Babbo - NYC

THE PLACE

Babbo is one of those places that you'll always remember.  A quaint little spot in Greenwich Village that serves amazing Italian food.  But also has rock music which blares throughout the restaurant.  Interesting to say the least.

Babbo is the creation of Mario Batali, an Iron Chef and one of Food Network's mega-stars. However, this fame comes with a price for potential diners.  Getting reservations is TOUGH! 

I had read that in order to secure a spot, you had to call 30 days in advance, to the day.  No internet reservations and one telephone number.  So I calendared 30 days out and called when they opened their reservation line, at 10 a.m., on the dot.  Busy.  Dang.  Hang up.  Redial.  Busy.  Hang up.  Redial.  After 75 calls (no, this isn't an exaggeration) and 45 minutes, I finally got through.  "We can get you in at 5:15 or 9:00."  I guess we'll go with the 9:00.

THE FOOD

Everyone that I talked to beforehand that had eaten at Babbo said, "GET THE PASTA TASTING".  So we did.  8 courses consisting of pasta, an intermezzo and desserts. Needless to say, it was a LOT of food.  I won't go into detail but everything was superb.  My favorite was the Agnolotti al Pomodoro, which are these bag shaped pasta which were stuffed with tender meat.  I also really enjoyed the Garganelli with "Funghi Trifolati".  Trifolati means "prepared like a truffle," that is, cooked with garlic and parsley in olive oil.  The "Tipo Romano Frito" was ricotta cheese, rolled in fine bread crumbs and pan seared.  It was a nice intermezzo between the heavier pasta dishes and the desserts.

Black Tagliatelle with Peas and Castelmagno

"Casunzei" with Poppy Seeds

Garganelli with "Funghi Trifolati"

Agnolotti al Pomodoro

Pappardelle Bolognese

"Tipo Romano Fritto con Uvette"

Chocolate "al Diavolo"

Olive Oil Rosemary Cake with Olive Oil Gelato

THE VERDICT

Don't visit Babbo expecting to dine by candlelight in a dimly lit room.  Yes this place is quaint but it's loud.  And add in some rock music and it's really loud.  I swear the music got louder as the night progressed. While it wasn't off-putting, it was a little odd.  Also don't expect to make it a quick meal.  Our dinner lasted about 3 hours and 15 minutes. 

The meal itself was wonderful and the service was top notch.  I could hardly get two drinks of my wine before the server was filling my wine glass again.  Overall, Babbo was exactly what I would expect from an Iron Chef.  If you're in NYC, give it a  try, if you can get reservations.

Food: 9/10
Atmosphere: 7/10

Service: 10/10

Babbo
110 Waverly Place
New York, New York
212.777.0303
http://www.babbonyc.com/ 

Hickok's Southwest Bar and Grill

THE PLACE

Wild Bill Hickok.  A gunfighter and lawman who embodied the the old west and settled in what is now Lenexa, Kansas.

Hickok's Southwest Bar and Grill.  A southwestern restaurant and maybe Kansas City's best kept secret and settled in what is now the River Market.

While Hickok's may have a bit of multiple personality disorder (serving ahi tuna nachos, spare ribs and tacos), their food is on point.

THE FOOD 

Let's talk about the salsa for a second.  The menu boasts that they have the "best chips and salsa on the planet".  I haven't tried every chip and salsa combo on the planet so I can't confirm nor deny.  However, they have a pretty good argument.  This homemade salsa has a smoky flavor that dares you to stop eating.

The first time we tried Hickok's, we ordered the Goat Cheese-Chorizo Fondue and the Three Amigos Burrito. 

Typically, you don't think of goat cheese as one which you'd make a fondue.  And maybe it wasn't a fondue in the technical sense but it sure was tasty.  Warm, melted goat cheese mixed with spicy chorizo and warm tortillas made this a hit appetizer. We struggled not ordering this again on our second visit.

The Three Amigos Burrito is mammoth. A warm tortilla filled with pulled pork, ground beef, red chili chicken, onions and peppers.  Topped with espinaca.  Sound good?  It is. Really good.

On our most recent visit, we ordered the Seared Ahi Nachos as an appetizer. 

I know what you're thinking.  I had the same thoughts. What mexican or southwest joint serves Ahi Tuna? This one. These are pretty flavorful and aren't too filling, which is a good thing since you'll get your fill of chips and salsa. Best salsa on the planet, remember?

For our entrees, we ordered the Carnitas tacos and Bill's Shrimp Enchiladas.  I'm a sucker for pulled pork so when you put pulled pork, pepper jack cheese, carmelized onions and roasted peppers in between a tortilla, I'm a happy man.  They didn't disappoint either.  One thing that I noticed was the consistency of the tortilla.  It almost looks like a corn tortilla but is thicker, almost like a pancake and has a sweet taste.  4 for 4 on the dishes so far.

Bill's Shrimp Enchiladas were also great.  Red chili shrimp and jalepeno queso stuffed inside those sweet tortillas.  Topped with a spinach-chipotle hollandaise sauce.  Yes, I said hollandaise.  Usually reserved for Eggs Benedict, the hollandaise was a nice surprise though I think I could have used a bit more spice to cut the sweetness of the tortillas.  Overall, however, it was another good dish.

THE VERDICT

I don't think a lot of people know about this place yet.  It's in the old "Dos Hombres" location in River Market, which probably doesn't get as much traffic as it should.  However, this place is a gem.  It may have a bit of an identity complex but you can tell the food is made with passion.  If I could give Wild Bill Hickok some advice, I'd tell him to settle closer to River Market so he could make routine stops at this place.

Food: 8 out of 10

Atmosphere: 7 out of 10

Service: 7 out of 10

Hickok's Southwest Bar and Grill

528 Walnut

Kansas City, Missouri 64106

816.472.0161

http://www.hickoksgrill.com/