Pig Foot "Milanese"

7/15/2018

3.5 stars.  Overall very good meal and great service, but not every dish was amazing.

For starters, we got the pig foot Milanese and grilled octopus.  The pig foot was very good; I've never had it "Milanese" before, but appreciated the textural difference between the soft and chewiness of the gelatinous pig foot itself versus the drier and slightly crispy fried, breaded exterior.  The sauce of the octopus dish was delicious, but it wasn't the best octopus I've had -- the octopus itself was too soft and didn't have its usual firmness and chewiness.

We decided to skip the secondi and go heavy on pastas...and shared 4 pastas between just 2 people.  No regrets.  My favorites were the beef cheek ravioli and the spaghettini with lobster.  The ravioli flavor had such a rich flavor without feeling heavy, and the pasta itself was still perfectly al dente even though I don't usually notice the texture of filled pastas as much.  The spaghettini was a nice and tart balance to the others we had, and the pasta was again perfectly cooked.  But the best part of the spaghettini was the large portion of lobster that came with it.  We also tried the gnocchi with oxtail, which had great flavor, but I thought the gnocchi was a bit too pillowy soft for my liking.  Finally, we added on the fettucine with pancetta and radicchio for dessert, and the pasta itself was good, but I didn't feel like the dish came together as a whole, and the bitterness of the radicchio overpowered everything else.

Overall, an enjoyable meal and experience though.

12/12/2017

I've been wanting to eat here for so long. The space is so classic and the vibe is just so New York, it makes me want to feel at home. It's so New York that I felt like I was in my basement apartment with no heat and I was shivering while I drank a $300 bottle of wine with my fiancé for a special occasion and the wine glasses went empty far too many times. A few points throughout the meal I was tempted to go grab my bottle from the wine station and pour it my damn self. The food was decent, below one star for sure. Ironic how Babbo and La Sirena clearly don't deserve 1 michelin star but Del Posto deserves 2, ironic. Octopus was hard as a rock and cold, the sticky agrodolce was the only good thing on the plate. The pig foot Milanese was delicious as any glutton would expect but the salad was just dead arugula on the plate. Next course, bucatini amatriciana was the same you could get at eataly pasta restaurant downtown or flatiron, underwhelming. The maccheroni with bottarga was flat as could be, tasted like literally nothing, we both used insane amounts of salt to try and fix the nightmare of seasoning. The braised beef was honestly one of the worst beef dishes I have had all year. Soupy polenta with ZERO substance with a piece of flavorless boiled beef (under seasoned yet again) with the smell of some type of citrus. Kind of smelled like the beef was boiled in lemon water, but the two didn't really work. After we got the $400 check, we ran out as fast as we could, it was almost warmer outside than at our table.

3/17/2017

I have been going here for years. It does not disappoint. Very interesting wine list, the pig foot is amazing. Nice selection of offals, very interesting. Service is always on point. Cool music/vibe in the dining room.

8/20/2016

Just when my faith in fine Italian cooking starts to waver, I remember my sweet Babbo!

This establishment is the standard bearer for elevated Italian dining. Babbo features a daring and fulfilling menu that highlights unrivaled pastas (particularly the pasta tasting menu) in warm, carriage-house surroundings.  The pig foot Milanese may perhaps be the worst-sounding, best-tasting entree I think I've ever had! The vibe is definitely energized. Trying to wrestle up a reservation is nearly impossible.  But if you can, Babbo is an experience not to be missed!

5/1/2016

Babbo is a great restaurant in a wonderful location. Perfect for a date or if you want to bring family. I like to request to sit on the second floor under the window. I order the same thing every time I go, which is, the Pig Foot Milanese, Black Spaghetti, Skirt Steak or Grilled Lamb Chops with Babbo Greens. The Hanger Steak from the tasting menu is also a delight. The waiters are great and very knowledgeable about everything on the menu. Makes me feel like they are cooking the food.

