Babbo (First 6 Years)

[Steve Plotnicki]

In New York restaurants. No argument about that. Members have explained to you that it is prepared at that level elsewhere, and you can believe or disbelieve as you wish; you can't disprove.

First of all, I am only making a statement about how this market values various cuisines. My statement doesn't cover what is obviously a different market. But also, no member has offered any evidence that is exists anywhere. What they have said is that the cooking is so much better there, that they believe it to be an equivelent. That might be true and that might not be true. But based on the dishes they have put forward, I would bet it isn't true.

Well, of course. I'm sure they could too. Who knew people would pay three star prices for herrings and potatoes until Aquavit came along.

That is a good example. I was thinking of using Acquavit in other reponses but it didin't fit perfectly. But not only are people willing to pay three star prices for salmon, herring and potatoes, they would pay four star prices for it if the food was conceptualized and prepared in a four star manner. I have to say, and I make this statement only based on eating in the cafe, Acquavit is a disappointment because it is exactly what I'm describing could happento any cuisine with the right execution.

Where we disagree is on the supply/demand issue. You seem to think it's a lack of demand. And I think there is no capability for supply. In fact let me stick my neck out on this one and try and capture this concept. Maybe you can help me. Providing there isn't an overabundance on the supply side causing demand to spiral downward (the current CD market is an example of this,) pricepoints in restaurants are a function of a problem on the supply side to create greater interest, i.e. demand. How's that one? And to take it a step further, and this is the Plotnickiism part, there is a correlation between the limitation on the supply side and the quality of the cuisine. Okay that's not perfect, but it's a start.

[Liza]

I'll simply direct you to the menu at Aquavit, where you will see that it is far more than herring and potatoes.

http://www.aquavit.org/

Back to your regularly scheduled head-banging.

[Wilfrid]

Steve, since this is about Babbo, why not pose the general point elsewhere? I could respond, but it would take us far afield.

Liza, I agree. It was my shorthand way of demonstrating that it's perfectly possible to get from downmarket Swedish smorgasbord food to a concept like Aquavit, and there's no reason it couldn't be refined further. I suspect Steve would have found the notion unthinkable before Aquavit opened. And I have no idea why he denies that the same could happen for Italian (!) and Indian food. If that's what he's saying.

[Orik]

And I have no idea why he denies that the same could happen for Italian (!) and Indian food.

Not to Polish food though. That one is hopeless and can't be polished into haute-cuisine.

So should I try the pasta tasting at Babbo?

[Steve Plotnicki]

Wilfird - Because Fat Guy raised this very point on this thread. I will try and figure out a good way to frame a new thread. As for the rest of your post including you response to Liza, I don't deny it could happen. If you read back ealier, I said I think it can happen for all cuisines. But we aren't analyzing what could happen, only what has and is happening.

Some cuisines are rigid to the point of being xenophobic. Look at how the people on the board who are Indian reacted to Tabla, a place that is trying to move in that direction? So maybe the reason it hasn't happened is because it is stuck in a time warp and it's proponants won't allow it to escape? One can say easily say that about Italian cuisine. Read what Thecamille quoted from that publication that said Italian food magazines are starting to run articles on the ethnic cuisines that Italians eat when they travel abroad. Like these cuisines aren't really available in Italy. Some cuisines have a long way to go and there are good reasons why.

Not to Polish food though. That one is hopeless and can't be polished into haute-cuisine

Orik - Good answer. Growing up with a Polish/Jewish father, I can't tell you how right you are. And yes you should try the Babbo tasting menu. All you have to lose is time and money.

[tommy]

I will try and figure out a good way to frame a new thread.

my guess is you'll continue to shit on this thread. i look forward to you proving me wrong by taking the high road. on another thread, of course.

[awbrig]

[Brad Trent]

Tommy!!! Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, fight with Steve !!! What's the point...you CANNOT win!

BeeT's

[pixelchef]

Chef Mark Picone (of Mark Picone @ Vineland Estates) recently took in a meal at Babbo the evening before his Beard dinner. This is his take on the meal (from a review Mark posted on my website):

Ristorante Babbo is in such high demand that you have to make your reservations at least six weeks in advance, so we did that. And when it is acknowledged that we have a participating chef in the party one would think on the professional level, there would be a reciprocated level of hospitality shown. I can appreciate the fact that we were early for our reservation and, given the restaurant’s popularity, should not have expected our table to be ready. Could you imagine, people waiting at the front door, side stepping table one, jostling the people at the bar, and somewhere amongst all of this the coat check taking place and the host wanting to know if you had a reservation. So, let’s look beyond the formalities.

