First time at Babbo

[lastingly]

I'm heading to Babbo next Friday for a dinner with three friends. Can't wait. I know there are tons of posts on Babbo, but I have to ask if anyone has reccomendations for what we shouldn't miss?

Thanks!

[lastingly]

Any thoughts on the sweetbreads?

[foodie4life]

I adored the sweet breads. They were perfectly cooked and lightly dusted with the fennel. Not too rich, just right.

[lastingly]

I'm going with three friends but have a suspicion they won't be sharing in an order of sweetbreads, sigh. Is the serving just too much for one person?

[Lucia]

Sweetbreads are definitely worth trying. They're a generous, not huge, entree-sized portion. I was able to finish them off on my own.

[jcd]

it was a generous, though managable, portion for one. the sauce and the duck bacon are excellent, and your friends may want to try them. they were some of the best sweetbreads i've ever had.

[lastingly]

Would you reccomend ordering them if, as a table of course, we are going to have the pasta tasting course?

[foodie4life]

The sweetbreads are generous but it is a single sized portion. Definitely worth sampling with the pasta tasting course. If your friends aren't game for the sweetbreads- just polish them off yourself!

[jcd]

my favorites, after sampling a decent portion of the menu, are: lamb's tongue vinagrette and octupus for antipasti, goose liver or beef cheek ravioli for pastas (the love letters are good, but these are better), and the pork chop, sweetbreads, or calamari entrees. deserts are always supurb as well. enjoy!

[funkymonkey]

the gnocchi is absolutely, undeniably, overwhelmingly to-die for.

[winebitch]

BEST octopus in town.....perhaps the world.
mint love letters, and pumpkin lune are terrific.
really, you can't go very wrong, whatever leaves you salivating is what you should order.

the pastry chef is ridiculously great! if they still have the rosemary cake on the menu, its delightful. savory + sweet :)

[maxine]

Be adventuorous! A few months ago I went with a bunch of friends. I ordered the beefcheek ravioli which was phenomonal. I think my friends ordered the park chop and a pasta with tomato sauce or something like that, and they were all completey underwhelmed and dissapointed. It is just not worth eating there if you are not going to try the signature dishes or the pasta tasting menu.

All of our appitzers were very good though, I especially liked the beet salad and the charred octopus.

[foodie4life]

I had my first Babbo experience (finally) last night for Mother's Day and it was wonderful. I second Maxine, be adventurous! The lamb's tongue appetizer is out of this world- skip the pig's foot milanese if you're looking for something crazy, I found it bland. We sampled 4 pastas and though I loved the mint love letters and beef cheek ravioli that everyone recommends, I found the gargenelli with funghi to be even more incredible. Everyone was pleased with their entrees: branzino, lamb, guinea hen, and sweetbreads for me. You really cannot go wrong. Make sure you all order different things so you can try as much as possible!

[centrejack]

I was there Easter Sunday and the garganelli and the pork chop were the favorites at our table. I had a lamb special that was fantastic, but really really rich. I was really looking forward to the love letters and was incredibly disappointed. Everyone has been raving about them for so long, but no one at my table liked them. They were all mint with no lamb - they had no balance, and were the only disappointing thing we ate. I wish we had gone with the beef cheek ravioli. Oh well next time.

[Kanger]

I'm with you--I don't care for the mint love letters, at least compared to all the other spectacular pastas.

[foodie4life]

Yes I found the mint to be really out of place!

[mandmbklyn]

My favorites: mint love letters with spicy lamb sausage and the pumpkin lune...YUM! Also, every dessert special I've had there has been fantastic.

[bac528]

First of all , the wine list can be overwhelming and can jack the bill up tenfold so beware...dring the Vespa Bastianich, a super white...as for food, the pasta tasting is superb but must be done by the entire table...if you don't opt to do that, you must have the branzino with the lemon marmalade or the delicious lamb chops!!!!