One of my personal favorite chefs, Mario Batali will personally be on hand to celebrate the upcoming 10th anniversaries of his signatures restaurants B&B Ristorante and OTTO Enoteca e Pizzeria with a special reception and dinner. In addition, the restaurants will launch month-long special menus showcasing classic dishes.
“These dishes are the distillation of our philosophy on Italian food: cook using local (and sometimes unpredictable) ingredients with the spirit of the Italian peninsula,” says Batali. “This is all in service of creating an exciting but familiar and delicious bite each and every time.”
10TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER ON APRIL 14
Beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 14, festivities will start with assaggi, prosecco and spirits served on OTTO’s lively patio located in the heart of St. Mark’s Square inside the Grand Canal Shoppes. Guests can expect passed appetizers and signature pizzas including:
A festive cheese and meat display featuring classic Italian cheeses and OTTO’s signature housemade charcuterie
Carrozza: fresh mozzarella deep fried, served with fresh Italian herbs
Fried Ricotta: house-made ricotta, Castelvetrano olives and cherry pepper fritters
Mixed Marinated Olives: a medley of Italian olives including Picholine, Castelvetrano, Gaeta and Cerignola olives, marinated with citrus zest, bay leaf thyme and fennel
Calzone: with ricotta and Prosciutto di Parma
Margherita Pizza: ripe tomato, bufala mozzarella and fresh basil
Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza: Prosciutto di Parma, peppery arugula, fresh tomato, mozzarella and Cacio di Roma
Guests will also be served Batali’s favorite cocktails: The Venetian Spritz (Aperol liqueur, prosecco, orange slice, olive) and Joe Bastianich’s Flor Prosecco.
At 7:30 p.m., festivities will move to B&B Ristorante where guests will savor a 4-course meal showcasing a blend of dishes from when the restaurant opened and brand-new Spring additions. The courses will include:
Antipasti (served family-style):
Grilled octopus with “fagioli marinati” and spicy limoncello vinaigrette
Three types of bruschetta: ceci, fava and Tuscan kale
Warm lamb’s tongue with chanterelle mushrooms and a three-minute egg
Primi (served family-style):
“Mint Love Letters” with merguez sausage
Beef cheek ravioli with black truffles and crushed duck liver
Secondi (choice of one):
Grilled quail with beet “farrotto”
Short rib “al Barolo” with Anson Mills polenta and horseradish
Crispy striped bass with spring vegetable “vignole”
Dessert (served as a duo):
Pistachio semifredo with chocolate chip torta
Bruciato balsamico with strawberries
The price for the OTTO Enoteca e Pizzeria reception will be $50 per person; the four-course dinner at B&B Ristorante will cost $150 per person. Guests may also purchase a combined ticket to both events at the price of $175 per person. Click here to purchase tickets.
ANNIVERSARY SPECIALS
Before the anniversary dinner—beginning April 1 and concluding April 30—B&B Ristorante and OTTO Enoteca e Pizzeria will offer month-long special tasting menus encapsulating the spirit of the restaurants when they opened in 2007.
At B&B Ristorante, the anniversary tasting menu will include:
Asparagus vinaigrette with black pepper pecorino zabaglione
Spaghetti with garlic chives, sweet garlic and lobster
“Mint Love Letters” with Merguez sausage
Short rib “al Barolo” with Anson Mills polenta and horseradish
Goat cheese torta
Semolina Budino with rhubarb and mint marmellata
The price will be $99 per person; wine pairings can be added for an additional $99 per person.
At OTTO Enoteca e Pizzeria, the special menu will feature various dishes from the restaurant’s original menu, all priced at $10 per dish. Selections will include:
Carrozza: fresh mozzarella, deep fried, served with fresh Italian herbs
Calzone with ricotta and Prosciutto di Parma
Caprese: fresh mozzarella, oven-roasted tomato and basil pesto
Acetaia salad with tender baby greens, cucumber, a hardboiled egg, Prosciutto di Parma, and Aceto Manodori
Grilled radicchio with smoked mozzarella and aceto cavedone
Salumi di giorno
“Dishes like the Mint Love Letters have been favorites since we opened Babbo in 1998 (which was the inspiration for B&B Ristorante). I think I’d be banned from Greenwich Village if we ever removed them from the menu! The same can now be said for Las Vegas and B&B Ristorante,” concludes Batali.