We are briskly ushered to the second floor, past a wonderful display of dining room accoutrements and seated at a very small four top, big enough for two people. We are presented with our menus by the sommelier and our host informed him immediately that all four of us would have the pasta tasting menu ($59 per person, US$) complimented by the reserve selection of wines ($90 per person, US$). Our bruschetta of chickpeas as the assagine was delightful, well seasoned, had good balance of flavour, and was just enough to tease the palate for what was long expected to be a wonderful evening of food and wine. Unfortunately, this is when the evening started to take a down turn. Our first plate of Black Tagliatelle with Sweet Peas and Mint with the addition of salted ricotta was wonderful and by far the best plate of the evening. So pray tell, why would you ever put it up against the ’98 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Riserva Bucci? What a faux pas on behalf of the sommelier! To have something as complimentary as peas and mint with that slightly salted ricotta cheese and underlying taste of the sea, to be totally overwhelmed by this grand reserve wine, not so....…

This dish was followed by Asparagus and Ricotta Mezzalune with Sage Butter. These not so "little" moons (4) that were nicely garnished with fresh asparagus, really lacked any wow flavour, in part because the quantity of sage used in the sauce completely overwhelmed what little filling was inside and dwarfed the subtlety of the asparagus. Now the wine ’00 Pomedes, Scubla, which would have been a far better match with the first course, did nothing for this dish. It should be noted that when our host asked for more cheese, he was completely ignored. Our dish of Garganelli with Funghi Trifolati, (the Garganelli as long as pencils) was nicely complimented by a semi-firm goat cheese, which accentuated the mushrooms but did nothing for the pasta. The wine, ’00 Coteau lu Tour, Les Cretes, (100 % syrah) was a beautiful match. During the course of this dish, the question was posed to the sommelier whether a particular component was garlic or not. When he was unable to answer the question, one would only ask, how on earth can you match a wine if you do not know the fundamental ingredients or core flavour components of the dish? It was later determined to be garlic, an imperative for anyone who would be matching food and wine.

Our next dish of Alejandro’s Pyramids with Butter and Thyme was once again doused in a sauce of butter and the flavour of thyme grossly overwhelmed whatever little amount of filling there was. This puree of braised beef ribs left much to be desired. When matched with the ’96 Ghemme “Collis Breclama, Contalupo”, I would beg to ask the question, were we matching the flavour of thyme or trying to accentuate the flavour of the pasta? The structure of this wine cried out for a dish of wonderful rich flavours that might have included somewhat spicy, herbaceous, earthy tones. How unfortunate for this match not to have been made in heaven. This was the second dish of four units and how unbalanced it looked on the plate. Not so appealing to the eye.

Our final pasta dish, Pappardele Bolognese, was both light and slightly over salted. The complimenting Parmiaggiano Reggiano unfortunately accentuated the sauce’s weakness. Of all dishes, this was one that should have been the best or the highlight of the pasta dishes, yet not so. Our ’96 Brunello di Montalcino, La Serena was an acceptable match but, unless they pulled out some show stoppers for the cheese and dessert to follow, I started to seriously question this reserve selection of wines. In fact, I became suspicious when the sommelier did not know that garlic was an integral component in the preceding dish.

Our Stracchino Fresco with Dates, Walnuts and Thyme was acceptable and the relish to compliment the cheese was actually a well-concocted taste sensation, but I’m curious as to why raisins seemed to be a curious component of this relish. The sommelier noted that the matching wine, ’88 Bianco Amabile, Quintarelli, might have an oxidized aroma! I would question that to be a characteristic of a quality wine and would only beg to ask why some one would serve such a choice?

The final course of Saffron Panna Cotta with Citrus Three Ways had great saffron flavour, but I think the dish lacked citrus three ways. It should be noted we were also provided with the pineapple crostatta and a rather large spoonful of sweetened cream. And this was very good. But oh sooooo… not a pasta tasting menu!

