Bebo Trattoria

[Indy67]

[broke this into its own thread -- Chas]

"Oyamel has closed and is replaced by Bebo Trattoria - Roberto Donna's "temporary" home while Galileo is being renovated. Bebo opened to the public last night."

Some folks in my husband's office actually had lunch there yesterday -- pastas -- and said the food was delicious. I didn't hear anything about how smoothly the place was functioning considering its newness. They brought a menu back to the office. The menu strikes me as a combination of crowd pleasers and more adventuresome -- very, very authentic Italian -- options. Reading this, I thought of Mario Battali's food at Babbo. Here are some offerings in each menu category:

Antipasti

Fried Mozzarella in Anchovy Sauce

Homemade Cooked Salami slices with Green Sauce

Roasted Peppers in Anchovy-Garlic Sauce with Grilled Polenta

Three More Choices

Salad

Mixed Greens

Romaine with Caesar Dressing

Tomato and Mozzarella

Two More Choices

Soup

Beef Stock with Cabbage, Fontina Cheese, Bread and Parmesan Cheese

Wedding Soup

Pasta e Fagioli

One More Choice

Pasta/Risotti

Risotto of the Day

Lasagnette with Meat Ragu and Bechamel Sauce

Cylindrical Pasta with Tomato Ragu and Pork Ribs

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Canelloni Stuffed with Ricotta and Ham with Pork Sausage Ragu

Five More Choices

Meat

Fried Rabbit With Artichoke, Spring Onions, and Orange Mayonnaise

Meatballs Sauteed and Simmered in Tomato Sauce

Veal Tripe Simmered with Vegetables and Tomato with Pecorino Cheese

Two More Choices

Grill Entrees:

Grilled Pork Chop

Lamb Steak

Grilled Quail

Grilled Homemade Sausage

Two More Choices

Contorni

Soft Polenta

Grilled Vegetables

Four More Choices

Pizza

Nine Set Combinations

19 Toppings for a Make-Your-Own Combination

Indy 67

[Planner Cat]

I had dinner there on November 4 and was VERY impressed. I understand they didn't do much to change the space (I had never been to Oyamel), but it is lovely. My spouse and I were there with my brother, sister-in-law and niece, as well as my parents. My father, who is hard of hearing, had no trouble at all, even though you'd think a space that large and open would have terrible acoustics. The service was outstanding. The food, with the exception of my entree, was very good. The caesar salad is a visual treat not to be missed! Here's what we had:

- La Mozzarella in Carrozza con Salsa di Acciughe (Fried Mozzarella with a Light Anchovy Sauce)

- Lardo, Salsiccia di Bra e Carne Cruda Battuta al Coltello con Pinzimonio (Homemade cured Lard, lightly sautéed Veal Sausage and chopped raw Beef dressed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Liguria with a Pinzimonio of Vegetables)

- Fried Calamari with garlic saffron sauce

- 4 Insalata di Cesare

- 2 Insalata Mista

- Risotto del Giorno (happened to be one with Gorgonzola - the spouse LOVED it)

- Lasagnette con Ragú di Carne e Besciamella (Thin layers of homemade Pasta with Meat Ragu and a Béchamel Sauce)

- Spaghetti alla Carbonara (Spaghetti with Bacon, Cream and Egg Yolk)

- Bucatini all' Amatriciana (Thick Spaghetti with Tomato, Pancetta, Onions and Pecorino Cheese - This is the dish I didn't like all that much as it was too bland)

- Coniglio Fritto con Carciofo e Cipollotti (Fried Rabbit with Artichokes and Spring Onions served with an Orange Mayonnaise)

- Polpette (Meatballs sautéed and simmered in a Tomato Sauce with Garlic Bread)

- Grilled sea bass with a lovely delicate green sauce on it (the Pesce special of the night)

- 2 Affogato al Caffe' (Vanilla Ice Cream with Espresso)

- Pear poached in red wine (visually stunning and very tasty with a cinnamon whipped cream)

- 1 other dessert I can't remember

- 4 bottles of wine

- 2 bottles of still water

The bill? Slightly over $400, including tax and tip. Worth it. Very worth it!

[Indy67]

"I had dinner there on November 4 and was VERY impressed. "

Ditto. I've never been to a restaurant so soon after opening, but my husband works in the area so we often eat in Crystal City. We miss the honest food we eat when we travel in Italy enough that we were willing to deviate from our catious attitude of stay-away-until-the-shakedown-is-over. Let's admit it. Maestro and Tosca are wonderful restaurants, but they don't capture the experience of eating in a typical trattoria in Italy.

We used to bounce back and forth between Jaleo and Oyamel, but we've visited Bebo three times since its opening. And this from people who stopped going to Galileo some time ago because a succession of experiences made it taste/feel like the kitchen was merely going through the motions.