7/3/2015

I absolutely loved Babbo and would go again until I've tried everything on the menu. The black spaghetti with pancetta and rapini was super delicious. At first I was nervous about the abundance of pancetta, thinking it would be too salty, but it wasn't at all. Instead it brought a really smokey flavor to the dish, and it paired well with the rapini. My favorite was the duck. The leg was moist like a confeit with a crispy skin. The breast was well rendered and perfectly cooked. The dish was paired with some charred ramps wrapped in crispy bacon. There was so many flavors and texture that I couldn't stop eating. It was seriously the best duck dish I've had in a long time.

The mint love letter was good, but it's a dish that is easily overshadowed by others such as the beef cheek ravioli, the grilled octopus, and the pig foot Milanese, which were all perfectly executed and distinct in taste.

If you're heading to Babbo, pasta is one thing you won't want to miss, but make sure you save room for dessert. The gelato and sorbet tasting was just as awesome as the pistachio semifreddo. I cannot wait to go back.

3/7/2015

There are very few restaurants that I go to and think "Wow, this place is totally worth the hype!". Mario Batali's Babbo is one of them. As with all New York City restaurants, Babbo looks teeny tiny on the outside, but once you walk inside, the decor is warm and inviting, reminiscent of the traditional Italian restaurants I tend to frequent in New Haven, CT. Upon sitting down, I realized that everything on the menu sounded delicious. I would recommend coming here with a large party and ordering many different items to all share, which is exactly what I did during this visit.

To begin, if you aren't an Italian wine expert, you WILL be intimidated and very lost with the, what seems like, 25 page wine menu. Don't fret though, as the sommelier is very willing to assist you in picking out a wine. Although he might babble a little, just ask him which wine resembles the type you are looking for and he can recommend something within your price range if you specify.

For an appetizer, we all shared the roasted beet tartare, the bufala, and the pig foot milanese. Of all the starters, I would say the pig foot was the most memorable. It was a different take on the pig foot as I am typically used to eating. It was finely chopped and squashed into a pancake and lightly fried. Honestly, one of the best things I had that evening. If you are scared of pig foot, this dish is the way to go to get you started as it is done in an approachable way. We also shared some pasta dishes including gnocchi with braised oxtail, beef check ravioli, and fettuccine with house-made pancetta and radicchio. The next time I visit Babbo, I will absolutely try the pasta tasting menu as all 3 pastas were the best I have ever had. Although the menu doesn't say that the pastas are all house-made, it can really be assumed considering you're at a Mario Batali restaurant and the quality and freshness of the food was just beyond.

For the meal, I had the grilled ribeye for two. Just for me. Kidding - I shared it with someone but seriously if I had the appetite I would have gobbled it all down myself. The portion was obviously very generous and the ribeye was cooked so perfectly; every bite had a crispy crunch, while the inside was moist and juicy. Served with rosemary potatoes, I was not disappointed with the ribeye and would likely order it again next time I came.

For dessert, because we simply couldn't stop at the entree, we shared the saffron panna cotta, roasted white chocolate cheesecake (TO DIE FOR), and pistachio and chocolate semifreddo. I'd like to note that the chef also served complimentary dessert bites of chocolates and cookies. This is always a nice touch.

To conclude, although our bill was on the higher side, I would say the price is absolutely worth it for the quality of food that is served. Do not come to Babbo when you are in rush and instead, savor every bite as it's likely you won't find an Italian meal as satisfying anywhere else. Kudos to Mario Batali as this is my third restaurant I have visited of his and was impressed every time.

2/19/2015

Called ahead to make a reservation for valentine's dinner but they were fully booked. However they do leave 7 tables open for walk-ins which was pretty cool considering that they can easily fill those tables with reservations so we decided to just walk in. Surprisingly, the wait was only 30mins on vday - score!

To start, they serve chickpea amuse-bouche (aka a small complimentary appetizer) which was a nice touch, the chickpeas were pure and flavorful. The menu had an extensive list of appetizers to main courses from your grilled octopus to pig foot to rabbit. The Gnocchi with Braised Oxtail was soft and cooked al dente, the oxtail was soft and tender - paired perfectly together. Although, Babbo is known for their pasta, I have to say that the Grilled Lamb Chops "Scottadita" stole the show for me. Cooked medium rare as requested, succulent and no gamines.

Mario Batali doesn't disappoint.

