Spaghetti bolognese, lasagna fatto in casa, insalata—no, this isn’t high school Italian class, it’s the menu of Babbo’s Spaghetteria, the latest avant-garde restaurant in Columbia at 1305 Grindstone Parkway (formerly Plush Pig BBQ.) Babbo’s features house made sauces and salad dresses that perfectly compliment each and every entrée; but think of it this way: Babbo’s is fancy enough for a date with your significant other, but the prices are low enough to keep your wallet happy.
The restaurant is also an expansion of the successful Del Pietro dining empire that took Missouri by storm with Sugo’s and Del Pietro’s in St. Louis and Babbo’s in Chesterfield. Owner Michael Del Pietro signed the lease in January after seeing enormous success at the Chesterfield location.
“The owner likes people to know we have good portions for good prices,” said Mike Evans, general manager of Babbo’s in Columbia. “The menu is as simple as it can be—we like to keep things nice and simple to the quality of the Del Pietro family.”
As Evans said, the menu is short and sweet; only a few appetizers, three different salads and traditional pizza and pasta options, all priced between $5 and $15. Del Pietro selected the name “Babbo,” which means “daddy” in Italian, to give the restaurant a more friendly and approachable demeanor. Despite the chandelier mood lighting and glass vials of water, Babbo’s brings fine Italian dining to Columbia without the stuffy prices.
“We had a ‘soft’ opening so there would be less pressure and more time to figure things out,” Evans said, noting the restaurant is now open for both lunch and dinner during the week. “Everything’s going amazing so far.”
