Babbo (First 6 Years)

[tommy]

i will *not* be told what to do.

edit: strike that.

Edited January 5, 2003 by tommy (log)

[macrosan]

I have been wanting to try the pasta tasting menu for ages, but I always end up eating alone at Babbo

Terrific review, Suzanne. I could almost taste the food. That bread comes from Sullivan Street Bakery, and I think the one they usually serve is called Pugliese (?). Ever since I found that out, I buy the stuff as soon as I arrive in New York, and I eat it like candy

[Rachel Perlow]

I think the biscotti was fig and walnut, but the crunch of the fig seeds was the dominant element.

My favorite pasta was the first one, the surprising sweetness of the parsnip chips beautifully offset the saltiness of the Pancetta.

I think I was the one who thought that the meat in the pyramids reminded me of pot roast. But only when it was extracated from its casing. As a whole the flavor and texture combined deliciously.

Macrosan - the tasting menus must be ordered by the entire table, but I don't recall a minimum number of diners that must be at said table. Did you ask about it? If yes, I wonder what the minimum number of diners at a table is in order to request the tasting menu?

[Matt Seeber]

Gina Depalma is the pastry chef at Babbo and last year received a James Beard nomination.

It seems she's doing as awesome a job as ever!

[Jason Perlow]

There's not much I can add to SuzanneF's wonderful review, as I think it captures the essence of the dining experience we had marvelously.

I would say this is the probably best pasta meal I have ever had in my entire life, and perhaps the only other restaurant that can approach pasta of this quality in the NY area would probably be the fantastic Robertos in the Arthur Avenue section of the Bronx, which also specializes in fresh pasta dishes of this type. I'm really looking forward to returning to Babbo and trying some of their other stuff -- while getting up to to go the restroom, I noticed some servers walking around with the most ruby-red paper thin slices of Prosciutto San Daniele... I was tempted to order one of these in addition to our tasting menu, but I subsided.

This type of tasting menu with small flights of pastas of different textures and flavors is in my (and and also 201's) opinion probably the optimal presentation for pasta, as it negates the monotony that frequently occurs when eating a large portion. Every dish had a distinct style and flavor, and required tremendous skill to prepare.

My personal favorites were the black tagliatelle (first) and the pappardelle bolognese (last). I could easily eat a whole normal sized portion of the bolognese myself, the sauce was heavy yet the pasta was ethereal itself at the same time, a pasta paradox if you will. The Alejandro's Pyramids were really cool from a visual perspective, and the braised beef short rib stuffing in them was very tasty indeed -- it too evoked warm memories of my grandmother's pot roast at Passovers and Rosh Hashanas of yore.

The bread as others mentioned was extremely addictive -- The chewy sourdough contrasted nicely with the burnt, caramelized taste of the flaky crust, and was excellent for mopping up each plate.

So Is pasta "worth" eating?

Hell yes.

[201]

I have been wanting to try the pasta tasting menu for ages, but I always end up eating alone at Babbo  

Well, if you're eating alone then wouldn't you technically be ordering for the entire table?

I was originally going to post about this meal tomorrow, but I've got a little extra time right now so I'll see how much typing I can get done:

Let me begin by saying that Italian food has never been high on my list of preferred cuisines. Aside from my pizza cravings, I could go for months or years without really feeling the need to dine in an Italian restaurant. I always attributed this largely to my previously held notion that pasta wears out its welcome on my palate rather quickly.

Babbo brought a welcome change of heart on those matters.

The pasta tasting menu requires the participation of the whole table. My motivation for going along with it was in fact along the lines of the mission Suzanne described. I really didn't expect that the pasta tasting menu would keep my interest for the entire meal, but I was very wrong. I was also mildly concerned about the progression of butter sauces, but again, I was wrong.

