Manhattan’s oldest Italian restaurant is about to serve its ultimate meal.
After 120 years on West forty sixth Avenue’s Restaurant Row, Barbetta will shut its doorways tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 27.
The choice to shutter the eatery, which can be the longest-running family-owned restaurant within the metropolis, comes after the demise of longtime proprietor Laura Maioglio. She ran the establishment till she handed away final month at age 93.
“With heavy hearts, we share that following the passing of Ms. Laura Maioglio, the guts and soul of Barbetta, the restaurant will conclude its exceptional journey, with our final day of service on Friday, February 27,” the restaurant shared in a farewell message on its web site.
Barbetta was based in 1906 by Maioglio’s father, Sebastiano Maioglio, in accordance with Secret NYC.
The restaurant, which spreads throughout 4 adjoining Nineteenth-century brownstones initially bought by the Astor household, grew to become an establishment within the Theater District, drawing in Broadway stars, opera performers, artists and politicians.
The Submit penned an ode to the restaurant again in 2015, noting that the eatery had been featured in movies resembling “Arthur,” with Dudley Moore, “Basquiat,” with Jeffrey Wright; and “Alice” with Woody Allen.
Laura Maioglio took over the household enterprise in 1962 and, over the course of over six a long time, reworked Barbetta into probably the most elegant Italian eating places within the metropolis.
On the time, regional Italian delicacies was not a development in New York, and Individuals related Italian meals with rustic joints filled with pink sauce.
Barbetta constructed its repute on consistency and custom, specializing in Piemonte delicacies from the northwestern Italian area, the place the Maioglio household originated.
Elegant pastas, risotti and seasonal white truffles have been signature dishes — with the restaurant even sourcing truffles by way of its personal hunters and truffle hounds in Italy for some years, extraordinarily uncommon on the time.
The wine cellar at Barbetta additionally launched many American patrons to Piedmontese wines resembling Barolo and Barbaresco lengthy earlier than they grew to become wine checklist staples.
Barbetta additionally stood out for its flourishing backyard patio, which was created in 1963 and was among the many first open-air eating areas in Manhattan outdoors of Central Park. The backyard ultimately grew to become one of many metropolis’s most extremely coveted summer season eating reservations.
Whereas Barbetta was an establishment in New York, it made its mark far past the Large Apple.
The restaurant was acknowledged as a historic institution by Locali Storici d’Italia — the primary restaurant within the US to obtain the excellence.
In Barbetta’s farewell message, the restaurant invited visitors to go to till its closing, they usually shared that many bottles from their wine cellar are being supplied at half of their listed value.
“It was Laura’s want that visitors proceed to collect right here within the spirit she cherished, and we invite you to affix us throughout this ultimate month to have a good time the meals, wine, and reminiscences which have outlined Barbetta for generations,” the restaurant mentioned.
“In that spirit, we’re sharing our in depth wine cellar, with bottles listed at $200 and above supplied at half their listed value. Thanks for being a part of our story.”