On a more positive note, I should mention that, had it not been for the junior servers, our evening would have been a total disappointment. Their efficiency and the speed at which they worked, was delightful to observe. I would question why any Italian restaurant would be playing Pink Floyd -Dark Side of the Moon at 11:30pm, but then anything goes in New York. So when asked for a bottle of oil to garnish a dish (much earlier in the evening), it was a surprise to be answered with, “we’d have to check with management”. And in retrospect, given the amount of butter that was used, to finish a sauce or dress the plates, it would have been lost regardless. What a shame because the label of Bastianich oil was actually quite good. This would have been an evening soon forgotten if it had not been for the company and the fact that the following night we were going to the James Beard House to showcase hospitality and culinary artistry, which usually includes the following: a warm greeting at the entrance; a fine ingredient prepared in a true honest fashion, with a respect of tradition and a sense of creativity for the present, a standard of service that is guest oriented and driven by core fundamentals and finally, wine that is harmonious with the chef’s beliefs and food preparation. As for the perceived dollar value of the evening, when examining the exchange rate with respect to our meal, it was truly a shock! When breaking out the cost/person I was disappointed knowing that we were never provided with a tasting of the wine for approval or satisfaction and that seems odd knowing we had crystal to compliment the wine. Yes we were given some sweets (piccola pasticceria ) after the meal, but what do they use for espresso? As for customer service - not so Molto!

P.S. In the spirit of the culinary world, we had brought Mario a bottle of our VinItaly 2003 Grand Gold Award winner - 1999 Vidal Icewine. I will tell you that we were impressed being told that Monday and Tuesday nights are `family’ nights. Good work Mario!

Edited April 15, 2003 by pixelchef (log)

[mikec]

Back in December (if you want to find the post it's in this thread somewhere) I had virtually the same experience as Mark Picone. The food was good, but not great. The Reserve wine pairings bordered on pathetic. I gave the sommelier very specific likes and dislikes. He must not have been listening because it seemed like he ignored everything I said. $180's worth of wine for two people. I could have done much better ordering by the bottle for that amount. A lesson learned.

[vivin]

I have two new experiences to report.

First, last month, we were seated downstairs and experienced the lack of attention and not so good food.

Second, this past Saturday, was delightful. Seated upstairs. Had grilled quail as my main course. Perfectly grilled, soft and moist on the inside and crunchy on the outside quail was complimented by sweet balsamic marinade and grapefruit (fresh and grilled) on the side. Other good dishes included red beet salad and sweetbreads.

I am amazed at the difference in service upstairs vs. downstairs.

[jeunefilleparis]

After years of passing by babbo and lovingly gazing at the menu and even living two doors down from it, I finally went.

I had been inside several times, just to take a peek at the decor, so the atmosphere was no surprise, and i wasnt shocked either at the fabulosu attentive service since it is a Batali restaurant.

I sat down thinking I would; have wine and an appetizer and ended up having a full meal including two desserts, yup, two desserts, i just cuoldnt decide

The waiter or gentleman behind the bar was wonderful and informative. AFter 15 of deciding what to order, I settled on the goat cheese Sformato and the duck with chanterelle mushrooms and fava beans.

The sformato was sinfully good. Even after lving in italy, i had never heard of it. It was a light custard like goat cheese sitting atop a bed of fresh pesto with grated parmasan all around. The texture was lovely as it wasnt too dense like a pann cotta, but just rahter airy, but still rich in flavor. The pesto added a nice kick to the goat cheese. I ordered a glass of Garda, after trying another red wine, but preferred the garda so went with that.

The duck was unreal. It was so tender and full of flavor I barely had to chew. It was pan roasted and served atop chanterelle mushrooms and fava beans. chanterelle mushrooms are my favorite and they went very well with the duck.There was a rich red sauce and I m not quite sure if that was its own jus or something else, but it was just incredible.- i ll have to ask and write back.

now desserts have always been my favorite. there were lots of creative options like the pineapple crostata or ricotta cheesecake with blackberry jam. I went with the banana walnut budino and the toasted almond upside down cake. The banana walnut budino was served warm, but the consistency was a bit odd. It was crowned with carmalized bananas and buttermilk gelato which was excellent.

the toasted almond upside cake was served with expresso gelato and had cherries on top. the flavors were great but this one seemed a tad bit dry. have to say that although bother were good, I wasnt in love with either. Il baguatto still makes the best italian desserts for me, like the torta della nonna! Right Michael?

anyways, i enjoyed the experience very much. the restaurant itself was very warm and welcoming. I am so happy to have finally gone!

off to Basso Este on saturday, the new italian joint on Orchard,, wil report back promptly!

have a great weekend!

[Pan]

Yes on the Torta Della Nonna at Il Bagatto. I'll post about our dinner there, though I was a bit tipsy by the end of that evening.

[tommy]

ediot: wrong thread.

