Babbo's menu is only four pages, but it's overwhelming - there are 20 different pastas in there, a lot of stuff. There is nothing I hate more than a useless, lazy menu with only three appetizers and four entrees.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
With four-appetizer, four-entree menus, it's like, give me a break. That's not a restaurant, that's a dinner party.
At Babbo, each dish grew out of a conversation, trying to put something forth that was new and different. It was a combination of culinary adventurism and the dining-room experience with respect for the classic but with an eye toward innovation. And it was about eating locally, whether produce or fish or meat.
The difference between 'Molto Italiano' and 'The Babbo Cookbook' is that the ingredient lists in 'Molto' are about half or even a third the size. In 'Babbo,' they are very long, they are very real. That's exactly how we make them in the restaurant.
When I'm traveling, I won't miss an opportunity to try great pasta.
Not only are pasta dishes delicious, but they are also great, easy options for a quick dinner during a busy weekday.
The menu should be part of the entertainment, part of the dining experience. It's kind of like reading the 'Playbill' when you go to the theater. It should be an alluring and interactive document. Does it have burn marks on it from the candle? If you ever get a greasy menu with food stains on it, it's time to run like hell.
I think a lot of people overlook the importance of the menu as a marketing tool and a way of communicating to the customer what the ambition of their restaurant is. Not only the typeface and the design, but what is it printed on? Is it cheap-looking? Is it the right kind of paper for that restaurant?
The most overrated tool: a pasta maker. Why make it when you can buy it? It's a lot of work!
I do love pasta. It gets me into trouble. If I could give up pasta and bread, I'd look like Cate Blanchett.
I hate menus, I hate choosing food. I just want to be brought. Bring me dinner!