2/4/2015

Pretty damned good!

A couple of friends and I dined here last week and it was delicious. Way above average. Aside from the snooty sommelier, a good meal was had by all. We shared our plates and everything was delish!

Pig Foot "Milanese": I didn't know what to expect with this dish, but it was crunchy, salt and deliciously swine flavored. Really beat expectations, probably favorite dish of evening (behind dessert)!

Marinated Fresh Sardines: above average. Wonderful 'sea' flavor, great texture.

Black Spaghetti with Rock Shrimp, Spicy Salami Calabrese and Green Chilies: this was also very, very good. Maybe a bit heavy with the salami (which was diced into small crumbles), but the dish was fabulous!

Uni Pasta: a bit of a disappointment. The uni was good, but it was just a glob on top of some pasta.

Rabbit: not bad, but nothing special. Not much rabbit-y game flavor (don't know if that is good or bad) but just average in my opinion.

Barbecued Skirt Steak: another fabulous dish. my steak actually came out three different ways: rare, medium and done - and I liked that! very well seasoned and very tasty, I would get this dish again.

Olive Oil Cake and Gelato: OM Fucking God! This was the single best thing I ate that night! I've had the olive oil gelato at Otto before. Still as good as I remember. Do yourself a favor. If eating at a Mario Batali restaurant, GET THIS DESSERT!

We did have two wines, a white and red and both were good, but trying to talk with the sommelier was awkward, so we picked our own wines.

And the best non-food item of the night: seeing Mario Batali at the bar as we were leaving, clearly 'having fun, with an entourage of women', smoking inside and using a saucer as the astray....PRICELESS!

12/8/2014

Mmm Babbo.  I came here for the third time last weekend for lunch to try their winter White Truffle Tasting menu and had a very satisfactory meal.  They offer two tastings at lunch, their regular for $49 and the white truffle for $99 so my boyfriend and I opted to get one of each so we could try more items.  Now onto the menus:

White Truffle Tasting
- Duck Egg Sunny-Side Up - beautifully poached duck egg on top of a thick slice of bread.  It came with several pieces of pork cheeks which were SO delicious (like bacon but 10x better).  The taste of the truffle was kind of subdued here though.
- Agnolotti - this was probably my favorite dish.  Super simple so you could really taste the white truffle, and the brown butter sauce was the perfect accompaniment.
- Grilled Veal Breast - this was very well done, and I definitely preferred this over the pork loin in the other tasting.  My favorite part was probably the celery root fregula the veal sat on top of though...maybe I'm crazy but it tasted like risotto.  Who knew celery could be so yummy?  This also came with a very generous shaving of white truffle.

Regular Tasting
- Roasted Cauliflower - despite how simple this may sound the dish was actually really delicious.  The tangy vinaigrette added the perfect kick to the cauliflower and we definitely enjoyed this item more than we expected.
- Pappardelle - Babbo is known for their pasta and this did not disappoint.  Def recommend the parppadelle as a standalone if you are ordering a la carte.
- Grilled Heritage Pork Loin - this was only okay, kind of fatty for my liking.  Presentation was beautiful though.
- Olive Oil Cake and Gelato - perfect ending to the meal!  Really generous portion of cake drizzled with additional olive oil.  I am a chocolate dessert person all the way but I can see myself ordering this again.

Other random items I ordered from previous dinners that were memorable:
- Grilled Octopus
- Pig Foot "Milanese"
- Beef Cheek Ravioli
- Charred Beef Tongue
- Grilled Ribeye for Two

So overall, we had a great meal but not a 5-star experience when you liken it to comparable restaurants, or even Batali's other high-end Italian spot, Del Posto.  The service can be very hit or miss here, and we ended up waiting 25 minutes for our table this Saturday after having a reservation.  I also remember the service being spotty when I came here for dinner previously as well.  Another qualm is that even though my first visit here was two years ago, looking at the menu this past weekend I noticed that so many of the items were the same.  Unlike many of the newer restaurants popping up, I don't find Babbo innovating in the same way, which can make for a more tiring dining experience.  But on the pro side, at least you'll know your favorite dishes will always be there!

