Hot Dish


Barbatella Adds “Mozzarella Bar”

The Italian trattoria on Third Street South is encouraging people to nibble on buffalo mozzarella, marinated olives and more.

BY November 11, 2016

Photos by Dorothea Hunter Sönne

 

We brought you in our October 2016 “For Food Lovers Only” issue three dinner parties of your dreams—one of which was an antipasto-heavy Tuscan spread inspired by the cuisine at Barbatella on Third Street South in Naples.

The restaurant features many of the dishes we pictured in the magazine, like prosciutto di Parma with pureed pistachio drops and roasted pears, and the owners just recently decided to add a “mozzarella bar” to the regular offerings. (It occupies a prominent place across the top of the menu.)

You can let Barbatella do the picking for you; a shared plate for four from the bar is a mix of cheese, meat, antipasti and grilled bread for $45.

It’s still being worked on and tweaked, but as of now, they’re thinking guests can either tell their servers what they’re interested in having on a shareable plate ($25 for two people or $45 for four) or by walking up to the jars of buffalo mozzarella, fior di latte (cow’s milk mozzarella) and buffalo burrata and trays of marinated artichokes, sundried tomatoes, zucchini, cipollinis and more and picking an assortment for themselves a la carte. There will also be a Parma ham (prosciutto crudo) aged 18 months, ready for slicing, along with other salumi including speck and sopressata. The individual servings of the antipasti range from $3 to $7; the cheeses $8 to $12; and the cured meats $10 to $16. If you’re familiar with the trattoria, the set-up is by the open kitchen in the same building as the gelato counter that empties onto the sidewalk.

The only thing left to do is waltz in—and then dive in.

 

To plan a visit:

Barbatella

1290 Third St. S., Naples

(239) 263-1955

barbatellanaples.com

 

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