Mario Batali

Mario Batali's Restaurant Recommendations -- In Northern Michigan

Apparently, Mario Batali spends his summers in Leelanau County. That must be in the Finger Lakes or in the Adirondacks, right? Wrong! It's a rather obscure part of northwestern Michigan. Not in the UP (Upper Peninsula) either, but right across Lake Michigan from Green Bay, Wisconsin - to help you fo ... More >>

Guy Fieri Will Never Be Like Bobby Flay; Batali on Eataly Expansion

Guy Fieri is bringing his "Awesome Pretzel Chicken Tenders" to Times Square and tells the New York Post that he has something to prove to those with misconceptions about TV chefs: "Look, I'm not Mario Batali, I'm not Bobby Flay -- there's only one of those cats. I'm not trying to be something that I ... More >>

Where Was I Eating? Babbo Restaurant

[See Where Else I Ate: Union Square Cafe | Ai Fiori | The Modern] A big congratulations to phoebey who guessed Babbo Restaurant.

Marcus Samuelsson at GOP Convention, Bourdain Says He Can Die Happy

Mario Batali doesn't like it when people yell in his kitchen: "One of the big rules for our kitchens is that if you're not close enough to be able to touch me, you can't talk to me." [New York Times] Obama supporter Marcus Samuelsson is hanging with Arianna Huffington at the Republican National Co ... More >>

Why Is Mario Batali on Food Stamps?

Here's a publicity stunt we can get behind: Mario Batali and his family are eating for a week on a food stamp budget--$31 a person, for the entire week. Batali is protesting budget cuts to SNAP currently pending in Congress.

Under the Toque: Bagel and Lox Creations, Art Installations

Mario Batali and artist Jim Dine teamed up to make a super fancy, limited-edition cookbook up for auction on eBay with a minimum bid of $1,200 a copy. Proceeds from the sale will go to the Lunchbox Fund. [Eater] For the annual conference of the International Academy of Culinary Professionals, chefs ... More >>

JoeDoe's Joe Dobias on Being a Subway Sandwich Artist, Opening a Restaurant with $90,000 Part 1

​Joe Dobias, chef-owner of East Village restaurants JoeDoe and JoeDough, is a talker. We sat down with the Cornell Hospitality School graduate to talk sandwiches, Passover, and future projects and found out that it only takes one question to get the chef to tell us how he really feels about fellow ... More >>

Under the Toque: Batali Settles Suit, New Prune Cookbook in the Works

Chef shuffles and kerfuffles this week: Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich have agreed to pay $5.25 million to settle a lawsuit filed on behalf of their restaurants' employees who claimed that the owners deducted the equivalent of 4 to 5 percent of the total wine sales from the tip pool and pockete ... More >>

Mario Batali's Banh Mi at Num Pang: Interesting

Here it is, in all its mayo-oozing, pickled-vegetable glory. When I read in Eater about Mario Batali's new sandwich offering at Cambodian sandwich shop Num Pang, I was on my bike and furiously peddling over there. I found a knot of supplicants around the walk-up window, almost all of them waiting ... More >>

Michael Vignola 'In' at Strip House

Michael Vignola has decided to trade Gravy's fare for a new post at Strip House. No word who's taking his old job at the Flatiron Southern restaurant. [Grub Street]

This Week in Food Blogs: BataliGate, Thanksgiving, Robots

This week in food blogs...Mario Batali, before publicly comparing bankers to Hitler and Stalin​Eater National thoroughly chronicles BataliGate.Grub Street finds that eighties movie queen Phoebe Cates really, really likes Sfoglia. 

Ryan Skeen 'In' at Pera Soho; Sam Talbot 'Out' at Imperial No. 9

​​Ryan Skeen, formerly of Fish Tag (who's also formerly of Allen & Delancey, Irving Mill, and 5 & Diamond), will head the soon-to-open Pera Soho. [Grub Street]Sam Talbot has given notice at Imperial No. Nine, over long-standing disputes about the restaurant's direction.[Eater]Portla ... More >>

Make Mario Batali's Leg of Lamb in a Clementine Crust, from His New Cookbook, Molto Batali

Photo courtesy of Molto Batali (ecco 2011).Molto lamb.​ Mario Batali has been busy with his new show, The Chew, but not too busy to release a new cookbook, Molto Batali: Simple Family Dinners from My Home to Yours, out tomorrow. As part of the launch, the man in the orange Crocs will match the ... More >>

Pix From Birreria, on the Roof of Eataly

​Presented on a bed of "krauti," the beef-pork links from Trentino called probusto are juicy and fabulous. (Click to enlarge, as if they needed to be any bigger.) This week, Counter Culture makes the long climb to Birreria, the new beer garden (well, not really) on the rooftop of Eataly. The ... More >>

Batali, Chang, and Colicchio Flash Their Mugs for Marriage Equality

Well, this is nice: Mario Batali, David Chang, and Tom Colicchio are showing their faces for a good cause.

