188454 Fri Oct 30 22:50:48 -0800 1998 16 18 Manhattan 0 1006169 Have any chowhounds survived the strict reservation protacol at Babbo and happily dined there? Is it as good as I've heard?? What do you recommend? Thanks ! ( I love this list !) Fri Oct 30 22:50:48 -0800 1998 0 Caroline 1 1006170 I survived . But I didn't have to make the reservations. I was taken by someone who had a tough time getting a reservation. But once we were there, he was recognized because much of the front of the place used to work at Gramercy Tavern, and my friend was a regular there for business meals. We shared the pasta tasting menu. Some of it was very good, some of it was indifferent. I'd feel like I'd need another meal or two before I could really evaluate the quality of the kitchen. There was absolutely no attitude once you are seated, by the way -- the service was friendly and professional. But so far, I'm not quite sure what all the fuss is about. DF Fri Oct 30 23:31:18 -0800 1998 1006169 0 Dave Feldman 2 1006173 I'm a little biased. we're friends with the owners, so reservations not a problem. we've eaten there 3 times since the opening. last time with a group of eight. food has always been very good, fresh,innovative, with good service, good atmosphere. Sat Oct 31 14:54:00 -0800 1998 1006170 0 stephen kaye 3 1006180 Great food, great place, great prices but would somebody tell them to get rid of that Joey Heatherton sound-alike on their "hold" lin Wed Nov 04 10:04:09 -0800 1998 1006173 0 amy tarshis 4 1006188 Would anyone be able to give me the address for Babbo? It sounds wonderful -- I'd love to try it. Fri Nov 06 09:17:29 -0800 1998 1006180 0 gail 5 1006189 It's at 110 Waverly Place between McDougal and 6th. Not to imply that I know so much about New York restaurants! I very much recommend to you newyork.sidewalk.com for information on almost restaurant you may have heard of. You can access a map, $ signs denoting how much you can expect to pay and a review of the place. I went to Babbo in October and it was wonderful. Fri Nov 06 09:58:34 -0800 1998 1006188 0 Pat Hammnd 6 1006407 i have been to numerous restaurants throughtout the world......and most recently covered many of the hot places in the U.K.....which was soon to rival our town as far as restaurants are concerned, but we can now rest easy Babbo, has blown them away....Bravo Mario! Mon Jan 04 10:59:22 -0800 1999 1006189 0 michael de gennaro 3 1006264 yea, but how fair is that? the rest of us poor slobs have to wait on hold for, like an eternity just to find out we can have dinner a month from now at 11:30 -- and you get to waltz in because you're friends of the owners. That actually puts me off the place Fri Nov 20 10:19:20 -0800 1998 1006173 0 annie 4 1006267 I often go to Home, which is right across the street from Po. I look at the lines and the Zagat's ratings (which are comparable) and listen to how hard it is to get in and wonder why anyone would bother. At home I can almost always get a reservation when I want it, they always seat us right away, sometimes even without a reservation and the food is fabulous. (Note for Dave Feldman, the Calvin Trillin fan: I did see him eating there once - that's a good enough endorsement for me!) The bread is always wonderful. The last time we went there the special appetizer was juicy, flavorful quail, marinated with just enough rosemary on a bed of warm mizuna and yellow fingerling potatoes dressed with cider vinegar. Wow! If I'd known they were so delicious I would have just had a double as my main course. One of their signature dishes is butterey mashed sweet potatoes with just enough chipotle to cut the richness. Food is always fresh, dishes inventive. Waitstaff is always courteous and friendly without being invasively familiar. I can't recommend it highly enough. Why bother with Po or Babbo? Fri Nov 20 21:19:44 -0800 1998 1006264 0 Barb H. 5 1006268 I'm not *quite* as enthusiastic about Home as you, but basically I agree with you. I'm going to Babbo on Tuesday and we'll see if it's worth the wait. By the way, I was a beneficiary of a 5:30 seating. DF Sat Nov 21 01:55:22 -0800 1998 1006267 0 Dave Feldman 1 1006175 My daughter made reservations 2 days short of their one month (so she'd heard) requirement. We had six in our party and got reservations for six o'clock. My New York family thought that was early but it was fine by me. We all loved the place, the service and the food. I hope to go again when I'm in town. Mon Nov 02 09:49:59 -0800 1998 1006169 0 pat hammond 1 1006176 i'm tempted not to share this info due to fear of overcrowding, but i will anyway - babbo has a bar area with 4 or 5 tables which are given to diners strictly on a first-come, first-served basis. no reservations required, and usually not too too long a wait (30-40 minutes). you can also eat at the bar itself from the full menu. the food is really great -- and the breadsticks at the bar are out of this world. Mon Nov 02 10:39:53 -0800 1998 1006169 0 joelt 1 1006178 Before Babbo was given the coveted three star seal of approval, as well as numerous other accolades by various publications, I dined at Babbo about once a week. Now it is nearly impossible to get a reservation. And no, I don't want to eat at 5 or 11:30 (does anybody?). But it really is a great restaurant - food, service, setting, price (very reasonable) - it has it all. The polenta with grilled mushrooms is a great starter, as is the salad with blood orange vinagerette. All the entrees that I have sampled have been great. The pastas are among the best I have had in NYC. The bucotini with baby octopus is phenomenal, as is spaghetti with lobster, tomato and sweet corn (more of a summer dish), the gnocci with proscuitto and tomatos, and the mint "love letters." I liked, but did not love, the spaghetti served in with a "hundred tomato" sauce (or something like that). It was a bit too sweet and thick for my tastes. If you like steak, don't miss the thick cut florentine grilled steak. Incredibly flavorful, and the side of spinach is incredible. The deserts are also excellent. Wow, I miss the place. Mon Nov 02 12:52:11 -0800 1998 1006169 0 Alex 2 1006192 We went to Babbo on August 15, about a week and a half before "the review". It was great. Mario was workin' the room. The food was, well, perfect. I'm so glad we went back then. Sounds like a nightmare now. Well when something's that good, it's hard to keep a lid on it. Sat Nov 07 12:40:41 -0800 1998 1006178 0 Melisande 1 1006179 I can second the vote of confidence for the food at Babbo. It's some of the best Italian cuisine I've ever had the pleasure of sampling. I can also confirm that it's a simple matter to get a seat in the bar area just about any time. As for service, I can agree that it's technically proficient but I've been on the receiving end of some attitude problems. I've also had reservations problems, such as being kept waiting nearly an hour for a table without an apology or even an acknowledgement of a problem. And I've heard similar tales from several other people, although apparently none of you all. Tue Nov 03 03:05:31 -0800 1998 1006169 0 Steven Shaw 2 1006263 I'm sorry to hear there were reservation problems at another of Mario Batali's restaurants. I've never experienced rudeness (or was it sheer stupidity/lack of customer service skills?) like I did at Po a few weeks back. Sure the food's good, but it ain't worth being made to wait and then made to feel bad when you inquired after your table...Sigh. We shouldn't let restaurants do that... Fri Nov 20 10:16:07 -0800 1998 1006179 0 missy 1 1006270 Back from Babbo..yes, definitely worth the wait....the tuna encrusted with potato on a bed of greens was FABULOUS but the squab ordered by another at our table was a bit rubbery..lengthy wine list ( all prices) and our waiter (with a slightly affected attitude) recommended a wonderful red wine called San Leonardo which was a blend of Carbernet & Merlot..the upstairs dining room is more sedate and the downstairs more hectic......enjoy,enjoy! Sat Nov 21 23:58:00 -0800 1998 1006169 0 Caroline