Our Food Awards judges Krystal Chong and Lasse Hamre ready themselves to be seated at BABBO …

BABBO. Holy Mother of God, what a place!

You know, there is really just something intangibly special about Babbo. Perhaps it’s Mario Batali. I ran into him when we were having drinks at the Maritime Hotel the night of Tao (he was in the kitchen for the soft opening of his new restaurant, La Sirena). He had come out for a second to greet some guests and was in full Batali mode – wearing a worn, food-stained apron, orange shorts, orange crocs, his hair pulled back in his famous pony. How freaking adorable! And can I say, the man’s energy is electric! It literally pulled me to his restaurant – I was like, “Must… Eat… Batali… Next.” I couldn’t get a reservation in time at La Sirena, so I did the next best thing. Babbo, his flagship spot opened since 1998, allows early drop-ins.

The night of this dining experience, you arrive at Washington Square Park which in itself has such a mellow yet alive energy. I’ve seen a pianist, in a hoodie, wickedly playing his grand piano in the middle of the park, with hippies blowing six-foot tall bubbles nearby. It’s that type of vibe: down-to-earth, but rich with life. But then as you approach the park, there is something glorious about the Washington Square Memorial Arc as it comes into view. It reminds me of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris; it exudes absolute grandeur! It was erected in 1890 to commemorate the inauguration of George Washington, America’s first president. It sort of forces you to pause for a moment and remember how important history is for wherever you are in your life. This sort of calm, reflective mood really sets the stage for Babbo. I feel this is why they chose this particular location.

Taking that all in, a few steps west of the park, you arrive immediately at the entrance. It’s small, quaint and unassuming, but filled with charm and character. Then, as if things couldn’t get any better, you open the doors to the restaurant and you immediately happen upon a thick, dark purple, velvet curtain. You begin to hear music that feels easy inside, but like a child in a candy store, quickly you swim through the curtains to emerge into this spectacular one-of-a-kind atmosphere – so very theatrical! And I do love some good ole’ theatrics!

I smiled and had such an easy heart as I immediately recognised the music. They’re playing reggae, but specifically, Bob Marley – amazing feeling. I look around, and I’m surrounded by a crowd with such a peacefully upbeat energy – just like Bob’s music. People are dressed casually. You can tell they took the time to get dressed up, but made a point not to look pretentious. The maître d’ shuffles through the crowd waiting for tables to find and greet us. He is an older man who commands confidence and a presence as if this is his home. It makes you feel that warm, Italian, family-friendly vibe. What a great place, energetically, to be in to enjoy a meal.

We were walk-ins, so we were seated in the area reserved for people without reservations. It amazes me that you can’t get a reservation for two weeks out, for a place that has been open almost 20 years. They’re doing something right! Let’s talk about what that is!

AMBIENCE/ATMOSPHERE: 5 freaking stars. Babbo is not fancy. Babbo has no fanfare. Glitzy? Glammy? Zilch. But Babbo’s got style for days. It’s something you feel, not something you can see. Which, to me, is one of the hardest things to replicate. It’s a collection of all these small details I mentioned and more; the significance of the area, the vibe of the neighbourhood, the down-to-earth décor, the genuine hospitality, the theatrics! I think their music selection is a good way to summarise this mysterious Babbo energy. It’s Marley-esque. As hard as that is to achieve, it is! Bravo. Bravo, Babbo!!

CREATIVITY: 5 stars! A tasting menu is not something unique to Babbo. But it is, however, something unusual for this island girl, so I really revel in it when I get the chance. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed the concept of a tasting menu in Jamaica (except for that one time when Nobu came to Strawberry Hill). And, my gosh! A great tasting menu is to an amazing restaurant experience what salt fish is to ackee! It’s like a johnny cake for bulli-beef! It pushes something fantastic even more over the edge! And then it’s, like, BOOM! Lasse described it best when he was deep in seventh-plate-tasting-menu euphoria: “This is like going to a really good show!” That’s exactly what it’s like! You sit back, and take it all in. It’s such an extensive, three-to-four-hour-long food experience curated to perfection, and there’s nothing for you to do but enjoy, anticipate the next, enjoy, anticipate the next, and on and on!

So back to Babbo. We chose the pasta tasting menu with wine pairings. As far as creativity goes, they stay true to the Italian style of keeping it simple but getting those few key elements so, so right. Then they up it one notch by adding something unique. For example, some of my favourites from their dinner menu include beef cheek ravioli with crushed squab liver and black truffles or the deconstructed osso bucco (an italian dish containing veal shank and marrow stewed in wine) with saffron orzo cavolo nero and chestnut gremolata. From the pasta tastings, Lasse and I both thought the Casunzei with poppy seeds was very unusual, where the beets (the filling in this delicate-style ravioli) tasted like a smoked fish. Jarring at first, but after two bites you’re hooked. Acquired taste of pasta? Who knew!

The cherry on the cake for creativity came from the wine pairings. Babbo notes that “the wine list represents one of the most extensive and intelligent collections in the city and indeed the country”, and I’m no Chris Reckord, but indeed I’d agree! I really enjoyed the story and detail behind each wine the sommelier Mr Escobar gave.

For instance, before presentation of the second course, he appeared, bottle in hand, and began in his thick accent, “The second wine is the Edi Keber Collio Bianco, a terroir-driven blend from the most important varietals of the denomination (Tocai Friulano 70%, 15% Ribolla Gialla, 15% Mavasia Istriana). A focused and harmonious white with strong minerality, fresh bright tree and tropical fruit with medium acidity. The weight creates texture, as the acid highlights cheese flavours, while the aromatics accentuate spice and the minerality works well with the sweetness of the beets. The six-month cement aging allows gradual temperature control while the thousands of air vesicles allow subtle maturity and produce soulful terroir-driven wines, as they preserve natural characteristics of the varietal including minerality.” Bellissimo! (Insert Italian hand gesture here).

PRESENTATION: 4 stars. Well, it’s not that easy to make pasta look good! And maybe I’m just drinking the Batali Kool-Aid, but I think they did a fantastic job!

FOOD: 5 stars. If you love Italian, you will go berserk. And if you don’t love Italian, this place will melt your cold, cold heart. This little story sums up the food experience: Lasse took his first bite of the Tagliatelle with Parsnips and Castelmagno, and he had to put his fork down, sit back in his chair, and sit there quietly smiling and beaming. I ate that entire dish in total silence, so you KNOW!

SERVICE: 5 stars. The wait staff is well-trained and service was excellent. I think a bonus for them is that each of their servers, while on top of their game, had a very down-to-earth presence about them that made you feel at home.

PRICE: 4 stars. So let’s be real. It wasn’t cheap. The tasting menu was $95 pp, and you have the option of $75 pp wine pairings or the $115 pp reserva selection wine pairings. BUT! Ordering off the menu is much more reasonable, $13-$19 for aps, $20- $40 for mains with some exceptions. And that’s really not bad for what you get. I think it’s nice you can go and choose which experience you would like to have for various types of budgets. And while the tasting and wine-pairing option was more expensive, as Lasse said: you’re not paying for a meal; you’re paying for a show. Interesting side note: the restaurant has a cookbook, where you can get the full recipe to make everything on the menu! That’s some culinary security right there!

OVERALL: 5 stars. A sophisticated yet down-to-earth place! A hearty yet totally gourmet meal! Italian at its best! I cannot imagine a single soul who would be disappointed with the food. A very cool spot. One of my favourites.

Babbo

110 Waverly Place

New York,

NY 10011

Telephone: 1212 777 0303

Reservations: opentable.com