New York - April 10, 2000

Mario Batali Opens Esca

Esca Restaurant

With Mario Batali, it’s a simple matter of math. Indeed, the man is a phenomenal chef, but in New York (population: 8 million), there are a lot of mouths to feed. (Thus the logic behind the inhuman waiting time on reservation calls.)

His first venture, Po, didn’t pose much of a problem. It was small and hidden downtown, and the Batali hype hadn’t spread. With Babbo, the hysteria hit. The whole world seemed to — within a flash of a pan — wake to the genius of the ponytailed Italian chef.

So Batali bowed to the masses: He published a cookbook (the we-can’t-accommodate-you-do-it-yourself approach), went on TV, and opened the humbler Lupa on Thompson Street.

But still everyone had to wait.

Plenty of mouths remain to be fed. Today, Batali, with partners Joe Bastianich and David Pasternak, open Esca, a Southern Italian restaurant specializing in seafood. Trivia note: Esca translates as “bait”.)

Esca, 402 W 43rd Street, at Ninth Avenue,(212-564-7272).