Raised in Seattle, Mario’s initial career path
had him studying the golden age of Spanish theater at
Rutgers University. Soon after graduating he took his
first bit of culinary training at Le Cordon Bleu in
London, from which he withdrew almost immediately due
to a “lack of interest.” An apprenticeship
with London’s legendary chef Marco Pierre White
and three years of intense culinary training in the
northern Italian village of Borgo Capanne (population
200) gave him the essential skills and knowledge to
return to his native U.S., anxious to plant his orange-clogged
foot firmly on the behind of the checkered-tablecloth
Italian restaurant establishment.
Among his many accolades, Mario was named “Man
of the Year” in the chef category by GQ Magazine
in 1999. In 2002, he won the James Beard Foundation’s
“Best Chef: New York City” award and in
2005 the James Beard Foundation awarded Mario “Outstanding
Chef of the Year.” Mario is also one of the
recipients of the 2001 D’Artagnan Cervena “Who’s
Who of Food & Beverage in America,” a prestigious
lifetime achievement award.
Mario Batali has created a thriving restaurant empire
and has established himself as a top restaurateur.
Together with his partner Joseph Bastianich, he operates
seven New York City hotspots, including Babbo
Ristorante e Enoteca and Del
Posto—two wildly successful restaurants
that have each been awarded three stars by Frank Bruni
of The New York Times. Mario and Joe also own
Lupa,
a Roman-style trattoria; Esca,
a southern Italian seafood trattoria; OTTO
Enoteca Pizzeria, a downtown eatery near historic
Washington Square Park; Casa Mono, a Spanish-style
taverna; and Bar Jamón, a Spanish wine and
tapas bar. Moving westward, Mario and Joe opened Pizzeria
Mozza and Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles with Nancy
Silverton. Most recently, in Las Vegas they opened
B&B Ristorante and Enoteca San Marco in the famous
Venetian Resort Hotel and Casino.
In 1999, Mario partnered with Sergio Esposito and
Joe Bastianich to open Italian Wine Merchants (IWM),
an upscale retail shop near Union Square which is
devoted solely to Italian wines. IWM’s Studio
del Gusto is a state-of-the-art wine tasting facility
which acts as a learning laboratory for those seeking
to enrich their knowledge of Italy’s wine and
culture. It features comfortable seating, a warm ambiance,
and a view of Mario’s custom-built salumeria
and kitchen theater.
Mario has authored five cookbooks including Simple
Italian Food: Recipes from My Two Villages (Clarkson
Potter 1998); Mario
Batali Holiday Food (Clarkson Potter 2000); The
Babbo Cookbook (Clarkson Potter 2002); and Molto
Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes to Cook at Home
(Ecco 2005), recipient of the prestigious James Beard
Award for “Best International Cookbook.”
In his latest cookbook, Mario teams up with NASCAR
to create the first-ever tailgating bible for NASCAR
fans. Mario Tailgates NASCAR Style (Sporting
News 2006) includes regional and classical recipes,
all written with Mario’s usual wit and candor.
Mario splits his time between New York City’s
Greenwich Village and northern Michigan where his
wife, Susan Cahn of Coach Dairy Goat Farm, and their
two sons reside.
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