Del Posto

When it comes to their working relationship, Joseph V. Bastianich and Mario Batali believe that if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Their partnership dates back to 1998, when they opened their first NYC restaurant, Babbo. Awards from the press and the James Beard Foundation soon rolled in, so the duo decided to do it again with Lupa. And Esca. And Otto. They even branched out and opened a Spanish restaurant and a French Bistro. Bastianich and Batali return to their roots with Del Posto, an Italian eatery with its own brand of cuisine: cucina classica. Collaborating with Bastianich’s mother, Lidia Matticchio Bastianich—the star of her own syndicated cooking show, author of several books, and owner of a chain of restaurants called Lidia’s—the three define their food as the middle ground between traditional Italian fare and contemporary cooking techniques. The menu highlights various regional cooking styles of the old country, such as stirring vats of boiling noodles with a gondolier’s oar, as well as seasonal, fresh ingredients. Duck comes seasoned with apician spices, and ricotta pansoti arrives with a side of black truffle butter. Like its predecessors, Del Posto has no shortage of accolades, including a glowing, three-star review from The New York Times, which says the restaurant has “terrific food, distinguished by first-rate ingredients . . . clear flavors and, more often than not, superior cooking.” The menu’s elegance and classicism is matched only by the eatery’s ambiance. The mahogany tones of the furnishings are offset by the sleek onyx of the bar, the bright pastel floral arrangements, and the crisp white linens that are draped over the tables until the prophesied day when they will be yanked off to reveal a new code of table manners.