By Robin Raisfeld and Rob Patronite

House-marinated fresh anchovies with fennel three ways. Photo: Melissa HomWhen Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich joined forces in 1998 to openBabbo, the restaurant was pioneering in its casual approach to fine dining, its celebration of local and seasonal ingredients in the service of classic Italian cuisine, and its dining-room rock-and-roll soundtrack.

Since then, the partners have expanded to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the suburbs. But in their spiritual and culinary home of New York, it's been a decade since they opened their last freestanding Manhattan restaurant, Del Posto, anchoring a then-new restaurant hub in far west Chelsea.

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Source: http://www.grubstreet.com/