The straw Chianti-bottle centerpiece is largely a relic
of the past, and Joseph Bastianich has been a pivotal
figure in its wake, spearheading a revolution in the
Italian food and wine scene which was ignited by his
mother, Lidia Matticchio Bastianich of Felidia. Joe
has conceived several projects that have driven the
movement, including restaurants, a retail shop, wineries
in Italy, books, and much more.
In partnership with Lidia, Joe opened his first restaurant,
Becco,
a trattoria situated in New York City’s Theater
District. His “prix fixe” wine list generated
acclaim and the restaurant continues to enjoy a heralded
position among the city’s elite in Italian cuisine.
In 1998, Joe teamed up with Chef
Mario Batali to open the now legendary Babbo
Ristorante e Enoteca. The restaurant garnered
substantive critical praise, including a three star
rating from The New York Times and was honored
as “The Best New Restaurant in America”
by the prestigious James Beard Foundation.
Never content to stand still, Joe partnered with
Sergio Esposito and Mario Batali in 1999 to open Italian
Wine Merchants (IWM), an upscale retail shop devoted
to Italian wines. IWM’s Studio del Gusto offers
a state-of-the-art culinary facility, where Bastianich
and his partners hold cooking demonstrations and wine
tastings.
Continuing their partnership, Joe and Mario opened
the family-style, Roman-themed Lupa;
the ground-breaking Esca,
where Bastianich, Batali, and Chef David Pasternack
have introduced America to “crudo” (the
raw seafood that is a staple in fishing villages along
the southern coast of Italy); and the casual, raucous
OTTO Enoteca
Pizzeria. Joe and Mario have also fashioned environments
that celebrate the flavors and spirit of other cuisines.
In December 2003, they opened Casa Mono, a Spanish-style
taverna and Bar Jamón, a wine and tapas bar.
In December 2005, Joe and Mario teamed up with Lidia
Bastianich to open Del Posto, a beacon of elegance
and sophistication. Meanwhile, Joe and Lidia have
created a multifaceted Italian restaurant concept
called Lidia’s, with locations in Kansas City
and Pittsburgh.
Recently the native New Yorker headed west to open
a suite of restaurants. In Los Angeles, Pizzeria Mozza,
Joe’s collaboration with Mario and Chef Nancy
Silverton, opened to rave reviews, and is awaiting
the arrival of its sister restaurant, Osteria Mozza.
Bastianich and Batali are then opening the eponymous
B&B Ristorante and Enoteca San Marco in Las Vegas.
Because great food should never be eaten without
equally outstanding wine, Joe ventured into his ancestral
Friuli-Venezia Giulia to establish the acclaimed wine
estate, Azienda
Agricola Bastianich, and into Maremma, Toscana,
where he established the wine estate La
Mozza. He is also bottling a delicate olive oil
from groves in Colli Orientali and Trieste.
Moreover, Joe has teamed with Babbo General Manager
and journalist David Lynch to write Vino
Italiano, a comprehensive book on Italian wines.
In November 2004, they published the Vino
Italiano Buying Guide, a companion to their award-winning
book.
Joe Bastianich appears regularly as a wine authority
on both Lidia’s and Mario’s television
shows and as a contributor on NBC’s Today
Show.
Click for more
on Joe Bastianch.
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