Edited April 30, 2003 by tommy (log)

[tjaehnigen]

I warn you now, this post is really very long and full of some unimportant details. But, it all good faith, I could not post anything less than this to do my experience at Babbo justice. Enjoy!!

It was a rainy, cold night in Gotham City. We worried that we would not find a taxi after many passed us by, with full loads. “This was supposed to be easy – it was last night!” I muttered. But our intrepid doorman spied us and began to cast his spell. After a few short moments, he managed to conjure up a luxurious car for us while we shivered under the awning, even though it was heated. As I approached the car, our trusty magician of a doorman shooshed me away saying “No, I talk to the driver.” With a nice, low fixed price negotiated for us, we were now on our way.

Comfortable in our plush seats, we tried to focus on the destination, attempting to avoid distraction of the bight lights in the big city. We bantered between ourselves and then with the driver trying to decide if it was on the NW or NE part of Washington Square, finally deciding on NW.

We hopped out of the cab, when, blocked by fire trucks and emergency vehicles. We were close, but not yet there. “Where the hell IS Waverly Place?!” we said to each other. You see, we had scouted out the locale the night before, while dining at Taka (review will be forthcoming!), a sushi place with a female sushi chef no less, nearby.

Were we lost?

“Where is it!? It’s almost 6:00 PM!!!”

Finally, the virtual compass of Mrs. TJ’s brain found the North Star. “This way!” she shouted as we dashed down the street doing everything possible not to miss our reservation.

We popped in the doors just as it struck 6. The place was hopping. It was very crowded – people at tables near the bar, people eating at the bar, people trying to get a drink from the bar while waiting, wait staff running to and fro trying their best to not bump into the hapless waiting patrons.

We made our way to the maitre d’s podium and managed to toss off our coats and umbrellas into the waiting hands of the wonderful coat check woman. Casting off that outer layer allowed us to relax a bit, but we still had work to do. Upon indicating who we were, we were magically recognized as '‘people of the moment' (as in, time seemed to stop for us and it seemed as though the focus of the maitre d’ was on us and us alone) and immediately shown up the cascading staircase (actually I think it was three) upstairs, much to our delight. The din of the masses soon ebbed as we entered the heaven that we know as Babbo, or Babbo’s upstairs, anyway. Somehow, dining at the early hour of 6:00 PM did not seem so bad after all.

We were seated immediately behind the dual final staircase, ensuring our commanding view of the room, and also making certain we were not in the flow of traffic. Noise seemed to fall away. Conversation was not only possible, but also easy. We reveled in this fact. But soon, we were beset upon by the trusty wait staff of the land of Babbo.

What was disarmingly wonderful about this was that they seemed to flitter and flutter about as if walking on air. They did things and engaged you with a knowing look, a smile, a wink. Things appeared on your table that you knew not how. Just as you were about to think of something, or have a desire, one of these faeries (and I mean that in the Tolkein way, not some other m0is0understood way) would appear or be within arms reach. It seemed all that was needed was but a glance. We were placed in the gifted hands of Fred, the waiter, and Jeremy, the sommelier. (Editorial Note: I call him ‘Fred’ since I neglected to get his name before we left. Trust me, I am trying to get his name now, so you all might partake of his abilities.)

A Random Encounter “You MUST try the Beef Cheek Ravioli,” he’d said to us, standing in the Library in the ‘Dining Out’ exhibit. Just thinking about this dish made us salivate and we hadn’t even had lunch yet (which was at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station, another review of that forthcoming from me I am sure).

What were we to do? Beef Cheek or no Beef Cheek? What about the Tasting Menus? Pasta Tasting Menu or ‘Regular’ Tasting Menu? Argh!

In the end, it was all too easy. We opted for the Pasta Tasting menu, but I am getting ahead of myself! Let me get back to the right timeline here…

Fred had already been in touch with Jeremy after discovering our passion for wine. Jeremy ambled on over and we had a great little introductory conversation. All about how we love wine, how it complements the meal, often transporting it to levels unknown. But we also spoke of our abject lack of understanding of that which is ‘Italian Wine’. He assured us about the varieties of wine available, the fact that he would be happy to pair us with selections from the many regions of Italy. We’d also be tasting lesser known bottlings, no Super Tuscans here (though they do have them). ‘More esoteric samplings’ from ‘lesser known, but incredible producers’. We had a good feeling about this. He’d be selecting our wines from the reserve list as we wanted to enjoy the best possible wine matched as good as possible to the delicious food we were dreaming about.

