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Babbo Italian Eatery opens new location with hot new menu items comm. spotlight
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“Babbo” means “dad” in Italian, and the food at this locally owned chain is a lot like what an Italian father might cook if all the aunts in the family ever let him in the kitchen – and if he made protein bowls. That’s right – protein bowls are the newest addition to the entrees on Babbo’s menu. With various pickyour-protein options (chicken, flat iron steak, shrimp, salmon) on a bed of brown rice, red quinoa, broccoli, yellow squash, zucchini and carrots, they don’t exactly scream “authentic Italian!” but they are really, really good. Served in perfectly manageable portions, the protein bowls burst with earthy and wholesome flavors and imYOUR SCOTTSDALE maculately cooked meats (the grilled ESTATE chicken is REAL especially tasty). The protein bowls aren’t the only PROFFESSIONALS thingYOUR that’s new with Babbo. There’s a SCOTTSDALE YOUR SCOTTSDALE YOUR SCOTTSDALE REAL ESTATE REAL ESTATE REAL ESTATE YOUR SCOTTSDALE YOUR SCOTTSDALE PROFFESSIONALS PROFFESSIONALS YOUR SCOTTSDALE PROFFESSIONALS REAL ESTATE REAL ESTATE PROFFESSIONALS REAL ESTATE PROFFESSIONALS classifieds
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brand new Babbo location near Talking Stick Resort (the eighth Babbo in the Valley since the company’s founding in 2002). There’s also a new cocktail called Electric Lemonade that makes a sweet pairing with the Lemon Cooler Cookie. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. We’ll get to dessert later. But first, bruschetta. Bruschetta (which Italians pronounce brusk-etta, but which everyone else seems insistent on pronouncing brush-etta) isn’t new to the Babbo menu, but they take a lot of pride in it, and it’s some of the better bruschetta around town. The bruschetta comes in trios and options for the pick-three are: roasted red bell pepper and goat cheese; salami and fig with arugula and blue cheese; mozzarella, basil and tomato; pear and walnut with goat cheese, blue cheese and honey; fig
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PROFFESSIONALS
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of professionalism every day. Let us DESIGNATED BROKER • level ASSET PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Www. RobinsonGroupRE.com (602) 317-6883 Www. RobinsonGroupRE.com • RESIDENTIAL Www. RobinsonGroupRE.com • ASSET PROPERTY MANAGEMENT •• ASSET PROPERTY MANAGEMENT ASSET PROPERTY MANAGEMENT $ Million 26.5 Million 2017 Sales (602) 317-6883 help you and your family! ERICH R. ROBINSON • COMMERCIAL $ 26.5 Million 2017 Sales $ 26.5 2017 Sales ERRobinson@msn.com $ 26.5 Million - 2017 Sales • COMMERCIAL ERRobinson@msn.com President’s Round Table Award Winner President’s Round Table Award Winner DESIGNATED BROKER President’s Round Table Award Winner President’s Round Table Award Winner Www. RobinsonGroupRE.com • RESIDENTIAL • ASSET PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Multi-Million Annual Producer 2000 –2017 Www. RobinsonGroupRE.com Multi-Million Annual Producer 2000 –2017 • ASSET PROPERTY MANAGEMENT (602) 317-6883 Multi-Million Producer 2000 Multi-Million Annual Producer –2017 $Annual 26.5 Million -2000 2017 Sales–2017 18 Year MMR Resident $MMR 26.5 Million - 2017 Sales 18 Year Resident • COMMERCIAL 18 MMR Resident ERRobinson@msn.com 18Year Year MMR Resident President’s Round Table Award Winner President’s Round Table Award Winner Www. RobinsonGroupRE.com Multi-Million Annual Producer Multi-Million Annual Producer 20002000 –2017–2017 • ASSET PROPERTY MANAGEMENT 26.5 Million -Resident 2017 Sales THE ROBINSON GROUP Year MMR 18$18 Year MMR Resident THE ROBINSON GROUP President’s Round Table Award Winner THE ROBINSON GROUP PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE SERVICES Multi-Million Annual Producer 2000 –2017 SERVICES PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE SERVICES “TODAY, TOMORROW, ALWAYS” 18 Year MMR Resident
THE ROBINSON GROUP
