Time to check off an item from my culinary bucket list – I finally made it to Mario Batali’s Babbo Ristorante in Greenwich Village. Yipeee!

When we arrived at the restaurant at 11:00 a.m., right at my reserved time, the restaurant was still closed. Strange, I thought. How could a restaurant be closed when I, in fact, made a reservation for that time slot more than a month ago? When the door finally opened 30 minutes later, I went to check in, only to find that my name was nowhere to be found. After a few tries, the hostess figured out that my reservation was not for 11:00 a.m. but was for 11:00 P.M!  Only in NYC that people actually make dinner reservation so late.

Luckily, she was able to seat us right away!  Phew!

The restaurant was everything I’d expected this place would be — a professional service, attentive servers, and absolutely delicious food and wine.

Complimentary chick pea appetizer.

My appetizer: Crostini Napoletani with Ricotta, Sardines and Dandelion Greens

Maya’s appetizer: Mozzarella di Bufala with Babbo Coppa

I ordered Pappardelle Bolognese.

Maya ordered Soft Shell Crab on a bed of couscous.

We shared a plate Babbo Greens with Roasted Shallots — a much needed vegetables!

Pistachio and Chocolate Semifreddo for dessert.

Maya enjoyed a glass of port (Pedro Ximenez) that she absolutely loved, and I couldn’t get over all the sugar options that came with my cup of coffee.

Here’s the full list of my top 10 moments:

1. Dinner at Villard Michel Richard
2. Lunch at Babbo
3. Picnic at Central Park
4. Serendipity 3
5. Lunch at Balthazar
6. Grand Central Oyster Bar
7. Gahm Mi Oak
8. Dominique Ansel Bakery
9. La Vie at JFK
10. Bryant Park at night