Jeremy whisked away, and Mrs. TJ and I had a bit of apprehension. We did not want to miss out on the Beef Cheek Ravioli that Keith spoke so highly of. We managed to catch Fred with a free moment and he assured us that they could work the eighth course in where it best fit the flow of the meal. “Whew!” We relaxed even more, the decisions having been made.

Luscious still bottled water from Italy soon adorned our table along with incredible crusty, dense and hearty bread. “This bread is like it is from Bonaparte’s,” Mrs. TJ commented (making a reference to our favorite DC-area bakery). Well, in some ways it was even better.

Not long after, we had what is usually called an Amuse Bouche, but this was simply a “Chef’s Pleasure”. It was a Chick Pea Bruschetta, made with balsamic vinegar & other goodies. Delicious. A sign of good things to come. A mini-menu of our tasting menu to come appeared upon our table in the intervening minutes and we perused this map of gastronomic pleasure as we gobbled this pre-course down.

Just prior to our getting the first ‘official’ course, which was “Black Tagliatelle with Parsnips and Pancetta”, Jeremy arrived at our table to explain the wine pairing he’d selected for this course. Honestly, I cannot remember everything he said, not much at all really, but it was great. As a side note, I must say that Jeremy was very knowledgeable and he definitely fed off of the energy we gave him and our enthusiasm. I should make a mental note to write him at Babbo to get him to jot some notes down for inclusion here…. Ah, well. In any event, he selected the following wine -- “Capo Martino” Jermann 1999 (Friuli).

The Tagliatelle was black through the use of squid ink. The pasta was perfect and the sweetness of the parsnips paired very well with the saltiness of the pancetta. A great pairing that. The wine was delicious and made a great pair with the food ( 'Capo Martino' TNs ).

Soon came the next course, “Fennel and Potato Ravioli with Opal Basil and Brown Butter”, which Jeremy paired with “Marea” Bisson 2000 (Liguria). There is something to be said about simple, but expertly prepared food. This course was simply delicious. The flavor combinations encapsulated in this course are excellent. (The wine TNs can be found at

'Marea' TNs ).

Fred and his band of helpers kept our water flowing, our bread (oh the bread!) available and all of our needs met. He was never unavailable to us, always within reach and ever so accommodating. A true pro.

Somewhere along the way, Jeremy had appeared again with a little map of Italy traced out on the back of the card stock that they use for printing the little menus they give to theirs guests. He had also traced out all of the major regions and then numbered them, in order to correspond with the wine, so that we would know where each wine had come from, what part of the country. I just wish I had his little stories/explanations in written form, too, to make the education complete. What fun!

Next came the “Garganelli with Funghi Trifolati” – basically groovy pasta – almost looking like gnocchi – with mushrooms and butter. This was a mind blowing course as the wine that was selected to pair with is – the Barbaresco “Nervo” Elivio Pertinace 1996 (Piemonte) – was the best pairing of the night (

'Nervo' TNs ). Jeremy outdid himself. In fact, I am not quite sure, but somewhere along the way, he reprinted our little menu of food and wine, because he changed his mind about a course. Perhaps it was this one. The pasta picked up the earthy flavor of the various mushrooms and the butter as well. It was a delight to consume this course.

Later came the “Alejandro’s Pyramids with Butter and Thyme”, another very simple but artisanly crafted dish. This is a classic flavor combination put together by very knowledgeable hands. To think that something so simple can be such a stunning course is mildly incomprehensible. Pair this dish with Valpolicella Classico Superiore, G. Quintarelli 1995 (Veneto), and you too will be a happy camper. ( G. Quintarelli TNs ).

We had, as you recall, chosen to add another course to the tasting menu – the much heralded (by Keith Scott – thanks Keith!!) Beef Cheek Ravioli. Jeremy paired this course, which was served with a liver based/enriched brown ‘sauce’ of a sort, with Teroldego Rotaliano “Granato” Foradori 1998 (Trentino) (

'Granato' TNs ), and, may I just say that this was my WOTN? Not the best exact match to the food, but the best wine for sure. This dish was sublime. Who knew beef cheeks could be sooooooooo good? The sauce was rich and decadent, but fortunately there was not a large amount of it or surely I would have been stuffed. I could have eaten much, much more of this.