THE ROBINSON GROUP “TODAY, TOMORROW, ALWAYS” PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE SERVICES THE ROBINSON GROUP “TODAY, TOMORROW, ALWAYS” 8970 E. Raintree Drive - Suite 200 - Scottsdale, AZ SERVICES 85260 PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE
PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE SERVICES “TODAY, TOMORROW, ALWAYS”
Office: (602) -396-2000 Fax: 396-2034 8970 E. Raintree Drive Suite 200200 - Scottsdale, AZ 85260 “TODAY, TOMORROW, ALWAYS” 8970 E. Raintree Drive - Suite -(602) Scottsdale, AZ 85260 THE ROBINSON GROUP
“TODAY, TOMORROW, ALWAYS”
Office: (602) 396-2000 (602) 396-2034 Office: (602) 396-2000Fax:Fax: (602) 396-2034 PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE SERVICES 8970 E. Raintree Drive Suite 200 - Scottsdale, AZ 85260 8970 E. Raintree Drive - Suite 200 - Scottsdale, AZ 85260
8970 E.“TODAY, Raintree Drive - Suite 200 -396-2034 Scottsdale, AZ 85260 TOMORROW, ALWAYS” Office: (602) 396-2000 396-2034 Office: (602) 396-2000 Fax:Fax: (602)(602) Office: (602) 396-2000
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Fax: (602) 396-2034
The new flat iron steak protein bowl. (Insets) The Lemon Cooler Cookie comes topped with white chocolate and coconut ice cream; the new chicken protein bowl. (Photos by Erica & John Photography)
and prosciutto with arugula; spicy fig jam with jalapeño and cream cheese; and balsamic marinated tomatoes and goat cheese. There’s not a bad choice among them, but the roasted red bell pepper and goat cheese is one of the best, with the creamy and slightly bitter cheese offsetting the subtle spicysweet tango of the peppers. Babbo’s pastas are also noteworthy. Cooked al dente and served with an ideal ratio of sauce-to-pasta, these dishes stand out among the entrees. There are a whopping 29 pasta options on the menu, including stellar spaghetti and meatballs and a worth-thewait lasagne. Four new pastas top the menu: Zoodles Arrabbiatta (zucchini noodles in a spicy marinara sauce that includes pomodoro tomato, anchovy paste, onion and fresh basil); Pasta Francaise (fettucine pasta with caramelized onions, sun-dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts and parmesan in a garlic butter wine sauce); Super Food Pasta (fettucine noodles with pesto, Tuscan kale, spinach, green onions, red chili and garlic in a white wine sauce); and What the Kale? (penne pasta with artichoke, garlic, kale and Roma tomatoes in a creamy three-cheese sauce). Any of the pastas on the menu can be substituted with zucchini noodles for $1.50. Babbo’s menu is rounded out with salads, sandwiches, calzones, and of course, pizzas. New to the salad selections are a “Super Chopped Mediterranean” and a “BBQ Crispy Chicken Salad.” There are three new sammies: a prosciutto and fig variety that’s remi-
8970 E. Raintree Drive - Suite 200 - Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Nearby News • For News Around Our Neighborhood
niscent of the bruschetta, a crispy chicken parmesan sandwich, and a “remodeled” Buffalo chicken Caesar sandwich (served with blue cheese and topped with a Caesar salad). Five 12-inch Neopolitan-style pizzas have been added to the menu, as well, including a flavor explosion called the “Greek Garden” topped with artichoke, kalamata olives, red bell pepper, pepperoncini, red onion and feta. Also notable: the meaty Farmhouse pizza studded with sausage, bacon and capicola and topped with a sunny side-up egg. And keeping with the restaurant’s thing for fusing fig and prosciutto, there’s a new fig and prosciutto pizza (the Italian sausage and gouda cheese make this perhaps the tastiest fig-andprosciutto iteration on Babbo’s menu). If you manage to make it through appetizers and entrees and still have room for dessert, the Lemon Cooler Cookie is a must-try. This massive cookie (be prepared to share!) is filled with gooey, lemony goodness and topped with white chocolate and coconut ice cream and big, fragrant mint leaves. It’s downright dreamy. If you imbibe in alcohol, the new Electric Lemonade cocktail (a blend of passion fruit vodka, lemon juice, lime and mint) pairs perfectly with this sweet treat. It’s the kind of dinner denouement any dad would dig, Italian or not.
Babbo Italian Eatery 8840 E. Talking Stick Way Scottsdale, 480-291-5050 babboitalian.com