Eric LeVine 'In' at Montammy Golf Club; Shaun Hergatt Planning New Resto

​Eric LeVine, who was a winner on the Food Network's Chopped, is now cooking at the Montammy Golf Club in Alpine, N.J. [Kinetic News] Shaun Hergatt has announced that he is planning a new restaurant in the next two years that will be a little bit closer to Midtown. [Zagat Buzz] Mario Batali ... More >>

The Best Thing I Ate Yesterday

Welcome to The Best Thing I Ate Yesterday, where we endeavor to remember the very best thing we stuffed down our gullets over the past 24 hours. Why? Because the only thing better than enjoying a meal is wallowing in the memory of one savored in the recent past. Today's fond reminiscences ...

New York City's Pilot Program Helps Restaurateurs Not Totally Fail

The sign of success​ Why would anyone want to open a restaurant in New York City? The thought of dealing with all the bureaucracy and hassle in obtaining liquor license permits and certifications is enough to drive anyone batty. And then you have 24,000 other eateries to compete with! Luck ... More >>

The Barneys Food (Network)-Themed Holiday Windows: Some Pictures

​Mario Batali's decapitated head is surrounded by a garnish of Crocs. On Tuesday, Barneys unveiled its much-anticipated food-themed holiday windows. Inscribed with the command "Have a Foodie Holiday," the three tableau offer an assemblage of 70 Food Network "personalities," chefs, and assort ... More >>

David Santos 'In' at Hotel Griffou; Eric Hara 'Out' at Sienna and Dekko Café

​David Santos, most recently at 5 & Diamond, is the new chef at Hotel Griffou, where he's revamping the menu with a Portuguese accent. [Grub Street] Eric Hara has been keeping busy helming the Oak Room at the Plaza's kitchen, as well as consulting at forthcoming Sienna and Dekko Café in Ast ... More >>

At Last! Bitter Feast Will Screen This Weekend

Bitter FeastPlenty of spleen, served with bile.​Right on the bloody heels of Take Out comes the glorious news that Bitter Feast is finally, at long last, going to see the light of day. In Brooklyn, specifically. The film, a splattery revenge tale about a chef and the blogger who killed his car ... More >>

McDonald's Burgers Suck, Say You; Chefs in Love with Heart Dishes

​Farming internships are all the rage these days among ag-department graduates, career-changers, and even cooks looking to deepen their knowledge of ingredients. [NY Times] McDonald's bombed big time in a recent Consumer Reports survey of burger chains. Five Guys and In-N-Out Burger topped th ... More >>

De Gustibus Celebrates Its 30th Anniversary Next Week

On the eighth floor, chefly nirvana.​De Gustibus has been holding cooking classes on the eighth floor of Macy's since 1980, providing us hapless plebes with the opportunity to learn firsthand from the likes of Mario Batali, Jacques Pépin, Madhur Jaffrey, Sara Jenkins, Edna Lewis, and Al ... More >>

A Comprehensive Guide to Fork in the Road Eataly Coverage--Updated

​A black-skullcapped hunk stands ready to provide a hot embrace -- for your panino. The debut of Eataly may be remembered as the most tumultuous culinary event of the year. To help you sort through all the details -- since it probably won't be possible to actually walk into the place unimped ... More >>

Scarpetta Latest to Jump on Vegetarian Bandwagon

peet-astn/flickrIt's what's for dinner.​ Scott Conant is the latest chef to go meatless. He is introducing a new vegetarian menu at Scarpetta, featuring such garden delights as vegetable and farro risotto with shaved parmigiano, and rosemary-braised lentils with broccoli rabe and concentrated ... More >>

A First Look at Eataly

​Eataly will finally open its massive, massive doors next Tuesday, August 31. In the meantime, Eater has a slideshow of the Italian grocery store/temple/sensory experience/gastronomic amusement park. Mario Batali has declared that "food is more sacred than commerce" at Eataly, but somehow, loo ... More >>

Mario Batali Explains What Eataly Is, Exactly

​"We're not a food hall. We're a grocery store with tasting rooms and restaurants. We don't want you to just come and eat and walk away. We want you to come and taste some things and then take them home and cook them." -- Mario Batali talks to New York magazine about the imminent arrival of hi ... More >>

NYC's Best BBQ; Is Aged Beef Overrated?

This week in food blogs... Feast listed its highest scoring barbecue joints, including Georgia's Eastside BBQ, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, and Hill Country. Grub Street continued to follow Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich's legal woes, discovering that employees from another five restaurants now want to su ... More >>

Didier Elena Confirmed at Alain Ducasse; Top Chef's Nikki Cascone Tries Again

​Didier Elena has finally been confirmed "in" at Alain Ducasse at the Essex House following a six-year absence from the city, where he hopes to win back the Michelin star lost by his predecessor. [NY Daily News] Following the closure of her 24 Prince, Top Chef alum Nikki Cascone has been appr ... More >>

I Was Dissed By a Chef

​I was sitting and minding my own business at a prestigious event the other night when a fairly well known restaurant guy woke me out of my reverie by bellowing, "How come you don't have a website that people pay $20 million for?" I was too stunned to think of any apt responses, like: "Um, I ... More >>

Boy's Life Saved Thanks to Hideous Rubber Shoes

​Despite what we have declared previously, there is, it seems, one -- and only one -- reason for wearing Crocs. If ever you're, say, in a bathtub and want to use the hair dryer (not a good idea) or find yourself at the top of a flagpole during a summer thunderstorm (not a good idea either), ma ... More >>

Arrivederci, Table 8, and Hello Faustina!

