How are Mario Batali’s biggest NYC restaurants faring in the post-Batali world? EaterNY critics qualityrye and robertsietsema reviewed four of them:
New York was the cradle of Batali’s international fame, and four restaurants here are still closely associated with him. In chronological order of their founding, these are Babbo , Lupa , Otto , and Del Posto . While he was still profiting from these establishments, many former customers observed an informal boycott, even though a lively discussion ensued as to whether employees of those establishments weren’t also being punished, some of whom could have been alleged Batali victims.
The chef’s impact once reverberated throughout the restaurant industry, not just his businesses. His TV showhelped prepare Americans for a more nuanced approach to regional Italian cooking, while his relaxed approach to fine dining set the stage for the collective culinary tie-loosening of the aughts. As frontman for Eataly, he launched a whole new era of food marketing.
The amuse is still a plate of chickpeas with balsamic over toast. The lamb’s tongue still comes with a soft, two-minute egg. Chef Robert Zwirz, who’s been cooking at Lupa or Babbo for the past decade, mimics the earthiness of the offal via black trumpets, and then tames it via tart roasted tomatoes and a bright vinaigrette. Black spaghetti with crab is still paired with jalapenos, though the bland noodles taste of garlic and little else.
But consider this: Imagine a fellow like Batali wrote, directed, and sung the most beautiful, lyrical, visually stunning opera in the world. Now imagine that guy is swapped out after it’s revealed he’s an alleged predator. Would you still want to hear that same opera, with the same words, and the same design, in the exact same concert hall? While acknowledging the influence of the supporting players, perhaps you’d agree that it’s time to change the music. And everything else.
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