Soon after we completed that course, we were presented with our most anticipated dish – the Pappardelle Bolognese. Even more so, this pasta, the pappardelle, is wider than even tagiatelle. Wider is better! The Bolognese gripped the pasta superbly and was a nice decadent concoction. It was not the epiphany I had hoped it would be, but it was masterfully crafted and absolutely delicious. This was paired with Rosse del Sebino “Maurizio Zanella” Ca’del Bosco 1997 Lombardia) (

'Maurizio Zanella' TNs ). The wine matched well enough and certainly stood up to the power of this dish. Yum.

And so the ‘main’ courses had finally come to an end. We had a brief respite as we continued to oooh and aaaah our fellow diners’ food and the like. People watching and watching the dance of the wait staff was fun as we delighted in fun conversation. A great meal does this – it allows you to relax to such an extent that you truly and utterly enjoy yourself for the mere sake of enjoying yourself. This is what I think all dining experiences should be like.

What came next was what we jokingly called a ‘cheese course’ – the Apricot and Carrot “Marmellata” with Goat Milk Curd. Essentially, this creation is a dab, an orb really, of goat milk curd (borderline cheese) with a reduction and weaving of apricots and carrots arranged as a semicircle at the feet of the orb of goat milk curd. The sweetness of the apricots worked really well with the texture of the carrots. This was a surprisingly incredible course. In fact, this was so, so good, that it was our ‘Course of the Night’. Especially when you consider that this was paired with a great wine, the Muffato della Sala, Castello della Sala (Antinori) 1998 (Umbria) (

Antinori TNs ), it made this part of the dining experience absolutely amazing.

We were now faced with the final official course, the “Saffron Panna Cotta with Pears and Cardamom” paired with the Moscadello di Montalcino, Col d’Orcia 1998 (Toscana) ( Moscadello TNs ). This was delicious as well, but it did not hold a candle to the previous course. The wine was actually better than this dessert, but do not get me wrong it was very enjoyable.

We, basking in our gastronomic glow, moved on to coffee and the next and last foodstuffs – Petit Fours. “They’re wafer thin…” I said as I egged on Mrs. TJ. And so we tried one of everything and called it quits.

What an experience. At this point, we realized that it was almost 10:30. We’d noticed other tables, both those seated before us and after us, had all flipped to new diners. At the table next to us, the diners had chosen the pasta tasting menu as well, and they were already at the Bolognese course! We settled up and made our way down the multiple staircases to get to the throng below. We made our way to the coat check woman, and she said, upon reading our ticket number, ”Gosh you all have been here a LONG time! I have to go to the other room to get your stuff.” A knowing look, a wink of the eye and a chuckle was shared by Mrs. TJ and I.

We slipped out of the restaurant into the cold/crisp night air, walked a half block where a magical taxi materialized as if it was waiting for us. And in what seemed like only moments, we were back uptown at our hotel – the memories of the night etched in our minds, but already fading. Thankfully, with the help of our ‘Dining Out Diary’, the memories didn’t disappear and thus I am able to make this post.

This dining experience at Babbo is among the best experiences I have had. I would actually rank it in my top three, alongside Citronelle in DC and The Inn At Little Washington in Virginia. And, I know that Babbo is a restaurant of many opinions, but for me, Babbo lives up to all the hype and then some. For your reading pleasure, here is a link to another conversation about Babbo on the ‘other’ board -- Babbo discussion thread .

I hope you have enjoyed this Magnum Opus. I certainly enjoyed writing it. Please be on the look out for other reviews coming soon. These will include Café Bolud, The Oyster Bar at Grand Central and Taka. Enjoy!!!

For those of you interested in reading TNs on the wines, I have not yet posted them here on eGullet, but here is a link to the original post on VinoCellar that has the embedded links to TNs on that site.

[Jason Perlow]

awesome report!

[bilrus]

That was a very god post TJ. I have been impressed with your thorough posts on other restaurants as well.

I won't go into the same detail on my visit there last week except to echo your sentiments. The Pasta Tasting Menu may have been my favorite meal as well, with my visit in May to the Inn at Little Washington, coming in a close second. The two are such a different experience, but my love of Pasta and the energy level of the restaurant made it special.

Of all the places we went on our New York trip last week including Grammercy Tavern, Craft, Tabla and others - this is the one I already want to make reservations for again.

I do have one question though. TJ, I don't know when you were there (although you did say that it was cold), but I wanted to know how often the menu changes. Your menu was mostly different from what we had (aside from the pyramids and bolgnese). We are thinking about going back in November and would like to try a different vartiety of dishes.