There are some hiccups in the service. The tables get moved around routinely to accommodate the size of the parties dining at that moment. As a result, we've listened to quite a few conversations between waiters and runners asking where table X is located. It is also somewhat erratic whether or not diners are going to be offered olive oil to accompany the bread or grated Parmesan to accompany the pasta. These are small details -- and wholly irrelevent -- considering the superb cooking and the amazingly moderate prices.

"Risotto del Giorno (happened to be one with Gorgonzola - the spouse LOVED it)"

I ordered the butternut squash and crumbled sausage risotto. The taste of the dish and texture of the rice were amazing.

"Lasagnette con Ragú di Carne e Besciamella ...Spaghetti alla Carbonara ... Bucatini all' Amatriciana"

We'll agree to disagree; I liked the Amatriciana. If you like assertive flavors, you must go back to try our favorite pasta: Paccheri al Sugo di Costine Maiale (Tube-shaped pasta with sauce of pork ribs and tomatoes).

The biggest bargain on the menu has got to be the roast chicken. This is a staggeringly huge portion of chicken in which the crisp skin sings with flavor and the meat is juicy and flavorful. Next day leftovers are almost as divine.

The only negative I see is that the long-term future of Bebo is uncertain. Our waiter said there has been no decision about keeping Bebo open when Galileo returns to its renovated former home. Bebo has barely opened, but I'm already worried about its disappearance. I sincerely hope it stays; I can't think of a comperable restaurant in our area.

Indy 67

[hjshorter]

Bebo has been slammed for service issues on other boards, so when a friend and I lunched there last week, I was ready to bare the claws. Bebo pleasantly surprised me.

We started with two specials: the trio of vegetables (chickpeas, eggplant, and cauliflower) and the meatballs with pine nuts and raisins in a spicy tomato sauce. The chickpeas were a touch bland, and the eggplant needed a lighter hand with the balsamic. The cauliflower was the best of the lot, cooked just through and topped with bread crumbs and hot red pepper flakes. I'd order it as a side all by its lonesome. The meatballs were delicious, light and with a sweet/spicy thing going on.

The pizzas were well cooked with the right amount of toppings and just enough char on the crust. They were good, but not stellar enough to tear me away from my passionate affair with Comet Ping-Pong. The Capri (tomato, mozz, oregano, basil, whole egg) sounded more exciting that it was, mostly because I was expecting the egg to be runny instead of hard cooked. Napoletana Verace (tomato, garlic, oregano, anchovies) pushed a few more of my buttons.

Service in general was prompt and reasonably attentive, with a few minor bumps (got the wrong cheese, server dragged his sleeve through my friend's pizza), and one event that had us staring at each other in astonishment. Our second glasses of wine were brought over, and the wine left in the first glass was unceremoniously dumped in the with first. We looked at each other, mouths open, with a "Did I just see that?" look on both of our faces. If I want backwash in my fresh glass, I'd prefer to do the dumping myself.

Chef Donna was gracious enough to chat afterwards and answer a few of our questions. He is a big, charming, charismatic guy and passionate about his food. It gave me a little insight into why he's cut so much slack in the biz.

So...I'd go back. It helped that the lunch was friendly and full of good conversation, had it been a business lunch, or a date, the little service glitches might have annoyed me. Comet Ping-Pong still has my heart, but nothing about my Bebo experience would make me cross it off my list. I'd love to try some of the pastas, and a few more of the pizzas.

[hjshorter]

It seems Roberto's tomatoes might not be VPN D.O.C...

[monavano]

It seems Roberto's tomatoes might not be VPN D.O.C...

←

Yes, I've been reading other sources which report that the San Marzanos aren't the paramount canned tomato. Indeed, I thought the fresh ones I got at the market paled in comparison to field and heirloom tomatoes (maybe the SM's are remarkable canned?).

I believe Comet Ping Pong's sauce is made from Toigo tomatoes, because the chef wanted the best for her pizza sauce. I have to admit I haven't tried it yet

[Busboy]

I think the whole DOC thing is ridiculous, anyway.

[hjshorter]

I think the whole DOC thing is ridiculous, anyway.

←

You would eat uncertified pizza?

It is ridiculous, but makes for good press.

[monavano]

Interesting watching America' Test Kitchen (being the food geek) they are evaluating whole canned tomatoes and unequivically American tomatoes were preferred over Italina. The winner was Progresso.

Interesting stuff about canned Italian tomatoes. They are packed in puree to avoid paying higher tax. With puree, they are a sauce. Without the puree, they are a canned vegetable, which is taxed higher. Puree is cooked tomatoes which detracts from the fresh taste.

American tomatoes are packed with calcium chloride which keeps them firm. Although they cook down, they do not turn mushy and stringy as the Italian tomatoes do.

Last, the American canned tomtoes yield more tomatoes per can.

Me, I made my own sauce (Hazan's recipe) todaywith fresh tomatoes from the farmers market.