Bestselling New York Cookbook Author

 DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

Daniel Bellino Zwicke

BOOKS

DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

 is a Best-Selling Italian-American author, wine professional, and restaurant consultant, based in New York City's Greenwich Village. He is widely recognized as an authority on Italian wine and culinary culture, specifically the traditions of New York’s Italian-American community. 

Professional Background

Restaurateur: He was the creator, executive chef, and wine director of Bar Cichetti, which is credited as the first Venetian Wine Bar (Bacaro) in America. Many celebrities dined at Bar Cichetti, including : Daniel's friends Matt Dillon, John Lurie, & Fischer Stevens, as well as Rosie Perez, Marisa Tomei, Debi Mazar, and Ed Harris.

• Maitre'd Experience: He served as the maitre'd at the renowned celebrity hotspot Da Silvano in New York, where he catered to high-profile clients including Keith Richards, David Bowie, Bozz Scaggs, Quentin Tarantino, Uma Thurman, Ethan Hawke, Nick Tosches, Graydon Carter, Robert De Niro, and others.
• Wine Expert: Over a 35-year career, he has served as a wine director at prestigious establishments such as Barbetta in NYC.
• Maitre d' & Wine Director: He served as the Maitre d' at the celebrity hotspot Da Silvano and was the Wine Director at the renowned restaurant Barbetta in New York City.
• CELEBRITY CONNECTION : During his tenure at Da Silvano, he managed high-profile clientele including Keith Richards, David Bowie, Richard Gere, Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul McCartney, and Robert De Niro. 
• Notable Literary Works
  Zwicke has authored numerous books that blend recipes with personal stories and cultural history: 
  
  
  SUNDAY SAUCE. : When Italian-Americans Cook: His most famous work, which spent over two years as a #1 Best Seller in Italian cookbooks on Amazon.
  • Grandma Bellino’s Italian Cookbook: A collection of recipes passed down from his Sicilian grandmother.
  • The Feast of the 7 Fish: A guide to the traditional Italian-American Christmas Eve seafood feast.
  • Sinatra Sauce: A tribute to Frank Sinatra, featuring the singer's favorite Italian foods and stories.
  • La Tavola: Tales of Italian-American life and adventures in New York.
  • Got Any Kahlua?: A unique cookbook inspired by the film The Big Lebowski, aka
  • The BIG LEBOWSKI COOKBOOK ...
  • Positano The Amalfi Coast: A combination of a travel guide and cookbook for the southern Italian region. 
  • BOOKS by Daniel are Available on Amazon @ AMAZON.com
  • Current Projects
  • As of late 2025, Zwicke continues to write from his home in New York, with ongoing projects including a new book focused on the Chianti region of Italy, its food, and its wine. 
  • Daniel owns and operates the very popular Italian Instagram page 
  • NewYork.Italian - with more than a half Million Followers.
  • Are you looking for a specific recipe from one of his cookbooks, or would you like a list of his recommended restaurants in New York?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Daniel & Vincenzo Manzo
  
  
  At VILLA MARIA LEMON FARM AGRITURISMO
  
  
  MINORI, ITALY 
  
  
  
  
  ITALIAN COOKBOOKS & TRAVEL 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  BESTSELLING ITALIAN COOKBOOKS
  
  
  AMAZON.com 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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Dinner at Babbo -with Bellino

 

BABBO

Greenwich Village, New York NY

December 4, 2025

New York, NY

We had an amazing dinner at Babbo last night. Babe, the restaurant created by Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich (mostly Mario). Mario Batali became famous with Babbo, and a show on The Food Network simultaneously. The year was 1998. Anyway, Mario was (still is) a marvellous chef with tons of personality. He gained fame, became a celebrity chef and TV personality. Then he had a fall from grace, lost his TV show, and eventually sold his share in Babbo and other restaurants he owned with Joe Bastianich. After Mario left, Babbo began to slide, and lost much of its cache, which was Mario. Babo has never been the same post Mario.

Mark Ladner worked for Joe B & Mario during the duo's glory days. Mark was the chef of Lupa, and later the Executive Chef of Del Pesto. Mark is very talented, and so when restaurant impresario Stephen Starr bought Babbo and Lupa from Lida and Joe Bastianich, Starr hired Ladner as the executive chef of Babbo. Good move. Mark's food is amazing. Our dinner last night proved that. My cousin Joe made the statement that we had eaten at Babbo many times, and he said "This was our best meal here ever." I tend to agree. The food was amazing, we had some phenomenal wines, and I was with my cousins Joe, Eddie, and Tommy, and our good friend Max. We are all heavily into food and wine, and we are quite knowledgeable and versed on these subjects.

The food was quite wonderful. There were 6 of us, and we ordered more than half of the items on the menu.  We had the 48 Day Minestrone, whatever that means. It was delicious. Everybody at the table loved it. Then for antipasti, we ordered Sweetbreads, Vitello Tunato, salad, and Carne Cruda. 

We had two pasta courses. We ordered ; Tagliatelle with White Truffles, Beef Cheek Ravioli, Cavatelli with Rabbit Ragu, Spaghetti Vongole, and Tagliatelle Bolognese. All of these pasta dishes were amazing. The Truffles were sublimed. The Tagliatelle Bolognese was spectacular, a true Ragu of Bologna, "So Good." I loved it. Everyone, including me loved the Cavatelli with Rabbit Ragu. Really Tasty. And I always have loved eating the Beef Cheek Ravioli. I must say the pasta course was the highlight of the meal. Totally awesome.

We had started the meal with a Pigato, which I picked. Not many people would have ever heard of Pigato, a wine and grape varietal that comes from Liguria. It's a refreshing tasty white wine, and everyone at the table loved it. After the Pigato, my cousin Eddie ordered a magnum bottle of Barolo "Francia" 2001 from Giacomo Conterno, which is considered along with it sibling wine "Monfortino" to be the very best Barolos in the World. The wine was in perfect condition, and we all just loved it.

Our second pasta course came. The famed 100 Layer Lasagna by Chef Mark Ladner. This is becoming the signature dish of the restaurant and Chef Ladner. It's $100 a Pop. Not Cheap, but dammed good. Everybody in our group loved it.

For the main course, we had a T-bone Steak, Veal Chop Marsala, and Swordfish Milanese. The Steak was phenomenal. Loved it. The Veal Marsala was really good as well, but again, "The Steak," seriously good. The Swordfish was OK.

For dessert we had Saffron Zabiglione which was quite good, Panna Cotta (so-so), and Olive Oil Chocolate Cake which was one of the best-tastiest Chocolate Cakes that I've ever had. "So Good." we drank Averna Amaro with our desserts. The meal was phenomenal, and we all had a wonderful time.Thanks Joe. Cousin Joe who bought us all dinner. Not Joe B, he's gone.

And thanks to Chef Mark Ladner, and the whole crew at Babbo. Great job, we really enjoyed.

Thanks,

Daniel Bellino

Me & COUSIN JOE

BABBO

December 4, 2025

Greenwich Village, New York

"Thanks for the Wonderful Dinner Joe"

GIACOMO CONTERNO

BAROLO "FRANCIA" 2002

"One of the Best BAROLOS I've ever had"

CHEF MARK LADNER

BABBO

MARK LADNER'S 100 Layer LASAGNA

VALENTINI TREBBIAN d' ABRUZZO

A LEGENDARY WHITE WINE

ABRUZZO, ITALY

"We Drank this too"

All photos and article by Daniel Bellino Zwicke 

SUNDAY SAUCE

AMERICA'S FAVORITE ITALIAN COOKBOOK

Daniel Bellino Z

AMAZON.com

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