[FireIslanddish]

I want to share and get feedback on my dealings with the Babbo staff. I am posting some excerpts from a three page letter I wrote to both owners (Batali & Bastianich).

I had to call and cancel because my husband got sick, which was equally as challenging as calling for the reservation, but feel it is a common courtesy to call. After pushing several buttons and waiting on the phone for a person, a man abruptly answers the phone (as if I had interrupted him during his morning constitution) and I kindly tell him I need to cancel. Then without any grace at all he continues to speak to me with a very annoyed tone and without even a "thank you for calling", hangs up on me.

My husband and I decide to make another go of it and call in for the lottery reservation and we win. We call-in dutifully (I now feel like I’m an employee on call) to confirm our reservation and this time I feel I interrupted a woman doing something because I am clearly annoying her by confirming. But she delights in telling me that I indeed don’t have a reservation. I tell her that I do and spoke to a person with an “English accent”, she in turn reprimanded me and said, “The person is not English but Australian.” Well isn’t that interesting I thought and thanks for the dialect lesson. The other point was I was given another number WHEN I MADE THE RESERVATION to call and confirm. Nothing was moving this heart of stone.

Friends invited us when they got a reservation a few weeks ago. We were reserved for a 6:15pm dinner for four. My friend called up and said we would not be able to make it till 6:30pm. She had to negotiate this and finally said, “Look we are talking about a meal here. We will definitely be there and what time do you need the table after us? (no answer to the question)” Three of us arrived (my husband was finishing up a board meeting and was on his way). We were reluctantly seated and ignored until we flagged down someone for a drink. I asked for champagne (my first mistake) and was given another lesson without warmth or a smile and meekly agreed to the “Sparkling wine”. We then asked to order some appetizers until my husband arrived (my second mistake). “We are unable to take any orders that are not complete.” “May we have some bread?” “Yes.” I had to flag down another waiter for the promise of some olive oil and or butter. After the unsmiling waiter left (thank God for the busboys who were the only ones that smiled!) I giggled and said to my companions, “Isn’t it silly. The three of us have been to all the great restaurants in the city and I feel like it’s the first time we’ve been out. They make you feel so uncomfortable here. But I’m going to relax because I want a good experience - so cheers.” They agreed.

At 6:50pm my husband had not yet arrived, but I knew he was on his way. The maitre’ d asked us to order and order also for my husband and he could “catch-up”. How could one order for another with such a diverse menu?. We said we could not do that and that he would be arriving any moment. Again my friend asked, “When do you need the table by?” The maitre’ d did not respond and left the table. My husband arrived one minute later it was just before 7pm.

When we finished our meal the tables on either side of us had remained empty. I can say between the four of us we have been to every top restaurant in Manhattan and many around the world and have never felt more unwelcome with a staff (excluding the busboys) that is more inhospitable and lacking warmth. The business side of the restaurant overrode the whole food experience. Yes, the food was good to very good but without question not worth all the trouble and angst that was put upon us.

Any thoughts?

[Jinmyo]

Have you had any response from management to your letter?

You might want to ask Fat Guy or Jason Perlow to move this thread to the NYC board unless you want a general discussion on reservations.

[FireIslanddish]

No reply. It's been about three weeks since I mailed the letters. Thank you for the NYC thread.

[Raynickben]

Just to let you know, I have written 3 letters of complaint to restaurants in the past 10 years (and a few letters to compliment too) and I have NEVER received a response. Yesterday I was eating at a Red Robin with my kids and I ordered a burger, no tomato. It came with tomatoes which I am allergic to but I just took them off and started eating. The waitress noticed I had been given tomatoes and told her manager who came by and apologized profusely and preceded to take my burger off the check.

I did not complain about the tomato to anyone yet management wanted to ensure I come back so they did the extraordinary. Yet a formal complaint to a high-end restaurant is ignored. Doesn't make sense to me! (Yea to Red Robin )

[bilrus]

I'm sorry to hear that you had this problem at Babbo. My wife and I recently had the exact opposite experience.

No problem making the reservation a few weeks ahead. When we arrived and were shown that we were going to be seated side by side on the same side of a banquette (next to the magician David Blaine who was canoodling with a long-legged model and seemed to be enjoying the setup), we asked for a different table. They immediately seated us at a cozy corner banquette without any hassle.

We proceeded to have one of our most enjoyable meals in memory (the pasta tasting menu) and I reccomend Babbo to anyone who will listen. I doubt that if they had insisted that we stay at the original table, next to the amourous magician, we would feel the same way. It just demostrates how a little effort by a restaurant can go a long way to making a customer happy.

