If you're in the mood for utterly novel and startlingly memorable Italian food, then Babbo is worth the wait.

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Unless you count Ms. Lee's cheesecake and Mr. Batali's decadent Babbo pastas as fitting into the health category, we've pretty much struck out here.

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The Four Seasons won best restaurant, Babbo won for best new restaurant, Union Square Cafe for outstanding wine service and Le Bernardin for outstanding service.

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Mr. Beckwith, who was born and raised in Manhattan, also served time as a sommelier at Babbo, having had his wine epiphany during a semester abroad in Florence.

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Babbo , an oh-so-fashionable Italian eatery, deserves its popularity.

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The celebrated 43-year-old restaurateur (with Mario Batali, a force behind Babbo and Del Posto, among others), winemaker and TV personality ("Master Chef") had long lived a calorie-rich high life when he dedicated himself to distance running, completing a New York City Marathon and shedding more than 50 pounds along the way.

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