BAR PITTI
BAR PITTI "REMEMBERANCE'S"
Daniel Bellino Zwicke
I've been going to Bar Pitti since day one. Yes I was one of there 1st customers, way back in 1992. Before Celebrities discovered it, and Trendite Followers, my girlfriend Dante and I stared going the very 1st week that Bar Pitti opened its doors. we loved it. The food was great. Authentic Italian Food, with a strong lean towards the food of Tuscany, where the two owners of the restaurant hailed from. Well the city of Florence to be more precise. Silvano Marchetto, the owner of Da Silvano Ristorante (next door) opened Bar Pitti together with Giovanni Tognazzi who was a waiter at Da Silvano at the time.
Da Silvano was one of the hottest restaurants in town, and one of the top Celebrity Spots in the city, maybe the top one, with such notables as: Richard Gere, David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Madonna, and regulars, Gwyneth Paltrow, Grayson Carter (Editor Vanity Fair), Nick Tosches, and Calvin Klein, to name but a few. Yes, Da Silvano was filled nightly with the movers and shakers of the Worlds of Fashion, Music, Movies, and Publsihing, with writers, actors, Rock Stars & Movie Stars. The place jumped. Marchett0 & Tognozzi wanted to capitaliize on the success of Da Silvano, and decided to opened a Trattoria next door. The space was available and the two partner up, signed a lease, and opened Bar Pitti, a more modest, less expensive lttle trattoria next door to Da Silvano.
Yes, I emediatley wanted to go check out the new place, so my girlfriend and I went for dinner one night. I don't remember exactly what we ate that night, but I'm sure we had some sort of antipasto, and a pasta dish each, and a little Chianti wine. We both loved it, and would eat there once a week. After going for a couple months, I told some good friends about the place, and along with Dante, myself, and pals Johnny and Jorge, we went for lunch one Saturday afternoon. We had a great time, and my friends loved the place as well.
A few years after first eating at Bar Pitti, and after splitting up the partnership of my own restaurant with my partner "T" I started working at Da Silvano. I lived in the same building that the two restaurants were in, and one day when I was coming out of my house, Silvano asked me what I was doing, after leaving my restaurant. He tole me he needed a manager, and asked me if I wanted to work with home? The answer was yes, and so I did. It was quite an experience. I loved the energy of the place, and the high-powered clientele (Rock Stars & Movie Stars etc.)
I worked for Silvano at Da Silvano for 3 years. I learned a lot, but Silvano was not an easy man to work for, and after 3 years I moved on. I took a position as the Wine Director of Barbetta Ristorante uptown. Another great experience.
Anyway, back to Bar Pitti and Da Silvano. Both great restaurants. Silvano Marchetto was an amazing restauranteur. He did quite a lot for the the industry of Italian Restaurants in New York City. He helped elevate the game. He taught the people of New York more about Italian Food and proper dining in Italian Restaurants. He created a restaurant in Da Silvano that people loved. it was a sort of playground of the so-called "Rich & Famous" and they themselves loved it, and loved going there and seeing their friends (other Celebrities). And of course, those who love going o restaurants to "Celeb Watch" Da Silvano was the Top of Tops for Celebrity Watching.
I can tell you stories, and I will. Of the biggest and most celebrities of all, and my three years of taking care of them. It was quite a time.
It wasn't long before Bar Pitti became one of the hottest celebrity spots as well. And it still is. As often times as it happens with partnerships, the partners disagree and begin to fight, and eventually as in the case with Silvano and Giovanni, they eventually hated each other. They split up the partnership of Bar Pitti. Giovanni bought out Silvano, and Giovanni became the sole owner of Bar Pitti. After more than 35 years of being one the hottest most successful restaurants in all of New York, making a lot of money and drawing the celebrity crowd, Da Silvano Ristorante started to wain, and eventually closed down in 2019. Silvano moved back to Florence, and sadly passed away in 2023. He was one of the greatest restauranteurs in the history of New York, creating Da Silvano and along with Giovanni Tognozzi, Bar Pitti. He is remembered and revered by those who knew him as one of New Yorks Best.
BAR PITTI
When it comes to great Italian Food, in a city (New York) that is known to have the Best Italian Food in the World outside of Italy, it's hard to beat Bar Pitti, which is why Bar Pitti may very well be the "Best Italian Restaurant" in New York City! Yes!
Wait a minute, scratch that "maybe." No, Bar Pitti serves without a doubt, thee "Best Italian Food in New York." You don't think so? name one that is better. And please only qualified people please. No followers or Hack Food Critics like
Frank Bruni.
Who could compete? Maybe Babbo, Del Posto, Elio's, Lupa. They are all good, but none as good and consistent as Bar Pitti.