[Stone]

I had the opposite experience at a place out here in SF. Foreign Cinema is not a "high end" restaurant, although it has a pretty good repuation for food. (Bad reputation for bridge & tunnel trendy crowd.) We were there Friday night with pretty good service, but the oysters were slow coming out and the waitress forgot to put in my entree order, so my meal didn't come out until the others were finished. We told them it was no problem at all as we weren't in a hurry and I was comfortable after having the oysters and an app. Not only did they give us comp dessert and dessert wine, I was presented with a $75 gift certificate, which I tried (mildly) to give back.

[coughy]

We had an awful experience dining at the Manor in West Orange, NJ. We had been there for many wonderful dinners and even hosted two parties there. On one specific occasion the food was mediocre and the service demeaning and disgusting. The captain dutifully offered us his card and told us to call him the next time we were coming in and he would be sure we had a glass of wine on him. No thanks, we weren't coming back. I wrote to a radio personality who hosts a food show because the Manor was one of his sponsors. He forwarded my letter to the restaurant and I received a call from the General Manager who asked me all about our experience and proceeded to send us $125 in gift coins. We will definitely return and give them another chance. Had he not made this gesture I don't know if we would ever go back.

[tanabutler]

After suffering through the ditsiest, worst service imaginable at a local restaurant (Michael's on Main in Soquel, here in Santa Cruz county), where I had previously enjoyed a fantastic meal (and service), I wrote this up at my other forum:

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Boy, are they lucky we weren't there for a professional restaurant review. It was supposed to be as divine as my birthday meal, but instead was completely hit and miss.

The main problem was our waitress. She broke the first rule by taking five minutes to greet us, then fifteen minutes to bring our wine and soda. She didn't tell us the specials until we asked, and she didn't tell us the prices without being nudged (I hatehatehate having to ask prices of specials, and hate more when waitstaff are supercilious when you ask). She brought my girl a cloth napkin and then balked slightly when we asked to exchange our paper napkins for cloth ones, as well.

Appetizers (highly recommended): cornmeal batter-dipped calamari with two sauces (one a hot, red, peppery, gingery, clear compote of some kind, and the other a Southwestern kind of aïoli) and a cheese platter made of local artisanal cheeses from the Bay Area. (On second thought: the calamari was on a bed of shredded cabbage, but the cabbage was brown on the edges.)

Waitress did not know the first thing about the cheeses, and had to go ask. She came back with knowledge of three cheeses, but there were four on the plate. When she pointed, her fingers were so far away from identifying the actual cheese, we were not sure which she meant—I'm sure she didn't, either.

The cheese platter was excellent in two respects: the cheeses were out of this world, and they were paired with dried cranberries and baby greens. The "toasted baguette" slices were stale and painfully hard.

Lori ordered the salmon special (salmon orzo with crabmeat and prawns and a salmon mousse) and was instead given the salmon off the menu. It took twenty minutes to replace her dish, by which time she was no longer especially hungry, as I shared my food with her.

Malaika and I split a New York strip steak, which I ordered medium-rare to rare, being quite explicit that the steak should be pink and red inside. Her half evidenced lots of red. Mine was medium well, and 1/3 gristle. Once she sawed off a bite or two, Malaika's steak was more than 1/2 gristle and burned fat. It was the worst piece of meat I've seen since I babysat for the cheapest woman in Atlanta, thirty years ago.

The potatoes au gratin had too much salt and cheddar, and I tasted freezer burn on the cheese.

The good thing was the Butterfield Chardonnay was only $4 a glass.

After all that misery, all they did was comp the steak.

If you go to Michael's and get a tall waitress with a pretty face under too much makeup, and long, permed, blond hair, ask for someone else. Ask for a waitress.

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I wrote a letter to the restaurant, and complained about the crappy service, and the fact that our table was still $70 after they took off that ghastly piece of gristle they called a steak. The owner sent me a letter offering to comp dessert next time we came in. Guess what? That's not good enough. You think we'll spend another $70 to let you buy us a piece of pie? I don't think so.

One thing I learned when I waited tables was, it's worth it if you are generous in making up bad service to customers who've suffered. A happy customer might say nothing, or might tell friends that a bad experience turned better when the manager treated them right and said, "How can I make it up to you?" An unhappy customer will churn out negative reviews any time the subject comes up.