Italian Heritage at Babbo Osteria

On any given day @babboosteria is filled with stylish Cariocas on dates waiting for an impossible table. This place warms my heart and honors every food memory I have growing up as a Brazilian-Italian. Recently entering the Michelin Guide, the gorgeous restaurant in Ipanema oozes warmth from the historic decor on the walls to the Italian comfort on your plate.

To start I can’t pass on an arancini, but I also love the eggplant parmesan which my aunt and I delight in together, having husbands who ban this lovely vegetable from our menu. The filet mignon crudo is astoundingly complex and rich, hitting fresh, crunchy, creamy, all at once. My main dish dilemma here: indulge in porcini gnocchi, celebrate the decadence of the “pepenara,” a masterful blend of carbonara meets cacio e pepe, or delight in the refreshing saffron-lemon pasta with scallops.

Sharing my Italian background was confusing after moving to the US. “But aren’t you Brazilian” was the question, in full dismay that we have our own melting pot. Vincenzo, my grandmother’s grandfather on her mothers side, went from Sorrento to Sao Paulo and became a textile dyer. My grandmother’s father Gaetano had to quit studying to serve in World War I and decided not to pursue his degree thereafter, having fallen in love with a prostitute. He was promptly shipped from Calabria to Brazil by his father Riccardo. Or so the story goes as my grandmother tells it. In Sao Paulo, where many Italians settled and built a community, Gaetano met and married my great grandmother, my “Bisa,” Esmeralda.

Days at my grandmother’s house were spent eating gnocchi, reading little love notes in Baci chocolates, and watching RAI TV. Once I left Brazil, these were my memories, filled with afternoons listening to Pavarotti instead of Caetano Veloso. And so began my identity crisis as a Brazilian abroad.

According to the Italian government, there are 31 million Brazilians of Italian descent, the largest diaspora outside of Italy. I cherish this heritage deeply and hope it will render its own pilgrimage someday. For now you can find me and my memories at Babbo.

Thank you @elia.schramm and @alicetemfome for the hospitality ❤️