Lupa

Lupa seemed liked the perfect place for a Tuesday night birthday celebration with family, especially because the weather was inclement - no surprise there this winter! - and it's right around the corner from us.

A Batali joint around the corner that we hadn't tried in the five months of living circa Thompson Street? We know. We're disappointed with ourselves too.

On a "side street" in Greenwich Village, Lupa looks low key from the outside but once you enter, it has a busy, crowded feel that's amplified by the hordes of people waiting for tables. For the most part, this frantic feel disappears when you sit down at your table. We were seated in the front room by the bar but they also have a dining room in the back that is probably a bit more relaxed and would make for a more intimate dining experience.

The loaf of bread lightly sprinkled with rosemary & sea salt was served alongside a tasty bowl of olive oil. The perfect way to get your guests into an Italian mood. We started with two bottles of wine - a red & a white.

We shared a few appetizers for the table: marinated olives, beets w/ pistachios, brussels sprouts w/ apples, & squash w/ hazelnuts. Sharing apps for the table is definitely the move at Lupa since they are served in well-portioned (not too big, not too small - a theme for the meal) bowls in the middle of the table. This allowed everyone to sample each app & then go back for seconds. Aside from the olives, the 3 "star" veggies were a major hit at the table - they tasted fresh and were complemented by flavors and textures that worked very well together.

Spaghetti Carbonara, Ricotta Gnocchi, Chicken alla Diavola, & Arctic Char with Cauliflower & Meyer Lemon: it was an all-star line-up of Italian dishes. The first thing we noticed was that the portions were not very large. I guess Italians don't like to eat a lot. Hmmm.... that's not true. Maybe it's just a Lupa thing - they want you to go with three courses.

However, the chefs at Lupa do a phenomenal job of packing a ton of flavor into their smaller-sized dishes. There were a few "ooohs" & "ahhs," a "you have to try this," and by the time we cleaned up our plates, everyone was quite satisfied. I would be remiss to say that this was the best Italian we've ever had. Jess' dad & I both agreed that we'd had better versions of our dishes elsewhere - Carbonara & Gnocchi. I will say that having a smaller portion made you appreciate each bite that much more. There's something to be said for that. And, the smaller portions turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as we had enough room for dessert, which is usually not the case after eating a bowl of gnocchi or carbonara.

Despite pleading, Jess was faced with the b-day candle attention she tried desperately to avoid.

The Tartufo & dates with mascarpone provided the perfect sweet-tooth satisfaction after a fun-filled and tasty Italian meal. For a nice dinner out, Lupa doesn't break the bank and with a diverse menu filled with attractive options, we'll definitely be back.

Check it out yourselves and let us know what you think... just make sure you make your reservation 30 days out as it's tough to get a table.

Babbo

We had a month to look forward to Babbo, since you need to call exactly a month in advance (by calendar day) to get reservations there. Now, Babbo is spoken of as one of the best Italian restaurants in the city and is known to be Mario Batali's best and favorite spot...and it shows. From the moment you walk into Babbo, you get the sense that everyone there feels lucky to be there. It's elegant & upscale, without being stuffy. We happened to eat there on a night that Mario himself was in the kitchen, albeit earlier that evening, before we got there.

They start you off with a small bite - we got chickpea and olive bruschetta. From there, there are several ways you can go:

-Tasting Menu: there are two - one is all pasta and one isn't. You can add along wine pairings for an extra $50/person. While we heard this was a great way to go and our waiter suggested it, he also mentioned that it's A LOT of food and Babbo doesn't skimp on their portion sizes, so we decided to not leave feeling like pigs.

-Share antipasta/pasta/main courses: You can split any combination of the three courses, since all the plates are huge and share-able.

-Share pasta/separate main courses: This is the way we went, detailed below...

We went with a bottle of white wine ($35) and ordered the Black Spaghetti with Rock Shrimp, Spicy Salami Calabrese and Green Chiles. Oh boy! Every bite was perfection - the chiles added just enough kick but didn't make it too spicy. There could have been more shrimp, but that didn't even matter because the pasta was that good.

For my entree, I got the Soft Shell Crab special with Polenta and Favas and I was slightly underwhelmed. The crab meat under the fried exterior didn't taste up to par with the rest of the meal. Also, the polenta lacked flavor and overall, I was expecting more.

Eric got the Grilled Pork Chop with Cherry Peppers, Cipolline and Aceto Manodori. It's a large portion of 2 chops, and can easily be split. After serving, they pour an aged balsamic vinegar on top. This "topping" really adds an extra dimension & in my opinion, it brings the whole dish to life. The chop is now oozing with flavor. It was cooked in such a way that the closer you got to the bone, the more rare it became (but never too rare) and the more & more flavorful it tasted. Of course, combining a bite of the crispy exterior & the rare interior is what it's all about.


For dessert, we shared the Banana Walnut Olive Oil Cake with Banana Yogurt Gelato and Creamy Caramel which was a delicious way to end the meal. Since having Mario's Olive Oil Gelato at Otto, we knew that he knew exactly what to do with Olive Oil in a dessert. We washed that down with a glass of Moscato which was a perfect accompanying drink!

We will definitely be back to Babbo - if not only for Jess to order an entree that she will love just as much as the dining experience and other bites she had. It's truly a special experience and is great for special occasions... like the 4 year anniversary we celebrated!!