The truth is that I could probably have sat through another four or five courses of pasta (and yet, I was completely satiated with what was presented). The progression of the butter-based sauces only made me appreciate the differences that were so pronounced in the other aspects. I found the courses to be progressively more interesting and hit my personal favorite with the Garganelli with Funghi Trifolati. I was lucky enough to have extra(?) mushrooms on my plate and I wonder if that might have unduly influenced my decision that this dish was my favorite.

...continuation edited in below...

As Jason stated above, the flight of pastas really is an ideal presentation. It completely focuses one's senses on the subtleties of texture and feel from one dish to the next. For instance, the Pappardelle Bolognese seemed to me to be denser than the other pastas (in a good way) and this affected everything from how it sat on the plate to the way it played with my teeth. The Black Tagliatelle on the other hand had more pull to it as well as a smoother texture which complimented the pancetta perfectly.

The bread, as others have stated, was terrific with a wonderful char on the outside. I lost track of how many pieces I tore through, but they were always diligently replaced (until desert), so there was no real need to maintain a running count.

I felt the stand out dessert was the Apple-Walnut Torta. I was rather attentively following some piece of conversation as I put the first bite in my mouth and then... I was transported somewhere else by the sheer richness of this dessert! It reminded me of some beautiful forest in Canada (even though I've NEVER BEEN to Canada), but I suppose that was the influence of the maple cream. I'm generally not a fan of walnuts, but there was nothing about the walnut presentation in this dish which distracted me from my bliss. I guess that was Babbo's third victory... overcoming my general disinterest in Italian cuisine, overcoming my pasta ennui, and overcoming my walnut aversion. Pretty good for one meal, no?

A close match to the torta was the explosively-flavored (in the best possible sense of demolitions) sorbetto and it would certainly be my favorite during the summer. What can I say? I'm seasonal with my desserts!

Given that I tend to eat as much as two average diners, I expected at the beginning of meal that I would probably make a stop at NY Noodletown or such later that night. However, by the end of the meal I was very content. Even after the walk over to the Film Forum and watching Rivers and Tides (an excellent film for digestion, but that's for another thread), I still had that warm comforting glow from within that told me everything would be okay. I walked past Lupa for the umpteen-hundreth time and for the first time I actually stopped for a moment to look inside. I'm very glad that Babbo has opened my eyes to Italian food!

Many thanks to Soba, the Perlows, Suzanne, and of course He Who Only Eats for a truly wonderful evening!

Edited January 6, 2003 by 201 (log)

[southern girl]

I was told the tasting menu is not available in the bar...where perhaps Macrosan might have been dining?

edit to correct old to told...so Jyaee won't think it was an age related faux pas !

Edited January 6, 2003 by southern girl (log)

[tommy]

tourists. every last one of you.

the pasta tasting is one of the few meals that stayed with me for years. it really made an impression on me.

[Suzanne F]

the pasta tasting is one of the few meals that stayed with me for years.  it really made an impression on me.

Is this a positive assessment? I can't quite tell.

[tommy]

i generally speak highly of babbo, and this is no exception.

Edited January 6, 2003 by tommy (log)

[Bux]

tourists.  every last one of you.

the pasta tasting is one of the few meals that stayed with me for years.

That hard to digest?

[jaybee]

I was old the tasting menu is not available in the bar...where perhaps Macrosan might have been dining?

Macrosan isn't so young either.

[Suzanne F]

That hard to digest?  

That's why I asked.

Edited January 6, 2003 by Suzanne F (log)

[tommy]

tourists.  every last one of you.

the pasta tasting is one of the few meals that stayed with me for years.

That hard to digest?

my eloquence is even too powerful for symposium.

[foodie52]

I am SO jealous.....

[macrosan]

I was old the tasting menu is not available in the bar...where perhaps Macrosan might have been dining?

Macrosan isn't so young either.

Jaybee

Yes, I do eat at the bar, but they will serve the tasting menu at the bar for a minimum of two people. I assume that this minimum would apply at a table.

[Jinmyo]

Suzanne, an excellent report.

Sigh. Porcini.

