It's tough to impress an Italian girl with Italian food. Babbo Italian Eatery left an impression and it was "molto bene!"
The ambiance at Babbo Italian Eatery was cool and urban. It's a dimly lit restaurant; one that's good by day, but I suspect better by night. They have a nice little patio which was a bit noisy (too noisy to hear my favorite band emanating through the speakers!) but that's to be expected at a busy CenPho intersection. I imagine even cool winter nights would be pleasant on the patio warmed by electric heaters. And for what it's worth (I think the ladies will back me on this one) I was very happy to notice the restroom was clean and attractive.
I ordered the Steak and Pesto Pasta (flank steak, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes and pesto over penne and topped with shreds of Parmesan and basil.) It was colorful, flavorful and plentful...so much so I could only finish about half. It was slightly on the oily side, but that's par for the course with pesto. The meal also came with a nearly-warm herbed focaccia along with a "not-too-heavy" oil and "just-the-right-amount-of-kick" balsamic plate for dipping.
The service was fast and friendly; the server even chatting me up for a few minutes. He's leaving Arizona soon so I hope the other servers are just as personable on my future visits. For today's visit, Babbo Italian Eatery was "squisito"!