Monday, November 26, 2012

Mario Batali Might Be Opening Babbo Pizzeria in Boston

A New York-based celebrity chef, restaurateur, writer, and TV personality is hoping to open a restaurant in Boston.

According to a post on his Twitter page, Mario Batali is planning to open Babbo Pizzeria somewhere in the city, with Eater Boston mentioning that the eatery could be opening in the Fort Point neighborhood or the Seaport District. Batali runs an award-winning place in New York called Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca along with OTTO Enoteca Pizzeria in New York and Las Vegas and Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles, Newport Beach, CA, and Singapore, so it is possible that the new restaurant could have components of all three places--or it could be an entirely new spot (stay tuned for updates).

[November 27 update: The Boston Herald is reporting that Batali's new restaurant will be located at 320 Summer Street in the Fort Point area, which ties into the following article that we posted in March: A New Restaurant May Be On Its Way to Summer Street in the Fort Point Area . The Herald also mentions that this will actually be a third location of the aforementioned OTTO Enoteca Pizzeria, though it is possible that it may be called Babbo Pizzeria in order to avoid conflict and/or confusion with Otto Pizza, a Portland-based eatery that has locations in Cambridge and Brookline. The pizza restaurant is actually not a done deal, as no agreement has been signed yet for the 6,500-square-foot space, according to the article.]

[April 5, 2013 update: The Boston Globe confirms that Mario Batali's upcoming restaurant is definitely going to be happening, and that it will be called Babbo Pizzeria and Enoteca. The article also says that the restaurant could be opening in the middle of the fall. (Thanks to the Boston Hospitality and Tourism Industry Blog for bringing this to our attention.)]

[August 26, 2013 update: Eater Boston mentions that a Twitter post from Mario Batali says an opening for Babbo Pizzeria and Enoteca in Fort Point is "not looking good right now." (Batali then goes on to say "[I'll] keep you posted.") As soon as we hear more about what might be going on with Babbo, we will post another update here.]

In addition to the restaurants mentioned above, Mario Batali also owns a number of other eateries in the United States and Asia, and can currently be seen on ABC's "The Chew." (He also starred on the Food Network's "Iron Chef America.") Batali is also known for his cookbooks and food/cooking products, many of which can be found at Eataly, his massive Italian emporium in New York. Mario's website is at http://www.mariobatali.com/

Thanks to Grub Street Boston for bringing this to our attention.