THE TEAM
MARIO BATALI
A Seattle-bred, New York-based restaurateur, cookbook author, and television personality, Mario Batali is known for his signature style—brazen meets sophisticated, forward meets enduring. He 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. In 2008, he and Joe Bastianich were awarded the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Restaurateur Award. Mario splits his time between New York City's Greenwich Village and northern Michigan with his wife Susan Cahn of Coach Dairy Goat Farm, and their two sons.
JOE BASTIANICH
Beginning with almost Dickensian roots, working in his
parents Italian restaurant in Queens, washing dishes, cleaning the sidewalk,
and touring the jungle-like meat markets of the Bronx, Joe Bastianich's life
charts a culinary adventure that ends with this nice Italian boy becoming one
of America's premier restaurateurs - as well as a noted winemaker, author, and
eventually, a triathlete. After studying finance and spending a year on Wall
Street, Joe bought a one-way ticket to Italy and explored the country's small
corners, keeping food and wine a top priority. He came back to New York and
opened Becco with his mother, Lidia Bastianich, and then partnered with Mario
to open Babbo, which garnered three coveted stars from The New York Times and
the prestigious Best New Restaurant in America award from the James Beard
Foundation-indeed, the prophetic beginning of their thriving collection of
restaurants. Joe has co-authored two award winning books on Italian wine, and
his third book, Grandi Vini, an opinionated tour of Italy's 89 finest wines,
was released in the fall of 2010 to much critical acclaim. In 2005 he was
recognized as an Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional by both the James Beard
Foundation and Bon Appétit, and in 2008 both he and Mario were awarded the 2008
James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Restaurateur Award. Most recently Joe
joined the cast of FOX's reality TV hit MasterChef, as well as Cielo's
MasterChef Italia. Joe feels fortunate to be "working within
The vernacular of the Italian table."
LIDIA BASTIANICH
Lidia Bastianich is one of the best-loved chefs on television, a best-selling cookbook author, restaurateur, and owner of a flourishing food and entertainment business. Lidia has married her two passions in life - her family and food, to create multiple culinary endeavors alongside her two children, Joseph and Tanya.
Her cookbooks include Lidia's Italy in America, Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy and Lidia's Italy - all companion books to the television series, "Lidia's Italy in America" and "Lidia's Italy" as well as Lidia's Family Table, Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen, Lidia's Italian Table and La Cucina di Lidia. Lidia is the chef/owner of four acclaimed New York City restaurants - Felidia, Becco, Esca and Del Posto, as well as Lidia's Pittsburgh and Lidia's Kansas City. She is also founder and president of Tavola Productions, an entertainment company that produces high-quality broadcast productions.
Lidia designed, in collaboration with her daughter Tanya, Lidia's Kitchen line, exclusively for QVC. Lidia's Kitchen provides high quality everyday items such as ceramic serving ware, stone bakeware, and utensils. Along with her daughter Tanya, and son-in-law Corrado Manuali, Lidia launched Nonna Foods as a platform to distribute an array of both existing and new LIDIA'S food products. The line highlights a passion for all things pasta, with seven original varieties of homemade pasta sauce, and eight different cuts of pasta, sold nationally. Together with her son Joseph, Lidia also produces award-winning wines at Bastianich Vineyard in Friuli and La Mozza Vineyard in Maremma, Italy.
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