With four-appetizer, four-entree menus, it's like, give me a break. That's not a restaurant, that's a dinner party.
Joe BastianichIt's kind of like a midlife crisis kind of thing. When you turn 40, you have to run the marathon, while all the parts still work properly.
Joe BastianichAt Babbo, each dish grew out of a conversation, trying to put something forth that was new and different. It was a combination of culinary adventurism and the dining-room experience with respect for the classic but with an eye toward innovation. And it was about eating locally, whether produce or fish or meat.
Joe BastianichAt home, I make a large batch of tomato sauce and freeze it in meal-size portions in freezer bags.
Joe BastianichMost people who open restaurants will fail, because they lack the fundamental understanding of restaurant math. Either they think they're superstar cooks or they think they're superstar hosts.
Joe BastianichI think a lot of people overlook the importance of the menu as a marketing tool and a way of communicating to the customer what the ambition of their restaurant is. Not only the typeface and the design, but what is it printed on? Is it cheap-looking? Is it the right kind of paper for that restaurant?
Joe Bastianich