Chef Mario Batali – USA

New York, New York, USA

Name: Mario Francesco Batali
Age: 55
Nationality: American
Country of Residence: United States

1. Your Restaurant/Business: Mario Batali LLC // Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group

2. About Your Kitchen: Where I live most of my life. Wheee!

3. Your Favorite Chef Works Item: : The Eat (RED)* Chef’s Coat (REPC) because it helps #86AIDS!

4. First Job: Line cook at Stuff Yer Face while I was at Rutgers University.

5. Your Favorite Cookbook: Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper.

6. Your Awards: 2 Daytime Emmys for The Chew, multiple James Beard Awards, GQ Magazine’s Man of the Year, Webby Award.

7. Your Cooking Inspiration: My family.

8. Your Specialty Dish: Roasted chicken thighs with preserved lemon.

9. Favorite Dish To Eat: Linguine with clams or anything anyone else cooks for me.

10. Weirdest Thing You Ever Ate: Durian, a fruit of Southeast Asia. And it smelled liked a stinky diaper!

11. Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Vanilla, topped with fresh blackberries.

12. Favorite Drink: Cold white wine.

13. Favorite Wine: Chateau Latour 1985.

14. Who Would You Most Like To Cook For: I’ve cooked for First Lady, Michelle Obama and now I’d like to cook for her husband, President Barak Obama.

15. Who Would You Least Like To Cook For: A militant vegan, though I can cook just about any veggie!

16. Favorite Things To Do When Not Cooking: Golf, shop and hang with my family.

17. Your latest project: La Sirena, my new restaurant with Joe Bastianich at the Maritime Hotel in Chelsea, NYC.

18. Favorite City and Why: New York City. It’s the center of the universe. Or Bologna, Italy for obvious reasons.

19. Your Greatest Indulgence: Nice hotel rooms.

20. Your All Time Best Culinary Tip: Less is more.

*Chef Works is a proud partner of (RED) and the fight against AIDS.

What is (RED)? Throughout the past decade, (RED) has raised $350 million for the fight against AIDS . 100% of the money from their products and events goes directly to work on the ground.

June 20-27, Chef Works will join (RED) by contributing to the Global Fund. Show your support by buying an F8-RED apron!

Want to be featured as our Chef of the Month? Email marketing@chefworks.com to apply.