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!!

Primehouse (Brunch)

One of the many reasons why I love living in New York City is that you can discover that a steakhouse in Murray Hill owned by BR Guest Restaurants is secretly home to one of the best brunch deals in all of the 5 boroughs. Who knew?!?

For the price of your brunch entree ($9-$17), you get the following complimentary: Bloody Mary, Screwdriver, Bellini, Mimosa, Campari, Champagne, Orange Juice or Grapefruit Juice AND Coffee or Tea. Plus, a bread basket served when you sit down that is unbelievable! With soft, whipped butter this is one of the best baskets I've had in the city. Raisin bread + what tasted like a bannana-cranberry bread that was more like a dessert.

We each got the farmer's market omelet ($12) with egg whites, market vegetatbles, low fat muenster cheese, and two slices of turkey bacon. The last time we came it was served with a healthy portion of delicious "old school" home fries. This time, it was served with two skewers of fresh fruit. I guess it depends on the season... genius!

The omelet is stuffed with loads of vegetables (tomato, zucchini, asparagus, spinach, & more) and is a very good healthy & hearty way to start off your day. Primehouse also offers a dozen other brunch options that look great if this omelet doesn't tickle your fancy.

What also makes Primehouse such a great brunch option is that the service is impeccable. The entire wait staff was attentive & on top of their game, without being pushy at all. We loved it, and we think you will too!

Check 'em out at http://www.brguestrestaurants.com/restaurants/primehouse_new_york/index.php

Luzzo's

We have been meaning to try Luzzo's in the East Village for quite some time now as one of our close friends recommended their truffle oil pizza. The combo sounds amazing, and with a reco taboot, we'd be foolish not to see what it was all about.

On a Friday night at around 8:30 we got seated immediately, and were quickly asked what we wanted to drink. This would become a theme of the evening. White wine sangria for me, and white wine for Jess. A few moments later, we were asked to place our order.

Less than one minute later, they served our appetizer... We split their arugula salad with walnuts, tomatoes, goat cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette. It was good, and if you like that type of salad, you'll like this one. 

We were just finishing up our salads when they brought our main course, a large "Tartufata" pie (tomato sauce, mozzarella, truffle pate, & basil - $23).

It was phenomenal & we finished every last bite! We fully understand why our friend was pushing us so hard to try it. It's thin crust, has great flavor with the tomato sauce, cheese, & truffle oil. Plus, the truffle oil gives off a pungent aroma that you wish you could put into a bottle & whip out anytime. Their showing on the pizza front was quite strong! Delicious!

Our only complaints from this meal would be that the service is wayyyyy tooooo pushy. At no point do they ever let you breathe. There was nobody waiting for a table & they were trying to get us out of there as soon as we sat down. They need to chill out a bit and let people enjoy their time at the restaurant. We also would have loved to see a few more basil leaves on the pie. Alas, no place is perfect, and their pizza is good enough that it's worth dealing with these hiccups.

Luzzo's doesn't have a website that we can link to, but it's on 1st Ave between 12th & 13th, and their number is 212-473-7447. We suggest you get involved!

Back Forty

We were going to head to Dumont Burger in BK to meet our friend & start our night out with some burgers & beer. However, he bailed, and since I had my heart set on a burger and had wanted to try Back Forty in the East Village (12th & B) for quite some time, we headed there.

Despite having wanted to check out the cute little garden area in the back, the hostess was expecting rain, so we got seated at the bar. There, we each had a drink (full bar w/ solid beer options), and started off with the mushroom croquettes. Five croquette balls served over a bed of well-dressed spinach and ramp pesto with a slab of crispy bacon. Crunchy on the outside, and soft, creamy, & flavorful on the inside... delicioso! It was the perfect bar snack to get things started.

The dining room in the back has a handful of wooden tables, and is quite cozy. I consumed their grass-fed burger with cheddar and the rosemary fries, accompanied by delicious spicy, house-made ketchup. The burger was cooked perfectly and was super juicy & flavorful with a nicely-toasted sesame seed bun. Overall, I would grade this a solid B+/A- burger ($16). The only thing missing was any sort of "wow" factor.

Jess got the stuffed Japanese eggplant with quinoa, goat cheese, black olives and a swiss chard puree. The dish was delicious but not so hearty. The goat cheese melted into the soft baby eggplant and the quinoa added some texture, but overall I was expecting more.

We hope this review doesn't sound too sour, because it really was a lovely dining experience! If you're ever in the East Village, and are looking for a quality meal at a cool spot that's not too expensive ($92 for 4 drinks, 1 app, & 2 entrees + tip/tax), head over to Back Forty.