6/20/2014

This is not one of those snooty restaurants that you save for special occasions only.  Babbo is a great place for fantastic food, period.  It's one of the best restaurants in the NYC, and one of the best in the world.  

I was here years ago for a special occasion, we had the tasting menu and it was out of this world.  It's been on my mind to come back here again ever since.  I had a chance to meet my girlfriend here for dinner the other day just to catch up.  After dinner she told me it was one of the best NYC dining experiences she ever had.

We ordered the baby wild arugula and pig foot Milanese for starters, the beef cheek ravioli and gnocchi for primi, and we shared the crispy soft shell crabs as an entree.  We had plenty of food, and leftovers to take home.  The arugula salad was perfect with the parmigiano cheese, we loved the warm, slightly crispy, flavorful pig foot.  The pasta of course was al dente and well balanced with the meat topping / fillings.  We were already full by this point, and we made the decision to doggy bag our pastas and save room for the soft shell crabs.  The crustacean was lightly battered, and super fresh, we were glad we made the executive decision to save room for it.  Unfortunately we didn't get to the dessert course.

We were seated on the first floor and the atmosphere was casual and lively.  My friend enjoyed the attentive staff, their patience in explaining to us the wine and food options, and they also courteously allowed us to try the wines before we committed to ordering a quartino.  She was also mesmerized at watching the staff plating the steak, and deboning fish for other patrons - the service here was truly exceptional.

After we paid for the check and was ready to leave, I actually forgot my credit card after I signed for the bill.  The waiters caught me as I was stepping out the door to return the card to me.  Phew, that saved me the headache from having to find it and back track my steps later on in the night.

I love that we had a great time in the relaxed first floor dining room, and that this can also be a wonderful, fancy, special occasion restaurant.  I will be back again very soon.  Thanks Babbo!

12/23/2013

For a long time, I avoided Babbo.  I suspected it was a tourist trap - maintaining only the most tenuous and tertiary of connections to Batali himself. A place where unsuspecting visitors to our city emptied their wallets just to be able to point to the tv and tell their slack-jawed friends that they ate at "that guy's" restaurant.  In a city brimming with astounding Italian, why risk disappointment? Curiosity finally got the best of me.  The nightmarish experience that followed surpassed my worst fears.  I have never been to an Olive Garden, but I suspect it would much resemble Babbo in all but price.  Babbo is a godforsaken hellhole where substantial violence is done to the basic tenets of Italian cuisine.

We started with unremarkable sardines (tasting predominantly of vinegar bath) and pig foot "Milanese," the latter arriving in the form of a fried, greasy pancake, bearing no resemblance in appearance or flavor to its namesake.  Oh well, at least the sardines were edible.  To his credit, our waiter (who had thus far managed to somehow provide incomplete bread service), read the nausea on my face and offered to replace the "pig foot" with a barbecued octopus he recommended enthusiastically. In short order, we were presented with a seared octopus (competently, if not elegantly, cooked) covered in honey mustard dressing.  This was the high point of our evening.  I will spare you the details of the cloyingly sweet goose liver ravioli we were served (I actually gagged) or the fettuccine with radicchio wilted to sopping, formless bitter goop.  And I'll mention only briefly my disappointment at the arid osso buco (one of my favorite childhood dishes) that reeked heavily of parsnip (the orzo tasted like boxed mac and cheese).  I'll say only that in Dante's ninth circle of of hell, along with Cassius, Brutus, and Judas, you will find, in the maw of Satan himself, Batali - traitor to the Italian culinary heritage - likely choking on "pig foot Milanese."  I don't imagine this review will prevent the denizens of the flyover states from falling over each other to eat at Babbo, but I hope they will understand that our city has so much more to offer.  New Yorkers hardly need reminding.

I should add that I have been to Del Posto many times and, though it has CERTAINLY gone downhill, I have, for the most part, had pleasant experiences there.  Indeed, I have, on occasion, been delighted by the food at Del Posto.

