In one of my earliest posts on March 23, 2006, I wrote of Babbo, the restaurant of celebrity chef Mario Batali, and my pending reservation for April 22 of that year for myself and family (who were coming in from out of state). Unfortunately, that and two other reservations were canceled for a variety of unavoidable circumstances, including a hurricane and a blizzard. So it was with great anticipation that last night, my family, a friend, and I finally did get to eat at the famed establishment. One of the hallmarks of a good restaurant is service, of course, and our waiter immediately put us at ease by anticipating questions regarding menu structure and options regarding antipasti, primi, and secondi. He translated any problematic menu item words and proposed a number of sharing ideas, along with specific recommendations.

We found Babbo a fun place, not stuffy in the least, which can frequently be the case with restaurants of this caliber. The place was packed, even at 6PM – normally a quiet time at such an early hour for NYC weekend dining. The food was excellent with many exotic touches (see their menu here). In addition to the waiter, our table was serviced by a large crew of individuals who made serving and busing a very quick and painless process. We give the food and service a very high rating. Click here for a New York Times review. And no, we did not see Mario. However, I have met him twice before – sitting on the steps of a townhouse across the street on a summer evening, taking a break from the kitchen with a glass of wine, chatting…