Dinner with Mario: Chapter 29 Summary and Analysis

In 1998, Babbo was awarded three stars by the New York Times. When that particular writer quit, several replaced her, leaving Batali convinced that they would be visited by another writer. Batali encouraged his waiters to watch for the critic and to treat that critic well. However, when the writer finally came to rate Babbo, the kitchen was in turmoil and the waiter did not recognize him until his final visit. Batali was a wreck, worried about the result. However, the review was good, giving Babbo three stars once again. The restaurant would have gotten four, but the music was too loud. This was because Batali had to be in the kitchen during the switch in expediter positions from Andy to Frankie.

In Chapter 29, Bill and Batali met for dinner. Batali ordered more food that Bill...