reality > buzz

so last night i went to babbo, and it was worth every penny. i can honestly say that it was the best food that i have ever had. before dinner we had green apple bellinis. i am an adventurous type, so i had the fennel dusted sweetbreads, and they were amazing. my girlfriend had the grilled guinea hen, which was equally amazing. the beef cheek ravioli with truffles was excellent - "best ravioli i've ever had!" said my girlfriend. the waiter was very courteous and helpful, pairing each dish with the perfect glass of wine. the dessert, a pistachio ice cream cake drizzled with chocolate sauce didn't sound especially fabulous, and we were skeptical, but it exceeded all of our expectations. then we had some cookies on the house.

(before i lose that piece of paper with the names of the wines on it: rosso di montefalco caprai 2003 and brachetto d'acqui)

anyway, many people find the indie rock / led zeppelin / 90's grunge soundtrack a little jarring, but i thought it was fitting. babbo's dishes are meant to be over the top, with flavors colliding unexpectedly. classic italian dishes are infused with modern twists. so it is fitting that the restaurant, with the old upper crust americana decor, white tablecloths, and suited waitstaff, has led zeppelin blaring in the background. it made the atmosphere less hoity toity, kind of like, "relax. you don't have to be an uptight twat to eat here, even though we're michelin rated."

anyway, two thumbs up. it might cost you a day's pay (if you're paying for two), but it's worth it! (caveat: to the penny pinchers out there, had we not imbibed the bellinis and wine, the total bill would have been less than $100, even though we had three dishes and dessert. BUT DON'T PINCH PENNIES. the wine pairings are an essential part of the experience.)