The Food Foo Foo at Ballato's in NYC

Okay...so I usually don't blog about restaurants but Ballato's is the exception. Billy and I went to see Stomp this past Saturday (my 7th time, his first). After leaving the theatre, we were trying to figure out where to eat. After going back and forth a few times, I suggested Little Italy. We turn onto E. Houston Street and I said to Billy "Isn't Ballato's near here?". Sure enough, I look up and there it is! If you have never been, Ballato's is very shabby chic. The paint on the walls looks like it is cracking, there are pictures of Emilio with a bunch of celebrities on the walls, all of these antique mirrors....very "Arge". We were pretty early, so we were the only ones in there. The waiter told us that we could sit anywhere we liked. We choose a little table near the kitchen. The waiter brought over our menus and homemade rosemary focaccia that they "just took out of the oven". We order a glass of chianti for me and a glass of pinot for Billy and basically dove right into the focaccia. Billy and I poured olive oil into a plate and just sat there in what I can only describe as "Bread Bliss". Our waiter came back over to the table to take our order. We ordered the fried calamari as an appetizer. It came out in a napkin in the shape of a basket which was great because it soaked up some of the oil and made the calamari very crispy. It was served with a small dish of spicy marinara sauce. The calamari itself was so tender it melted in my mouth. We finished the entire plate...ordered 2 more glasses of wine...and dinner. I had seen on the menu that they had Fettuccine with Butter, Romano and Black Pepper....my absolute favorite pasta dish! The waiter told me that it was a fantastic dish, something that you would go there everyday for. Billy order the Shrimp with Bread Crumbs, Lemon and White Wine, which came with a small serving of pasta. Our food came out and it was nothing short of phenomenal. The portion size was just right..not too much and not too little. Billy and I are the King and Queen of "Can you wrap this up?" but this time..we were in it to the end. My pasta was a culinary orgasm. Billy's shrimp was as tender as could be. The sauce was perfect. You could taste every ingredient. We finished our meal...wishing we could pick our plates up and lick them but by then the restaurant had many more tables and we didn't want people looking at us funny, plus after 2 glasses of chianti, I was half in the bag. The waiter took our plates away and gave us some time to digest and finish our wine, something we both appreciated. There is nothing worse then when a waiter is up your ass as soon as you put your fork down. I ordered a cappuccino and the waiter suggested homemade biscotti "to dip in your coffee". I agreed. Billy didn't order dessert. He was too full still from dinner. My cappuccino came out all frothy and cinnamon scented. I dipped my biscotti in my cup and smiled as I took my first bite. From beginning to end, it was one of the most fantastic meals I have ever eaten. As a matter of fact, when we were done, my husband turned to me and said "If there ever was a reason not to have kids, this is it". We don't really go out to eat a lot and when we do, I am very picky about where we go and we WILL be making a trip back to E. Houston Street.

Emilio Ballato's
55 E Houston Street - between Mulberry Street & Greene Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 274-8881