9/15/2013

As authentic as it comes.  This place is absolutely incredible, the finest italian food you can ever expect.  This is one of those places that you can Experiment and know you will not be disappointed.  We had octopus, pig foot, homemade sausage as apps.  For dinner we shared the succulent pork and also black spaghetti.  The service is "A" class.  Fantastic!  Even the music they play inside is good!

8/3/2013

Dinner at Babbo in Greenwich Village on Sunday, June 2nd.

Babbo, New York, NY
Food: Italian.
babbonyc.com

Overall: 7.6/10 vs. restaurants priced $$$$/5.
Ambiance: Very Good.
Food: Exceptional.
Service: Exceptional.
Wine/Drinks: Exceptional.
My rating scale: Exceptional, Very Good, Good, Ok, Needs Improvement, Terrible.

Overall: The dining experience at Babbo is about as good as it gets. I'd highly recommend you try it for its taste bud tantalizing experience.

Ambiance: If you are eating before the sun has set, I'd recommend sitting upstairs where the skylight allows for natural light to immerse the room. It's not easy to get a reservation at Babbo, but you can still dine there without a reservation; the tables at the front of the restaurant are reserved for walk-ins on a first come first served basis. You best line up early if you'd like a seat. Eating anywhere at Babbo is incredible, but if given the choice, it's better in the back and upstairs.

Food: There are so many spectacular dishes on the menu that you really can't go wrong with anything you order. For the adventurous types there is: tripe, lamb's tongue, pig foot, calf brain, and more.  The pasta tasting with wine pairing is spectacular, but be prepared to roll out of there, it's a lot of food. On this night, I had the grilled octopus with "borlotti marinati" and spicy limoncello vinaigrette, black spaghetti with rock shrimp, spicy salami calabrese and green chilies, chianti stained pappardelle with wild boar ragu, and "brasato al Barolo" braised beef with porcini mushrooms. The octopus was a conversation stopper; there were more than 7 flavors erupting at the same time; it's a very complex dish. The black spaghetti was highlighted as one of the must-have dishes, but I didn't find it to be as good as the pappardelle.

Service: Babbo just does it right. The restaurant is well staffed and the staff, right from the host to the sommelier to the table , each person knows their place, and does a great job. I particularly like when a waiter gave an honest opinion about the best dishes rather than when asked, "what's good?", replying with "everything" - waiters need to have opinions.

Wine/Drinks: Anna, with her crimson hair, is one of Babbo's sommeliers and is really pleasant to deal with. She has always steered me in the right direction and has done so with a smile. Babbo has one of the most interesting and extensive wine lists I have come across. Once again, you can't go wrong here.

JustaGuyThatLovesFood.bl…

7/25/2013

I don't understand why Batali gets so much hype. Now been to Otto, Lupa, and Babbo and they range from terrible to just OK for Babbo. The 3 stars is based on the food.

5 stars for the service. Friendly, not too pushy, courteous, perfect balance of space and attentiveness, great wine suggestions.

Grilled octopus - fine, but nothing special like so many people rave about on Yelp.

Roasted beet tartare - light, fresh, refreshing, great dish.

Pig foot "Milanese" - fried pig feet. Everything's good fried, right?

Testa - head cheese, actually quite good and a pleasant surprise.

Spaghettini with lobster - very bland sauce and lobster. Pasta itself was cooked perfectly but the underwhelming flavors really disappointed.

Mint love letters - tastes like you're eating pasta while chewing Trident gum. Absolutely awful, unless your thing is eating pasta while chewing gum.

Papardelle bolognese - again, a underwhelming on the flavor front. Most novice cooks could make a papardelle bolognese at least as good as this.

Chianti stained papardelle - much better. Looks unappetizing, but the flavor bursts with the wild boar ragu.

Beef cheek ravioli - best pasta dish of the night by far and the only one worth the hype. Rich flavors, only pasta dish I'd order again if coming back.

Grilled guinea hen - fantastic! Perfectly seasoned and moist, the star of the night.

4/9/2013

Really 4.5 stars...

Went to Babbo for dinner with a friend who is a chef at Batali's other restaurant. This worked to our advantage as the staff took great care of us with some appetizer, entree, desert, wine compliments of the house. This has been on my list of restaurants ever since I moved to NYC, and it did not disappoint. The staff was truly great as was the wine, which is to be expected.