[201]

[bump]Just wanted to note that I completed my post above.[/bump]

[vivin]

Suzanne,

nice report. your experience mirrors my experiences with the pasta tasting menu.

vivin (more than a dozen yummy trips to Babbo, and still counting...)

[Jason Perlow]

Does anyone know if the pasta tasting menu changes seasonally?

[mikec]

FWIW, your meal sounds very similar to the one that my wife and I had (and I reported on) in mid-December, but we clearly had different reactions.

I too thought the black tagliatelle w/parsnips and pancetta was a compelling dish.

We substituted the pumkin lune for the potato and fennel ravioli.

The porcini dish was great with the exception of the uneven plating. My wife's plate had at least double the amount of porcinis.

I thought the desserts (sour cherry tart and panna cotta) were okay, but nothing special.

The taste, texture, proper preparation of the pasta itself was exceptional. Truly an artform.

My problems stemmed from the progression of butter sauces that didn't seem to bother you. Also, we sprang for the riserva wine pairings and found them to be lacking, both in quality and in the attention that was paid to my stated preferences.

As I mentioned in the original thread, I will most likely frequent Lupa when I'm looking for a pasta fix. The quality of the pasta there is excellent as well and the surroundings are much less formal.

I'm glad that the six of you enjoyed your meal. My wife and I had a very nice time (it was our anniversary). However, if I had to give the overall experience a grade, it would be a B-, and at that price point, I'm looking for more.

Take care,

Mike

[macrosan]

Does anyone know if the pasta tasting menu changes seasonally?

Well I guess you could sprinkle a little extra salt and pepper on it

I read the menu in November 2001 and again in November 2002, and from memory it didn't seem to have changed. But as we're talking about my memory, which some allege is just a figment of my own imagination, then ....

[haunted_chef]

Pasta is great....No matter how you prepare it, just as long as its cooked just right. I believe that is what makes the difference in a pasta dish. I usually have pasta in a dish at least twice a week.

Suzzanne, there is a recipe in The Babbo cookbook for a Ceci Bruschetta, ceci (garbanzo) beans, are white in color and there is a picture in the book as well (page 24) mmmmmm...it looks great.

Next time I am in New York I am going to try and visit Babbo for myself.

Edited January 6, 2003 by haunted_chef (log)

[SobaAddict70]

As I mentioned in the original thread, I will most likely frequent Lupa when I'm looking for a pasta fix.  The quality of the pasta there is excellent as well and the surroundings are much less formal.

Lupa's focus is supposed to be more informal than that of Babbo. They don't take reservations nominally, unless for parties of more than six (they may have changed this policy, so I could be wrong.) You're comparing apples to oranges. They each have their strengths and weaknesses -- I mean, it's not like one is superior to another in every respect.

As has been pointed out earlier, Babbo isn't for everyone. (Actually, I don't really care much for the secondi -- I have a problem with the contrasts in flavors and pairings in many of the offerings -- so whenever I go, I usually get an appetizer, a pasta, maybe a contorni, and then dessert.)

*shrug*

Suzanne didn't mention that we asked (in fact, *I* asked) our waitress as a potential hypothetical if the chef would cook for us, if in fact we asked him to -- to which she replied, that it was a matter of policy, that they would not due to the volume of orders and dishes cooked each night. (She understood our request perfectly, having worked at other restaurants in the past where this was a matter of course (i.e., Montrachet); whether the justification she gave us was true or not remains to be seen...I'm sure if Mario accedes to a Q&A request, that sooner or later, someone will ask him that question.)

SA

Edited January 6, 2003 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[201]

Suzanne didn't mention that we asked (in fact, *I* asked) our waitress as a potential hypothetical if the chef would cook for us, if in fact we asked him to -- to which she replied, that it was a matter of policy, that they would not due to the volume of orders and dishes cooked each night.  (She understood our request perfectly, having worked at other restaurants in the past where this was a matter of course...

I wanted to mention this, but I thought it better left to you. Apologies for my burst of laughter which detracted from the seriousness of your question!