There are many places in New York where you can get Italian food characteristic of Southern Italy. There are “red sauce” places in Manhattan – east side and west side – Queens, Brooklyn, and Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. Many have loyal followings. A few, like Rao’s, in East Harlem, are impossible to get into. Some fly under the radar, never publicizing the celebrities and athletes who are regulars. Emilio’s Ballato, on East Houston Street, has long been a gathering place for artists and musicians. Because the restaurant doesn’t take reservations, during busy times potential customers often wait in line to gain entrance. But since it’s become known that Ballato’s is one of Taylor Swifts’ favorite dining spots, the lines have become much, much longer.
This isn’t the first time that Ballato’s has been outed as a mecca for the rich and famous. An October 25, 2011 article in the New York Times by Jeff Gordinier profiled the restaurant and its owner, Emilio Vitolo, naming Lenny Kravitz, Rhianna, Snoop Dog, Sheryl Crow, Justin Bieber, and others as regulars. Vitolo says he never broadcasts who visits and would never alert the media about who’s in the house. Once inside the restaurant, however, the proof is on the walls where a plethora of celebrity photographs, with or without Vitolo, are on display. (Anthony Vitolo, one of Emilio’s sons and the restaurant’s executive chef, does post on social media, including a photo with a recent customer, Yankee captain Aaron Judge.) But even Vitolo’s efforts to protect celebrities weren’t prepared to deal with Swiftie mania.
Swift’s visit to Ballato was a “girls’ night out” with Brittany Mahomes, Sophie Turner, Blake Lively, and Blake’s older sister, according to an article in People magazine. They dined in Ballato’s back room, set aside for special parties. In another People article, Emilio, Jr., who helps run the restaurant, as well as a speakeasy Da Milio, around the corner, spoke about Swift’s visit. When she was ready to leave the restaurant, he said, “there were 2,000 people outside, but I didn’t call them. I’m not that guy.” (For the record, Emilio, Jr. has his own experience with paparazzi, having dated Katie Holmes.)
Swift is a real talent and has become a cultural icon. But why has she become the arbiter of the best Italian food? I pondered this thought while my husband and I waited in line outside Ballato’s for more than an hour. We had been to a Yankee game where Aaron Judge hit two home runs, raising his total so far to 51. (Thankfully, he wasn’t dining at the restaurant that evening, or our wait might have been even longer.) We were tired and just wanted a good meal. But once we took the subway down to Houston Street the die was cast. Wait in line or try to find another place to eat in the busy downtown area.
I had time to study and listen to the other people in line, most obviously not real New Yorkers accustomed to this hurry up and wait routine. One tried to appeal to the person guarding the door by explaining how far they had come to eat at Ballato’s. He wasn’t impressed and the man fell back into line.
Emilio himself took up his favorite spot, sitting at a table outside the restaurant with a bottle of water. A small player blasting favorite songs from the 70s and 80s provided some entertainment for those waiting.
Our timing was not the best since we arrived at 5:30, half an hour after the place opened for dinner. Those waiting in line at 5 p.m. got tables. Now we had to wait while they were served and finished their meals. We guessed at least 60 minutes, maybe 90. We were close: it took about 70 minutes.
This visit wasn’t our first, so we knew no matter how long we waited, it would be worth it. Shortly after we were seated at a table for two, our waiter came over, filled our water glasses and took our drink order. He returned with a basket of focaccia, yeasty bread with tomato sauce. After we finished it, in record time he brought another one!
We began with baked clams. Few restaurants prepare baked clams as perfectly as Ballato’s. The clams themselves are cooked, but never rubbery. The bread crumbs are well seasoned and crispy. The sauce that ends up in the bottom of the dish was quickly wiped up with some of that focaccia.
Our second course was one of our favorites, the cheese ravioli. Ballato’s pastas are homemade and cooked to perfection. These puffy pockets filled with ricotta are served swimming in just the right amount of fresh tomato sauce.
Our main course was chicken parmesan, served with a green salad side dish. Chicken parmesan is a mainstay on Italian menus, but oftentimes the chicken is not pounded thin enough to be tender and the dish is often over seasoned and over sauced. Ballato’s is the gold standard, one hard to beat.
Dessert was another choice ubiquitous on listings, the cannoli. Ballato’s has a crisp shell and a creamy filling. My guess is the filling is added when the dessert is ordered, so the shell doesn’t get soggy.
At Ballato’s there’s red wine and white wine, no complicated wine list when ordering by the glass. The two glasses of red wine we ordered were most likely a chianti and a wonderful compliment to the food.
Leaving, we stopped to chat with Emilio, telling him once again how much we enjoyed his food. And we asked about that back room. Who knows when we might have our own Swiftie-like reason to celebrate something special?
Photos by Woman Around Town
