This weekend I was fortunate enough to go to Del Posto to celebrate my one year anniversary with my bf (I know, I know. I’m a lucky girl who gets fed well). I’ve been wanting to try Del Posto since it opened and was super excited that I finally got my chance to try yet another Batali restaurant. I walk in and it’s like I’ve walked into old Hollywood. At first I was slightly overwhelmed by this massive place with it’s piano-playing and mezzanine style seating, but then I started to get into the whole atmosphere. That was until the maitre’ d automatically assumed my bf made the reservation and ignored me (meanwhile I’m the one with the Italian last name).
Obvi I’d done my research on this place and knew EXACTLY what I wanted. I asked the sommelier to recommend a bottle of wine to complement what I wanted and he picked a GREAT bottle. So what did we order? To start, we ordered the lobster salad fra diavola with broccoli rabe and dried orange and the carne cruda with truffled salsa, parmigiano-reggiano and shaved porcini. I didn’t love the lobster, but the carne cruda (like a steak tartar) was pretty good (although not nearly as tasty as Locanda Verde’s).
I know how it works at Italian restaurants- first, you order an antipasti, then a primi, and then a secondi. More often than not I’m more there for the pasta and less for the meat or fish so I stop at the primi. So, I opted for the tasting of three pastas. The waiter asked if we’re sure that will be enough (I thought it would), but my poor boyfriend was guilted into ordering the roasted lamb rack with tail ragu (which he later regretted and admitted that I was right :::ahem as always:::). The three pastas I chose for the tasting were spaghetti with dungeness crab, sliced jalapeno and minced scallion, Lidia’s spicy calamaretti with fruti di mare alla marinara, and orecchiette with lamb neck sausage, cherry peppers, and broccoli rabe. Both the spaghetti and orecchiette were good, but I really enjoyed the calamaretti. The pasta, seafood, and marinara sauce were all perfect together.
By this point I’m stuffed, but alas, we still have the roasted “guilt” lamb on it’s way. The lamb probably would have been quite good had I not been so stuffed that I couldn’t enjoy it
Last but not least, the waiter brought out a small dessert tasting. It was good, but not amazing (again when I’m that stuffed I need dessert to be insanely good for me to continue stuffing my face).
Del Posto was definitely an “experience.” Unfortunately, I think they’ve made this place more about the experience and less about the food. Don’t get me wrong, the pastas were great and I’d like to be shoving some of that calarmaretti in my face right now, but all in all I’d only give Del Posto 3 out of 5 mouths.
Give me good food not glitz and glamour please! Or give me both. Batali, I love you but I’m heading back to Babbo or Lupa next time!
See you next Munchin’ Monday!
xx,
WhyDon’tYouEatMe
love del posto!
Don’t be silly, DP is five out of five…