What we Ordered ordered:

Pig Foot "Milanese" with Rice Beans and Arugula
Beef Cheek Ravioli with Crushed Squab Liver and Black Truffles  
Goose Liver Ravioli with Balsamic Vinegar and Brown Butter
Barbecued Squab with Roasted Beet "Farrotto" and Porcini Mustard
Fennel Dusted Sweetbreads with Sweet and Sour Onions, Duck Bacon and Membrillo Vinaigrette
Pork Belly (Off the menu, special of the night)

The Sweetbreads, the Beef Cheek Ravioli, and the  Pork belly were unbelievable! That's probably the order i'd say of what i liked the best, 1/2/3.

The pig foot was very good too, i didnt really care for the squab and beets. The goose liver ravioli was good, but balsamic was too strong.

Overall, fantastic dinner and would highly recommend eating at Babbo.

2/18/2013

So I came here with a few coworkers/chefs.. We sat at the bar and started off with a few drinks.. I ordered a disaronno with sprite and lime. It didn't take long to get it but it did taste like they used club soda which as we all no is hard to take in after a long week.. As we was just there for 10 min we was giving slices of bread with no oil or at lest olives or butter this just didn't feel right to have a drink made good or not with just bread. Now on to the food. Big menu that is always a plus nice to sit and read. think how things would go together.... 1st up we have the
( Grilled Octopus with "borlotti marinati" and spicy limoncello vinaigrette )
This was pretty good all around it was cooked just right melted as u would take each bite... I would eat this again and again as my coworkers said they loved at as well... Next up in line
Pig Foot "Milanese" with rice beans and arugula      
This was pretty good. I did like the pork and how they made it just didn't like the sides it wasn't as much as I felt it have each bite together.. Also I would have liked a little lemon on the pork but over all I would have it again.. Next up
Goose Liver Ravioli with balsamic vinegar and brown butter          
This item was almost the 1st thing I notice as I open the menu goose liver yummy and brown butter OMG. didn't like this one that much... All of us didn't really taste the brown butter.. To much bal-vin I felt did that to the whole dish and it seem the ravioli it self wasn't pinch well enough on the edges..., next up was the  
Fennel Dusted Sweetbreads with sweet and sour onions, duck bacon and membrillo vinaigrette      
I love sweetbreads as everyone that was with me does.. This dish was good but I felt could have have less items to make it over all a best on the menu.. The sweetbreads them self were clean pretty good and cooked good hit I don't like the fact that there was a crust that I felt didn't fast like fennel at all and was seating in 5oz of sauce,, the sauce should have been less or maybe turn into a glaze.. This over all turn the crusted sweetbreads to a little mush on the sides.. The flavors were all there but the lack of fennel and extra sauce didn't help the dish... Up next the Grilled Veal Chop with black trumpet mushrooms and truffle vinaigrette
This didn't come with trumpets it came with portobello mushrooms that didn't have any salt so they didn't fast well at all.. The veal it self was the talk of the night for us.. Most people feel MR is the way to go on anything that doesn't have to be cooked WD.. But little do people understand that veal chops should and always be cooked to MED its just a fact that MR doesn't go well for young cattle as people well say young should be more easy to eat MR due to the fact it's younger but it's the other way around... Younger the more tough the meat is as its less cooked.. We Had to send it back to have it cooked a little more.. But before we sent it back we notice it wasn't to cooked in both sides good. Maybe 80% on one side the flip to kiss on the other as this made it  a little burn on one side we all felt.. It did cost us 59 bucks for one as we ordered 2 and shared.... Dessert we didn't get to do we just didn't no what would come out of it, but they seem to be look great as I would see people eat them... Overall I wouldn't say it's a bad place but for the prices we sent it could have been better.. I also notice it's nice to eat at the bar there is space for u and ur friends but I didn't like how they let people stand behind you....this made people bump into people as they would eat...

