Whereas Mario Batali says to spare the

Whereas Mario Batali says to spare the sauce on your pasta so that you can taste the pasta, Mark Bittman suggests the opposite: the pasta adds little flavor or nutrition so use more sauce, vegetables, and meat. Who's right? Who cares! Have it one way one night, do it the other way some other night.

Mario Batali on how to sauce pasta.

Mario Batali on how to sauce pasta.

What you want to eat when you eat a bowl of pasta...is pasta. Americans overdress their pasta 99.9 percent of the time. It should never be a bowl of soup. It should be noodles, with a little stuff.

Can't stand the heat

From a Guardian review of Heat, Bill Buford's new book on, in part, celebrity chef Mario Batali:

Batali would play Bob Marley songs on the sound system, knowing the New York Times restaurant critic was a fan. He would berate staff who failed to recognise celebrities, who must be served first and given special treatment. To make a humble fish soup called cioppino, he would rummage through bins and chopping boards, collecting left overs (tomato pulp, carrot tops, onion skins), then price the dish at $29 and tell the waiters to sell the hell out of it or be fired. Short ribs prepared in advance, wrapped so tightly in plastic wrap and foil that they wouldn't spurt sauce if stepped on, would keep in the walk-in fridge for up to a week.

Maybe that's why a recent trip to Babbo was not the top-shelf experience we expected.

Both the NY Times and New York

Both the NY Times and New York magazine have fall restaurant previews. The southwestern part of Chelsea (+ the Meatpacking) seems to be really jumping these days...lots of stuff happening on 10th Ave (i.e. my walk to Eyebeam most days): Batali, Morimoto, Cookshop, Colicchio, etc. Maybe with all the action over there, maybe the High Line park will work...

James Beard Award winners for 2005

James Beard Award winners for 2005. Batali is best chef, Per Se is best new restaurant, Danny Meyer is "outstanding restauranteur".