Pasta Tasting Menu - Babbo/Others?

[yankeefan]

I am looking to plan a birthday dinner for my wife who is a huge fan of pasta, not always too adventurous foodwise, and not a carnivore. I have heard about a tasting menu at Babbo that sounds intriguing and was wondering if that would be worthwhile? Also- does anyone know of any other pasta tasting menus in the city that would be strongly recommended. It seems reasonable at Babbo but didnt know if it would fill me up.

I am not a tasting menu expert, only had a couple, and each time the whole table got the same. May sound naive, but do her and I have to order the same or can I order the regular tasting menu? Thanks for any help.

[peregrination0]

How in the world is one supposed to get a reservation at Babbo anyway? And any pointers as to whether to go the pasta route or the trad. route?

[LeahBaila]

www.tablexchange.com

[jenniebnyc]

the first time i went i did the pasta tasting. now i just order straight off the menu. if you are a picky eater stick with ala carte. although, they will allow you to substitute on the tasting menu if you ask nicely and it fits into the rest of the tasting.

[ESNY]

No secret. Just need to call 30 days before your desired date. Be persistent from 10am on and you should be able to get a reservation.

[HungryRubia]

Agreed...I started calling at 10:01 and had my reservation finalized by 10:10.

[kobetobiko]

Agree with the rest of the hounds that Babbo's pasta tasting menu is totally worth it. It will definitely very filling and I usually end up not able to even finish some dishes and need to give them to my companion (very reluctantly)

[ESNY]

It is a very filling tasting menu but if your wife is not a carnivore, then Babbo is definitely the wrong place to go. Practically every dish, both on the tasting menu and a la carte menu has meat in it, most of it pork.

[foodczar]

hi ,go to becco ,owned by marios mother for the prix fix all yo can eat pasta and an app for 21.50 ,great deal in the theatre district.

[jenniebnyc]

Becco is not even a far second or third in comaprison to Babbo. And correcction to above poster: it's Joseph's mother not Mario's mother who owns Becco with her son. .....Bastianich.

If you can't score Babbo my choices would be L'Impero, Sfoglia, Spigolo and Lupa.

[elizabeththinks]

If for some reason Babbo ends up being unattainable, Barbone has a pasta tasting menu as well. I had a lovely meal there!

[HungryRubia]

I had dinner at Babbo for my birthday last year and we had the Traditional Tasting Menu, but the Pasta Menu looked out of this world too.
Keep in mind two things about Babbo:
1. You must make a reservation a month in advance and they only start taking reservations a full calendar month before the day you want to go. I know people who have managed to score a walk-in, but with a special occasion, I wouldn't recommend it.
2. Their tasting menus require the particiaption of the entire table.

Oh and the portions were perfect. Our menu was 8 courses and we did the paired wines and although each course was much smaller than an entree on the a la carte menu, it was more than enough food. My hubby is 6'2"/225lbs and regularly eats me out of house and home, and we could barely walk after the meal.

If you choose Babbo, you will not be disappointed.