Rose Water (Brunch in Brooklyn)

While eavesdropping at work last Friday, Eric heard rave reviews of Rose Water in Park Slope. We checked out the menu and our mouths watered. It's a seasonal restaurant that uses local and organic food to create a unique and everchanging menu....very "Brooklyn."

We arrived at Rose Water on Sunday around 11:30, which wound up being the best time possible - there was no wait but by the time we ordered, all of the tables were filled (mostly with young parents and babies - Park Slope is so gosh darn cute).

In a rare occurence, both of the RH bloggers ordered the same dish, since it sounded too good to resist: the frittata with carmelized onions, asparagus, parmesan cheese and a golden beet salad. The dish also came with a spicy tomato sauce on the side along with a piece of zucchini bread.


We savored each and every bite of this delicious dish! The sweet carmelized onions were balanced out perfectly by the salty parmesan and the tomato sauce added great flavor as well. The salad was simple but the beets were so fresh and really went along nicely with the meal. The service was good and our coffees were refilled about five times!

We loved this place because not only was it delicious and healthy, it was a welcome change from our usual brunch spots in Manhattan. We will definitely make our way back here to sample future menus.

Battle Cookie: Insomnia Cookies vs Levain Bakery

I'm going to cut right to it... Levain Bakery has the BEST COOKIES IN THE WORLD. They are easily the winner in this battle, but Insomnia is no slouch at all!

At Levain, you get a big, thick cookie that has a crunch on the outside but is warm, soft, chewy, & moist on the inside. It almost tastes as though a tiny portion of the inside is still slightly raw but it's not... it's just THAT good! I've sampled the Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie & the Oatmeal Raisin Cookie. The Chocolate Chip Walnut is where it's at. If you're not a walnut fan, don't be scared off by it... They are not overwhelming at all, and fit in just right with the warm chocolate chips spread throughout the cookie dough batter. Levain has found a way to put a large slice of heaven in cookie form. I'm happy that this cookie has come into my life. I love you.

Weirded out at all? Have their cookie & you'll understand. I promise.

At Insomnia, you get a big, thin cookie that is warm, soft, & chewy. It's thin enough where you feel it could fall apart at any point, but it doesnt. I had the $1 chocolate chip cookie as well as the $2.25 peanut butter chocolate cookie. Both are amazing and will leave you with a giant smile on your face. The peanut butter cookie was super peanut butter-y, which was right up my alley! They also had plenty of other flavors to choose from that I'll be sampling in the near future.

The great thing about both Levain & Insomnia is that they serve you their cookies right out of the oven so they are always warm :-D It's clear that these two places are pros.

Levain can be found on the UWS at 74th & Amsterdam (http://www.levainbakery.com/).

Insomnia is located by NYU on W 8th St between 6th Ave & MacDougal (http://www.insomniacookies.com/).

Levain's Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie:

The variety of cookies at Levain (I'll be back for their Chocolate Peanut Butter):

The 2 cookies I enjoyed from Insomnia:

Clinton Street Baking Company

11 AM... Saturday Morning... Memorial Day Weekend... Party of 5... Wait time = 90-120 minutes! And, I can't say that I was all that surprised. Wait times were comparable the previous 2 times I was here and those were for parties of 2. After this wait time was announced, our party of 5 dropped to a party of 3 (me, Jess, and my pancake-loving mother), and our wait time dropped to 60 minutes.

The scene outside Clinton Street:

We quickly started things off by sharing a biscuit with butter and jam. People (myself included) are so excited for the pancakes that you forget that this is a full-fledged bakery and everything put in that oven looks amazing. The biscuit and jam is a great way to whet your appetite for the main course.

Pancakes, pancakes, pancakes! After having gone blueberry the previous 2 times I was here, I decided to switch it up a bit and ordered the banana-walnut pancakes. They were just as good as the blueberry pancakes (which lost to Food Network's Bobby Flay in "Throwdown: Pancakes" and are famously delicious). The banana-walnut rendition may be even better for me since I'm more of a banana-walnut guy (I like "the crunch"). The pancakes are large, thick and fluffy, filled with a ton of bananas and chopped walnuts, and topped with even more! Plus, the pancakes are dusted with some cinnamon and sugar. To make matters even sweeter, the flapjacks are served with a warm maple butter syrup. It all adds up to some of the best pancakes you've ever had. Also in contention are Cookshop and The Smith (imho). If you are into pancakes, you need to try these!! They WILL rock your world.

Before:

After:

Jess, who got the pancakes the last time I dragged her here :-) ordered a tasty omelet this time around.

This dish was much more up her alley and she enjoyed it very much! Is it the kinda omelet that you wait 60 minutes for? No! But it is if you're a great girlfriend and your boyfriend is a pancake-lover, like me!

I think I've said enough about these pancakes, but just in case I haven't, GO!!!!!!