Il Mulino is absolutely "Aweful!" An "Overpriced Lackluster Restaurant" with horrible ambiance, mechanical annoying service, and food that is merely good, and no better and insanely "High Prices." It's a place for "Followers" who run with the crowd and wouldn't know real good Italian Food if it came up and Bit Them in The Ass.
Babbo many would say. Well Babbo is quite good, but just can't hold up to Bar Pitti with more of a true Italian feel, great food at truly real Italian Prices. Babbo is a great Special Occasion restaurant, but for everyday eating, Babbo doesn't even come close to Bar Pitti for "Great Quality Price Ratio," and even not considering the prices, if they were the same, though the food at Babbo is very good and I've had a few very enjoyable meals there, I have been disappointed a couple of times, something that has "Never" happened to me at Bar Pitti and I've eaten there more times, yet never been disappointed, not once, and always had a great time. So even if the prices were the same, Bar Pitti still has an edge, with Better More Consistent Authentic Italian Food than Babbo.
How bout Maialino, Laconde Verde, Osteria Morini, and others? As MC Hammer would say, "Can't Touch This."
So if you're looking for Thee "Best Italian Food in New York" there's one name, "Bar Pitti."
Recommended Dishes:
Coda d'Vacinara (Braised Oxtails) 150 Points on a 100 Pt Scale
Bolito d'Manzo (Boiled Beef) Taste a whole Lot Better than it sounds!
Polpettine d' Vitello (Veal Meatballs)
Fegato al Salvia (Calves Liver sauteed w/Sage)
Paparadelle con Sugo d'Coniglio (Pasta with Rabbit Ragu)
PUNTARELLE Wild Roman Greens Salad w/Anchovy Dressing
by Daniel Bellino Zwicke
ANOTHER LUNCH at PITTI - With a Lot of ROSSO
If a good or great Rosso di Montalcino is any indication of how good the Brunello of the same Vintage to be released 3 years later will be, and it usually is, then we are in store for some great Brunello 2009 when they are release in January of 2014.
At the recent "Brunello Tasting" for the 2006 Vintage Brunello's, the 2009 Rosso di Montalcino's that were on hand, where absolutely wonderful and the big surprise of the tasting held at The New York Hilton. Rosso's were on hand by some but not all producers of Brunello, and most that I tasted were outstanding. Some were just about close to perfection, with wonderful balance of an abundance of Fruit, against just the right amount of acid content, and tannic backbone. Some of these wines were an absolute Joy to drink as with examples by; Argiano, Fattoria Barbi, Il Poggione, and the Rosso di Montalcino from the Castel Giacondo Estate of the Noble Florentine Family, The Frescobaldi's.
I really loved the Rosso from Argiano which reminded me of the year of 2008 when my friends the Rozner Brothers Dave and Michael found ourselves quite a number of times hanging at the highly popular and one of New York's best Trattoria's "Bar Pitti" having some good ole times drinking Rosso di Montalcino "Argiano" 2006. This was a good year for Rosso from Montalcino and we must of had at least 50 bottles of the stuff that year. One day we were joined by friend Curtis Stone.
We had a wonderful 2 1/2 hour lunch that day, eating Tripp, Prosciutto, and Pasta accompanied by 5 bottles of Argiano Rosso which we thoroughly enjoyed. And this is all of what wines should be along with the food that goes with them and the restaurants or homes we share our meals in; good Friends, tasty Food, and great wine. That's the good life or as we Italians would say La Dolce Vital, "The Sweet Life." Enjoy!
ARGIANO
ROSSO Di MONTALCINO
TRIPPA TRUFFLES & SAUVIGNON
PASTA with SUMMER TRUFFLES
BAR PITTI
GREATEST SUMMER TRUFFLES EVER !!!
We had another great plate of "Taglierlini with Truffle" the other day at Bar Pitti.
The Black Summer Truffles from Umbria have been so good this year, that they taste almost as good as the "White Alba Truffles" of the Autum and Winter Season.
It was quite funny when my friend Pat "P" and I took owe first bites, i said, "Patty Boy," these Truffles are as good as the "Whites." He agreed, and the words were barely out our mouths when Govanni came over and aske us how our Pasta was and added that they were "Stupenious" this year. "Just as good as the White Truffles." We told him that we just said the same thing, and at about a fourth of the price at $23.00 a plate, they were an absolute "Bargain."
We had a plate of Vitello Tonnato and "Trippa Fiorentina." both were tasty as ever.
If you haven't had any of the Norcia Summer Truffle, run on down to "Bar Pitti" and get a plate. "they're Amazing!!!!" We drank a bottle of "Macari Sauvignon Blanc,"
as everyone seems to be doing these days and we were as "Happy as Peas in a Pod."
by Daniel Bellino Zwicke
TRIPPA
BAR PITTI
SUNDAY SAUCE
AMERICA'S FAVORITE
ITALIAN COOKBOOK
Bar Pitti
Greenwich Village NY
BEST ITALIAN FOOD - GREENWICH VILLAGE ?