1/7/2013

I had been trying to get a reservation here for a LONG time. It's such an exhausting procedure to call, wait on hold, make a reservation for a month later, etc. So finally after all this work of making the reservation, having to call to confirm etc, I get there. It's crammed to the rafters with people waiting to be seated. We were waiting for our table for like, 10 minutes and it was a sweaty mess trying to get our coats checked, then try to not stand in an area where 'traffic' wasn't so aggressive. We finally sit and order. Sommelier completely did not care to make selections when I told him our price range (not high). Apparently if you aren't ordering bottles $1k or higher you don't count. He was basically trying to shame me for wanting a bottle for 85bucks or cheaper. In fact, told me that a bottle for 45 dollars was basically a $10 bottle in a wine shop. Ok thanks. We order apps - I got the pig foot milanese. It was a fried 'something' - tasted of nothing but oil. It was so bad, I couldn't believe it. Then I had the gnocchi - I've had better at much cheaper places. Dessert was the warm apple crostata. A total snooze. I cannot believe what I was charged, how difficult it was to get in and then for NOTHING. I will never eat here again - I've eaten all over the world and top restaurants to hole in the wall joints...comparing price/effort to quality - babbo fails completely. Don't bother wasting your time or your money.

7/9/2012

I reserved this restaurant for my boyfriend's birthday. We got the coveted time slot of 7:15 PM (and I only reserved 20 days in advance instead of the recommended 30 days). His favorite cuisine is Italian, and what better place to go to than Babbo?

We came here for dinner and was seated upstairs. The ambiance was a lot quieter and less rowdy than downstairs, which I was thankful for. The server came out with a chickpeas bruschetta (compliments of the chef) and a slice of bread each - another worker came to our table and offered us olive oil as well (Funny, because I mentioned that I don't think this place recommends dipping bread into olive oil).

We started off with the Warm Lamb's Tongue Vinaigrette and Pig Foot "Milanese" (coincidentally, it's our waiter's favorite dish). The lamb's tongue was soft and delicious. I have no idea what they put in the sauce, but it was absolutely addicting. The pig's foot was fatty and so crispy. I can see why this is a favorite for many.

As for the primi, we ordered the Beef Cheek Ravioli and Black Spaghetti. I swear the walls have ears, because I was commenting how I love bacon; and behold, our Black Spaghetti dish came out with loads and loads of the salami (it was overpowering). If you ever had soondae (Korean blood sausage) before, this definitely tastes like it. The texture of the pasta was interesting, kind of like rubber. Not my cup of tea. The Beef Cheek Ravioli was good however. It was definitely my favorite dish so far.

Then we had the Fennel Dusted Sweetbreads. We couldn't finish it. I didn't like it at all. It was soggy and salty. The texture of it was like gluten. The table next to us had the Grilled Pork Chop, and I wish I ordered that. It looked heavenly.

For dessert, we had espresso and a rosemary olive oil cake with olive oil gelato. I don't think this was on the menu. I actually asked our waiter what he recommended, and he told us about this. He even wrote "Happy Birthday" on the plate and added a candle. It was absolutely divine. After we were done, we were given complimentary cookies.

Other than the Sweetbreads and Black Spaghetti, everything else was perfect.

5/15/2012

My other favorite restaurant in NYC (Ippudo is the other one).

My family was here and I think we ordered more than we expected. We were too excited. But their portions are not overwhelming so that's a positive note).

Of all the things that we ordered, what really stood out are:

- Pig Foot "Milanese" with Rice Beans and Arugula (the BEST. My sister said this is her favorite).

- Maccheroni alla Chitarra with Oven Dried Tomatoes, Red Chiles and Bottarga di Muggine (it reminded me of Sardinia and my first bottarga in the US. Another topnotch).

- Grilled Pork Chop with Cherry Peppers, Cipolline and Aceto Manodori (I think one of the best or best pork chop that I've tried).

- Assortment of Gelati and Sorbetti. (I'm not really a dessert person but if you order one, make sure to order this. It has 12 scoops I think  with different flavors. It's a conversation piece).

We wished we should have not ordered:

- Whole Grilled Branzino with Cauliflower, Olives and Lemon Oregano Jam (BLAH)

Other observations:

- Make a reservation as soon as possible.
- I was expecting it to be expensive but it's actually very reasonable.