Firsts Achieved under founder, Sebastiano Maioglio’s tenure:

  • First Piemontese restaurant in New York (1906)
  • First to serve wild Porcini mushrooms (picked by Sebastiano Maioglio in the Connecticut woods) (1906)
  • First to serve Risotto (1906)
  • First to serve Polenta (1906)
  • * First Espresso machine in a restaurant (imported bySebastiano Maioglio) (1911)

Firsts Achieved under Laura Maioglio’s tenure:

  • ** First elegant Italian restaurant in New York (1962)
  • * First to serve White Truffles (1962)
  • * First restaurant to have its own Truffle Hounds (1962)
  • First restaurant to have a Truffle Hound hunt for truffles on the stage of Carnegie Hall (1992)
  • First to serve Bagna Cauda (1962)
  • * First to serve Barbaresco, Gattinara, Ghemme (1962)
  • * First to serve decaffeinated espresso (Caffé-Hag) (1962)
  • First Pre-Opera Menu (1962)
  • First restaurant with a garden (outside Central Park) (1963)
  • First restaurant to present weekly fashion shows by the great designers during Wednesday matineè lunch (1963-1976)
  • First to serve Tuscan Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (1964)
  • * First to serve sun-dried tomatoes (1968)
  • First restaurant to serve risotto all’onda (1968)
  • First restaurant to serve risotto made with extra-virgin olive oil, instead of butter (2003)
  • First Pre-Theatre Menu (1971 )
  • * First to serve Grignolino (1974)
  • First elegant restaurant to extensively employ women in the dining room (1975)
  • First to serve Tiramìsu (1982) (since discontinued)
  • First to serve Panna Cotta (1984)
  • First restaurant to discourage smoking by replacing matches in matchbox with after dinner chocolate mints (1987)
  • First restaurant to be written up on The New York Times editorial page for the above (1987)
  • First historic restaurant from America invited to serve a gala dinner in a historic restaurant in Italy(the Cambio, established in 1757 in Torino) (1990)
  • First restaurant in America to be landmarked by the Locali Storici d’Italia (Historic Italian Establishments) (1991)
  • * Denotes direct import by Barbetta because these products were not available on the American market at that time.
  • ** Barbetta was the first Italian restaurant to turn away from the rustic, red-and-white checkered tablecloth, Chianti fiasco stereotype and to embrace grand elegance in decor, menu, wine list and price structure. Truly a revolutionary concept in 1962.