Interesting that you would point this out. I've also had bad Batali service experiences, but for me it was both at Babbo and Esca. The bar service at Babbo has always been excellent, but the one time I had table service there (on our first anniversary, having met at the bar there, no less!), our service was so bad- our waiter was completely inattentive, and they neglected to serve us a bottle my friend had reserved for us- that I was compelled for the first time to write a letter to them. The one time I went to Esca, I had similarly unattentive service, and my plate was inedibly bad- again the first time I ever sent a dish back because it was fundamentally awful. Po, on the other hand, I found rather excellent for what it was- simple Italian food.