Celebrity chef Mario Batali's Babbo is probably always going to be among the most sought-after reservations in town. Instantly catapulted to the top of the heap upon opening in 1998, Babbo's unflinching attitude toward authenticity brought new tastes, such as the notorious beef cheek ravioli, into the mainstream. Batali widens the palate with salami from unheard-of parts of a pig and other delicacies like lamb's tongue and sweetbreads, while also serving gussied-up versions of foods that would normally make you turn up your nose, like sardines, tripe and calf's brain. Game New Yorkers ingest it all without complaint. The pasta tasting menu -- seven courses matched with wines -- is a meal you'll tell your grandchildren about, and the rest of the dishes change nightly according to season. Batali has a Midas touch with any ingredient traditionally used by Italian peasants. He'll make you pay handsomely for it, but Babbo consistently serves such a transcendent meal, no one leaves feeling fleeced. -- Erin Franzman

Categories: Restaurants

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