Scott Conant names his new restaurant after a poisoner

Hark! Mario Batali Provides Some More Eataly Details

​ Yesterday, we learned about Eataly's plans to open "the craziest and amazing brewery in the world" on its rooftop. Today, on the Time website, Josh Ozersky brings more details about the Italian foods monolith. Mario Batali, who with his partner Joe Bastianich is planning to open Eataly la ... More >>

Mario Batali Delves Into his Genetics on PBS

On February 10th, Mario Batali will appear on Faces of America, the PBS series on the complex genealogy and genetics of prominent Americans, hosted by Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. (Yes, he of the beer summit.) In the preview, we learn that Batali had a French great grandfather named LaFra ... More >>

Talk Tonight: David Chang, Peter Meehan & Mario Batali at the Strand

​Lest you forget Momofuku, the cookbook, is on the bookshelves, David Chang and co-author Peter Meehan will sit down for a conversation with Mario Batali about it tonight at the Strand.

Own a Piece of Your Favorite Chef: Slow Food NYC Auctions Tools of the Trade

What would you give for this man's jacket?​ Some people throw their underwear onstage at Tom Jones (or Guy Fieri). Others stand in line for hours to get a copy of their favorite cookbook signed. If you're a die-hard fan of some of the chefs this city has produced, now's your chance to own a pi ... More >>

Dovetail Re-opens Tonight, Expanded and Renovated

Dovetail, pre-renovation.​Just as Mario Batali has shrunk Del Posto in his quest for the NYT stamp of approval, Dovetail has added 20 seats to its dining room and 500 bottles to its wine list. According to a rep, John Fraser's Upper West Side New American restaurant will also boast a new somme ... More >>

Even Closed, the John Dory Swims Against a Tide of Back Rent

You'd also look annoyed if you owed $75,000 in rent.​For the John Dory, the end may be the beginning of even more trouble: The Daily News is reporting that Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich, who were both guarantors of the shuttered seafood restaurant, owe almost $75,000 in back rent to the buil ... More >>

Under the Toque: Another A16 Chef in Town; Hung of 'Top Chef' in at Ajna

​Nate Appleman isn't the only ex-A16 chef in town. Christophe Hille, who was formerly in the kitchen at A16 and later was a private chef for Annie Leibovitz, is teaming up with another San Francisco chef, Nathan Foot, and designer Chris Ronis to open a retail shop and restaurant in the East Vi ... More >>

The 'Bitter Feast' Trailer Is Out

Bitter Feast is a low-budget comic thriller, written and directed by Joe Maggio, about a New York City chef who takes his revenge on a food critic. Mario Batali takes time out of the real-life fine dining scene to play the role of the restaurant owner. [via Eat Me Daily]

Organ Recital--The Baroque Wonder of Head Cheese

Supermarket head cheese--merchandised in plastic tubs the same way as boloney and boiled salami--has given the jellied collection of meat byproducts a bad name. In fact, a friend claims he once found a package in the refrigerator case of a Brooklyn supermarket that had a pair of intact eyelids s ... More >>

Mario Picks Motorino

Motorino takes the pie.photo: Calvin GodfreyGrub Street takes Mario Batali and Mark Ladner, his partner in Del Posto and Otto, on a tour of the city's fancy new(ish) pizzerias: Co. (230 Ninth Avenue), Spunto (65 Carmine Street), Motorino (319 Graham Avenue, Brooklyn), and San Marzano (71 Clinton Str ... More >>

If Batali and Bourdain Were on Top Chef last night

Strange coincidence...or is it? Last night's Top Chef had the cheftestants cooking "last suppers" for culinary luminaries Wylie Dufresne, Lidia Bastianich, Marcus Samuelsson, Jacques Pepin, and James Beard Foundation president Susan Ungaro, while today on Serious Eats, Mario Batali and Anthony Bourd ... More >>

Bourdain Wants to Keep Food and Sex Separate

In their raciest conversation yet, Mario Batali and Anthony Bourdain talk about food and sex and if the two should ever be combined. Bourdain dominates the convo, which is a good thing, as we'd definitely kick Batali out of bed well before him.Tony is pretty adamant about keeping the two pleasures s ... More >>

Women in the Kitchen

Food Network: Emeril Out, Batali Close Behind?

Culinary Smack Down

Iron Chef New York: Batali vs. Dufresne

G-Spot

A new Village Italian bistro masquerades as a gastropub

Ciao, Mario

Feeding Frenzy

From Celebrity Chefs to Gourmet Guerrillas, Americans Confront the Hazards of the Food World