be sure to look me up if you and Jamie are ever in Atlanta.
Lynda
Danie’ – Grazie – Hope you’ll be able to do a guest recipe appearance.
Adrienne - Great to hear from you; hope you’re doing great. I’ll make sure to post some new music once we finish recording!
Rob - Obrigado! Let me know if you have any new wine recommendations.
Lynda - Thanks for the invitation, and please email me if you have the opportunity to come back in New York. Go Gators!
Wow, huge congratulations to you and Jamie! That was very well orchestrated and executed, my hats off to you, Mike!
Great description of the evening from start to finish – very fun to read. I’ll have to try to make it to Babbo sometime…though I doubt I could top your evening there
Best wishes!
Mike,
Great pics!
Who wrote the review?
and… Mazel tov!
- Mateo
Hey, Neffe Michele/Michael: Heartiest congratulations
:):) & much joy to you & Jamie. What a fabulous evening you created . Rumor had it you’d get on your knees. The covered dish “enrobe” (my iMAC doesn’t have the correct accent mark )the diamond ring beat getting on your knees.
Fantastisch dinner made me salivate.
Now your ancillary profession will be wine reviewer & reporter of sophisticated food, eh what?
xoxo to you both..Ruth
WOW! Congratulations!!!!!
You guys look great together. Congrat!!! Nice site. I would love your take on some of the korean restaurant you’ve been to
Michael – Thanks for your congrats & kind note
Matt – We’ll have to preview your upcoming blockbusters here
Ruth – Thanks for contributing to my foodie education over the years
Rob – There should be a Babbo dinner in some expense account when you’re back in NYC on business
Don – An upcoming review will definitely feature Korean Barbecue – Any recommendations?
Way to go Mike and Jamie. A beautiful course. A suave site, Mike.
Hi Mike….once again congratulations to you and Jamie. The evening at Babbo will certainly have everlasting memories. Brigitte and I went out the other night to a new Japanese restaurant in Scottsdale called Roka Akor. (The company added Akor — Roka spelled backwards – to suggest the Scottsdale outpost is a “reflection” of the London original) This is one snazzy place, dramatically designed, pitched to youthful, cool-people specifications. No white linen or swanky flower arrangements here, just casual-classy gleaming wood tables, stone accents and the inevitable tuneless bass-thumping background music mixed with lots of energetic, sake- and shochu-fueled clatter. We had an amazing bottle of sake (actually closer to two) call Azure Ginjko-Shu Tosatsuru. The deep sea water which is used to make the sake is sourced at the bottom of the pacific. The mineral water is free of pollution. The presentation of food was gorgeous, especially the sashimi which was served on a beautiful plate beside a sculptured cube of block ice. I wish a had a camera with us.
Congratulations!
Mike,
First, congrats on your great news. I’m very happy for you and would love to meet Jamie some time soon.
Second, I’m so incredibly impressed with your blog. I’ve always known of your passion for good food & fine wine, but I must say that I really enjoy your writing. Looking forward to following along on this gastronomical journey of yours.
Howard
Minter – Merci! Great to hear from you, and always good to keep up with what’s happening on your blog
Gregg – Glad to hear that you’re pushing the culinary envelope in Scottsdale. We’ll have to try out some of these great places when you’re back in NYC!
Nance – Thanks for your kind note. Glad to hear you got to see some NYC sightseeing!
HjL – Great to hear from you. Please let me know when you’re in the City & we’ll sample some fine wines.