IT’S BAR PITTI
Yes, the best Italian restaurant in Greenwich Village is “Not” CARBONE, “Not” Babbo, and certainly not one of New York’s most “Overrated Restaurants of all, the gossly overrated Il Mulino, which is over-priced, good, but no where near to the high exaltation that those who know little of what makes a great Italian Restaurant give to it.
Greenwich Village without question is tops in New York when it comes to having a string of New York’s best of the best Italian Restaurants. There’s Babbo, the Uber Hot “Restaurant of the Moment,” CARBONE. There is Lupa, which for me and quite a number of others The Batali Bastianich’s best restaurant in New York, not Babbo, no Del Posto. Yes, we will get to Greenwich Village’s Best Italian Resataurant in a string of not only the Village, but all New York. The Best is without question Bar Pitti on 6th Avenue near Bleecker Street and smack dab right next to arch enemy # 1 Da Silvano, a restaruant the gave birth to Bar Pitti but a few years ago had a “Nasty Nasty” highly publicized break-up between former 50 /50 Partners Silvano Marchetto the creator and still owner of Da Silvan which for a number of years rained supremme as New York’s # 1 Hottest Celebrity Restaurant of all (I myself was Maitre’d there during 3 of those years). Anyway Bar Pitti for those in-the-know and those who “Know” what they are talking about, and not some Food Critic that knows just a tiny fraction of what many eithers more cable know. Really seriously under quilified people who are put into place as critics by such, supposedly reputable publications as The New York Time and New York Magazine. It’s a sin.
So yes, Bar Pitti is tops. The food is amazing. And most important, it’s consistenly amazing. The food is always the same. Same being is that dishes like Coda d’Vaccinara (Braised Oxtails) Veal Milanese, Paparadell con Sugo di Cinghiale (Wild Boar Ragu) are authenticall and perfectlly cooked and done so each and every time they are done. If you get one of these dishes or any other on the menu or one of the daily specials, it will be the same if you get it today and then 3 weeks or 3 months down the road. The cooks in that kitcehn are conssitent, consistently good, and near flawless. The food is great, the ambaince and decor quite nice and fitting to what a Italian restaurant should be and that people expect, and not over contrived over-done like some joints such as SD 26 or Georgio Armani’s new restaurant Armani Restorante, both over-done, not warm and in the spirit of a truely great Italian Restaurant and one such as Bar Pitti. Yes, wonderful decor, great food, consisitency, good service, and a super great vibe created by the clientele that frequent the spot, many of whome are in publsihing, movies, advertising, and other high profile positions.
You can talk all you want about Babbo, which is good. I have had had numerous meals there. The experience is quite nice, with a wonderful warm ambiance, excellent servic and an area that they could teach Bar Pitti a thing-or-two. They have a great wine list, although not the best Italian List in the city as those who again don’t realy know have calaimed to it. That honor goes to Barbetta on West 46th Street which is so off-the-wall great, it makes Babbo’s fine wine-list look like childs play. If you don’t beleive me, check it out. The food at Babbo is very good, but I’ve got to tell you “not always.” I’ve had a few disappointing dished there, which were barely good and far from tasty. In the 21 years I’ve been eating at Bar Pitti I’ve never had such a dish that I’ve been disappointed with the way I have a couple times at Babbo, and I never remember being blown away with any dish the way I have been blown away by Bar Pitti’s Bolito di Manzo, Braised Oxtails, Tagiatelle with Black Summer Truffles or Trippa al Parmigiano, all Awesome. Hey, it may sound like I’m knocking Babbo. I’m not. It’s just that when so many think that one place is the best, and it really isn’t and it has more praise than it deserves and has been highly exalted by people like Frank Bruni and The New York Times and other prominent entities that irrisponsibly “miss-lead” the general public that doesn’t know any better. The general public is counting on entities like the New York Times to report factually. By buying a newspaper or magazine the are paying for good information and when publications like The NY Times, Time Out and othe publications put grossly under-qualified people in position as Food Critics when they know very little, and there are hundreds who know a thousand times fold more than a NY Times Food Critic, it’s is just plain wrong.
So, yes Babbo is dam good, though higher exalted than it really deserves, it’s not as far off the mark as one horrible restaurant around the block from it. A restaurant that is so Highly Over-Rated it’s sinful. This restaurant is IL Mulino, a restaurant that has good food, not great that is way over-priced expensive, the decor is dark and horrible, and the service annoyingly mechanical. The place is a Huge Dissapointement to those who actually know what constitutes a great restaurant, and more specifically a great Italian restaurant, one such as Bar Pitti.
"Basta" !!!
Daniel Bellino Zwicke
SINATRA SAUCE
"COOK LIKE FRANK"
HIS FAVORITE ITALIAN RECIPES
