New York City: Barbuto (July 2018)

My spouse and I and 10 friends dined at Barbuto for dinner on a Saturday evening in late-July 2018.  We dined in their private dining room as part of a pre-wedding (bachelorette/bachelor) celebration.

“Barbuto” means “bearded” in Italian, which is surely a nod to the chef/owner Jonathan Waxman’s beard. The restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner. Barbuto accepts reservations for parties of three or greater via telephone or by using the Open Table reservation system. The hosts seat parties of two patrons or less on a first-come/first-served basis.

Barbuto, which opened in 2004, is located in the West Village near Washington and 12^th Streets. The restaurant occupies a former car repair garage, which features an open and airy space with high ceilings, concrete floors, white brick walls, and an open kitchen with a pizza oven. Garage doors that front two sides of the restaurant roll up in nice weather, allowing both semi-outdoor and sidewalk dining. In addition, Barbuto offers a small private dining room that can accommodate up to 10 guests. Finally, the restaurant offers a chef’s table in the kitchen, where up to 14 guests can watch the chefs in action while they dine on dishes served family-style.
 

Jonathan Waxman, an American chef who pioneered California cuisine in New York (food cooked using French techniques and fresh local ingredients), owns Barbuto. Waxman attended cooking school in France before working at legendary Chez Panisse in Berkeley and at Michael's in Los Angeles. He currently owns both Jams and Barbuto in New York City, Waxman’s in San Francisco, Brezza Cucina in Atlanta, and Adele’s in Nashville. He also created Bud’s, Hulot’s, Jams of London, and Table 29. He has published two cookbooks, “A Great American Cook” and “Italian My Way”. He participated in two seasons of “Top Chef Masters” on Bravo, where he earned the nickname “Obi Wan Kenobi” because of his great knowledge and his mentoring ability.

Barbuto serves rustic Italian food in a laid-back atmosphere. The menu is seasonal and changes often. We sampled many dishes, including the insalata di cavolo, which features thinly sliced kale and crunchy breadcrumbs tossed in a creamy dressing of anchovies and pecorino, Barbuto’s signature dish, the JW roasted half-chicken with crispy skin, which is drizzled with salsa verde.

We previously dined at Barbuto for lunch in July 2016; see our review using this link.