Is This The Best Italian Restaurant In New York?

CHELSEA, NY — Chelsea's Del Posto restaurant, co-founded by the disgraced chef Mario Batali, has been named the best Italian restaurant in New York by The Daily Meal.

The Chelsea restaurant nabbed the honor in a nationwide ranking from the food and drink magazine.

The acclaimed Manhattan restaurant, which opened in 2005, is one of multiple opened by Mario Batali and his business partner Joe Bastianich as part of the Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group. It is also co-owned by Lidia Bastianich.

Batali, once one of the most famous and powerful chefs in New York's dining scene, has stepped down from day-to-day operations of the restaurant group after multiple women accused him of harassment and other sexual misconduct. Four women told Eater in December that Batali had groped or inappropriately touched them during the last 20 years.

The women, three of whom worked for Batali, told Eater that Batali had groped or inappropriately touched them. Other people said they had heard similar rumors of the chef's aggressive and inappropriate behavior with women.

In a separate investigation by the New York Times, employees at the popular Village restaurant The Spotted Pig said they called Batali the "red menace" because of his inappropriate behavior at the restaurant's private top floor.

Jamie Seet, an employee at The Spotted Pig, that at one such party she saw Batali groping and kissing a woman who appeared to be unconscious. Another server told the Times that Batali was nicknamed the "Red Menace" around the restaurant.

"Though I don't remember these specific accounts, there is no question I have behaved terribly," Batali told the Times in December. "There are no excuses. I take full responsibility and am deeply sorry for any pain, humiliation or discomfort I have caused."

The Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group is reportedly considering a name change for its establishment and has said it has hired an outside investigations firm to investigate the complaints against Batali.

Del Posto, located at 85 Tenth Ave., has consistently been ranked as one of New York City's best Italian restaurants. Its top spot on The Daily Meal's list was determined after the magazine looked at "best of" lists and reviews from local publications across the country. Big chains weren’t considered in the ranking, The Daily Meal said.

Image credit: AP Photo / Tina Fineberg. Image caption: Diners eat at the Italian restaurant Del Posto, New York's latest culinary hotspot, Wednesday Feb. 8, 2006.