Who's Mario Batali you ask? Doesn't everyone knows the rotund, pony tailed, shorts wearing, clog footed chef?
I took a cab to the beautiful 19th century town within a city that is the West Village. I walked the narrow and curving streets between the brick colonials and brownstones until I got to the white facade of Babbo at 110 Waverly Place. With a solid door and curtained windows I couldn't see inside. I was a little intimidated but ....
I walked in, threw a big smile at the maitre' di and asked if I could sit at the bar for dinner. I had no reservations. There were three open seats there. The gastronomic gods smiled upon me, they took my jacket and seated me at the service end of the bar. 10 minutes later the whole restaurant was packed. I lucked out.
I ordered a glass of Rosso di Monticello 2006. It was soooo smooth. I felt good and looked around the room.
It's not a big place. On the main floor it probably seats 65 and another 35 upstairs. It's cozy. The bar is dark wood with clean mill work and vintage pendant lights overhead. The walls are stucco. The bar is on the right when you enter. In the back half of the restaurant are two lines of tables hugging the walls. There is no art. The only adornment on the dining room walls are a line of lights. Their petite shades cast a warm yellow glow across the room. The warm embrace of lighting is accented every three feet with recessed lighting from above and up-light from candles sprinkled across the dining room tables. In the center of the dining area is a four foot round table with a resplendent arrangement of bare winter branches reaching towards the ceiling. Surrounding the display were dozens of wine bottles at the service of the waiters and their parched guests. It looked like a serving table at a house party. A grand staircase with brass railings anchored the center rear of the room and lead to an upstairs dining room.
The staff debates the music selection next to me as I'm surveying the room. The restaurant, very refined and elegant is known for playing rock-n-roll. For my dining pleasure we get Vampire Weekend. Nice.
photo courtesy of foodtravelblog.com
Time to eat. I ordered Antipasti and Primi from the menu, skipping Secondi.
First to come was Grilled Octopus with “Borlotti Marinati” and Spicy Limoncello Vinaigrette. The vinaigrette was amazing. It was syrupy with a honey taste and slightly tart from the lemon. I asked the bartender what the vinaigrette was made from. Soon she had poured me a taste of limoncello which is a lemon liqueur from southern Italy. That was a treat. The octopus itself was perfect. Very moist with moderately charred skin for just the right crunch in your mouth.
Next was Gnocchi with Braised Oxtail. The gnocchi were soft and moist and the oxtail sauce was surprisingly and enjoyable spicy. Perfect to mop up with a good piece of bread.
The bartender and I chatted. She was a Colorado ranch gal who'd been in NYC for 5 years. We talked about Babbo, Boston restaurants and the "secret" U2 show happening in Boston that night. She was a big U2 fan. At one point I noticed a huge 5 liter bottle of Radici Tonrasi 1999 being poured in the dining room. This is a big bottle. I mean the waiter had to hold it with two hands to pour it. It's easily two feet tall. I asked what it was. She wasn't sure but 10 minutes later the bottle was in front of me and she was pouring me a tasting. The staff was very friendly and wanting to please. I always love sitting at the bar, it's always much more casual and the bartenders are usually full of good information. I was having a great time.
Good tunes, exciting food, great staff. Eccellente Mario!
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