Mario Batali

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Mario Batali

Born September 9, 1960
Yakima, WA
Cooking style Italian
Education Rutgers University
Le Cordon Bleu
Restaurants Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca, Lupa Osteria Romana, Italian Wine Merchant (shop), Esca, Otto Enoteca Pizzeria, Casa Mono, Bar Jamon, Bistro du Vent, Del Posto, (all located in New York City)
TV Show(s) Molto Mario; Ciao America with Mario Batali; Iron Chef America; Mario, Full Boil

Mario Batali (b. September 9, 1960) is an Italian-American chef, restaurateur, TV host and writer.

As of 2006, his cooking show, Molto Mario, has not been renewed by the Food Network. The show lasted ten years. [1]

Contents

[edit] Personal History

Batali attended Rutgers University where he double majored in Spanish Theater and Economics, graduating in 1982.

He currently lives in New York with his wife Susi Cahn (daughter of Miles and Lillian Cahn, founders of Coach Leather) and two sons, Leo and Benno. His father is Armandino Batali, owner of Salumi in Seattle.

Batali is often identified by his constant wearing of orange Calzuro brand clogs. They became one of his symbols, with a pair appearing on the back cover of his 2005 cookbook, Molto Italiano and himself wearing them in the front cover of his 2006 book Mario Tailgates NASCAR Style.

[edit] Professional History

During university Batali started working as a dishwasher at Stuff Yer Face restaurant in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He quickly moved up from dishwasher to pizzaman.

Batali spent time at Le Cordon Bleu in London and three years as a chef's apprentice in Northern Italy. He opened Po with his then-partner, Stephen Crane, but sold his interest in the restaurant in September 2000.

In 1998, with his business partner, Joe Bastianich (son of Lidia Bastianich), he went on to own the recent Michelin star winning Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca. They have since opened seven additional restaurants, Lupa (1999), Esca (2000), Otto Enoteca Pizzeria (2003), Casa Mono (2004), Bar Jamon (2004), Bistro du Vent (2004), and Del Posto (2005) and in 1999 a shop named Italian Wine Merchants (1999). They are currently working on opening an eighth restaurant, B&B Ristorante, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Batali is also one of the principal subjects of Bill Buford's 2006 book, Heat.

[edit] Television career

[edit] Awards

  • Three Stars from The New York Times for Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca
  • "Best New Restaurant of 1998" from the James Beard Foundation for Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca
  • "Man of the Year" in GQ's chef category in 1999
  • D'Artagnan Cervena Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America in 2001
  • "Best Chef: New York City" from the James Beard Foundation in 2002
  • "All-Clad Cookware Outstanding Chef Award" from the James Beard Foundation in 2005 (national award)

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] Sources and external links