THE PRICE HIKE

One of NYC’s more affordable pasta tasting menus is still one of NYC’s more affordable pasta tasting menus, even though it’s a wee bit more expensive. Joe Bastianch & Mario Batali’s Babbo has hiked the price of its eight-course noodle fest by $11 to $80, as first tweeted by Philadelphia’s Matthew Tulini, a consistently reliable Price Hike Soldier. 

That means a pasta tasting for two will run you $206 after tax & tip, or $335 with wine pairings. 

Tulini also points out that the regular tasting menu has risen to $90, a 20% percent hike from $75. Your traditional tasting menu for two will now set you back $232 after tax & tip, or $361 with wine pairings. 

To the best of our knowledge, Babbo hasn’t raised the price of these set menus since before The Price Hike was born in the spring of 2011, so we credit B&B for their commitment to price stability. A spot check at the restaurant last night revealed a 10 minute wait just to get to the host stand, so we don’t think Babbo will suffer under these new higher prices. 

Keep in mind that Shea Gallante’s Ciano serves a pasta tasting menu for $110, so comparatively speaking, $80 is still pretty reasonable. Danny Meyer’s Maialino charges $55 for a five-course pasta tasting, but that’s only on Sundays, when you should be watching football (really).

We’re calling Babbo a BUY at these new higher prices. 

Ciano, Shea Gallante’s year-old Italian restaurant in Manhattan’s Gramercy Park, has increased the price of its pasta tasting menu to $89, a 13% hike from $79. Gallante, who chatted with The Price Hike via email about the $10 increase, said hist first pasta menu was “underpriced.” 

• Can you give us some color behind the new, higher price point? The courses and ingredients are a bit different this time around. This second menu is a completely new line-up of dishes. I’m using black truffle pate in one of the courses, the last course is more substantial on the protein aspect, and this menu is much more labor intensive than the past one. The first menu was heavier on the composition side during plate-up, and this one is much more labor intensive on the prep end of it. Hope this is a clear enough explanation. The first one was was underpriced for what was served, but it was a new concept and I wanted people try it.

• Do you sell a lot of these menus? We do sell quite a few, I do cap it at about 25 per night and when they’re gone thats it for the evening. We sell out about 45% of the time. (Shea Gallante) 

Of course, Mario Batali’s Babbo offers New York’s most well-known pasta tasting; its price has hovered at $69 for the past few years or so, $20 bucks less than Ciano (Babbo’s menu appears to contain fewer luxury ingredients). Alternatively, $89 is what Michael White’s Ai Fiori currently charges for its four-course set menu. Two diners who order Ciano’s pasta tasting can expect to pay $226 after tax and tip; a party of four will pay $452.

Recall that Bloomberg’s Ryan Sutton (that’s me) awarded Ciano three stars in his review. And recall that Gallante’s tasting menu was once as high as $135. See below for Ciano’s current menu: 

Ciano, a three-star Bloomberg Italian restaurant, has dropped the price of its only tasting menu to $79, down from $115 in late May and down from $135 earlier in the year, a total drop of 41% in 2011. The new tasting, launched by chef Shea Gallante in September, is different from the previous offerings in that it’s exclusively a sampling of pasta. Is this a GOOD DEAL? It sure is. Here’s what the menu looks like at this Flatiron District spot:  

1. Housemade Angel Hair: Sturgeon Caviar, Creamy Burrata and Parsley Essence.
2. Saffron Lobster Raviolo: Parsley Puree, Picked Summer Herbs and a Tomato-Lobster Jus. 
3. Cortecce Pasta: Baby Octopus, Calabria Peppers, Parsley and Garlic Bread Crumbs 
4. Tortellini: Stuffed with Smoked Lamb Confit in Black Truffle-Lamb Jus
5. Eggplant Lasagnette: Summer Squash, Roasted Tomato Ragu and Caramelized Sweet Breads  
6. Fried Gnocchi: Giuanduja, Apricot and Vanilla-Lavender Gelato
7. House Baked Cookies: cookie cookie cookie cookie cookie coookie!  

Price Hike Historians might take note that Ciano’s $79 noodle tasting is $10 more than the pasta menu at Babbo; Mario Batali’s Greenwich Village restaurant has maintained that price point for quite a few years. Also note that Ciano’s pasta tasting currently offers selections that are entirely different from the a la carte menu, a good selling point because it gives the person ordering the menu an “exclusive” experience (though we’re sure the good people at Ciano would be happy to do a la carte portions of the tasting menu offerings if requested). Ciano is at 45 East 22nd Street. Information: +1-212-982-8422 or http://www.cianonyc.com/.