Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 97

Chef Mario Batali-he of those infamous orange
crocs, signature ponytail, and Italian cuisine-
started his collegiate career at Rutgers University
in New Jersey as a Spanish theater and business
major, a far cry from the world-renowned chef he
is today. Food, however, was an important part of
Batali's upbringing and he began exploring the
culinary world at storied New Brunswick pizza
joint Stuff Yer Face during those college years.
"I got addicted to the adrenaline rush of working
the line," he says. And that's all it took. After he
graduated, he moved to London to study at Le
Cordon Bleu.
Batali became a ubiquitous presence on
the food scene, thanks to TV shows like The
Chew and his growing Eataly empire (he has
opened two in New York and one in Chicago,
with Boston, Los Angeles, Washington, DC,
and Toronto up next), which can be credited for
bringing the food hall mainstream.
In addition, B&B Hospitality Group, which
he founded with longtime partner Joe Bastianich
(they met at a James Beard Foundation dinner
organized by Bastianich's mother, Lidia, where
he was a chef; their first restaurant, Babbo,
debuted in 1998), has a portfolio of 26 restaurants,
ranging from B&B Burger & Beer in the Venetian
Las Vegas to Del Posto, the rare New York Times
4-Star Italian restaurant in New York. Recently,
he added cooking for the president to his résumé,
crafting his traditional fare for Italian Prime
Minister Matteo Renzi's recent visit with the
Obamas.
Here, Batali talks about Eataly's global
dominance and his food philosophy.

What are your first food memories?

Cooking was a fact of life in the Batali house of
my childhood. Picking our own berries for pie

A view of Eataly Chicago's bustling floor

and pickling cucumbers wasn't a precious pursuit,
it was a necessity and part of our shared family
experience.
My first memories are the smells that rose
through the house when my mom, dad, and
grandma were in the kitchen. My grandmother
had a specialty for each holiday. On Christmas, it
was calves brain ravioli and the umami smell is
burned into my memory.

What did opening your first restaurant,
Pó, in 1993 in New York's West Village,
teach you about the business?

Pó is where I learned how to lead a team. It was
a tiny operation, but I had a couple of people
supporting me in the kitchen and I quickly
learned how to get them to execute what we
needed.

La Sirena debuted at New York's Maritime
Hotel this year. Why was reimagining that
space an attractive opportunity?
It's my favorite outdoor terrace in New York. The
patio alone, which is one flight above the street,
was reason enough for me to be interested. And
the neighborhood was hurting for a new hangout
with delicious food where a diner can sit on the
patio and sip negronis for a few hours.

How did you meet Oscar Farinetti and his
son Nicola to bring Eataly to New York?

I had been a fan of the business that the
Farinettis were building in Italy and Japan. They

were already in touch with a couple of smart
American brothers [Adam and Alex Saper] and
wanted to find a restaurant partner. It was love
at first espresso.

Eataly helped change the face of dining,
combining retail and restaurants. Did you
think food halls would become such an
explosive trend?
Last year, Eataly was one of the most visited
tourist attractions in New York, after a few iconic
landmarks including the Empire State Building
and the Statue of Liberty. I didn't anticipate that
Eataly would become the phenomenon that it
is, but I knew New Yorkers would embrace it.
Shopping for groceries with a glass of wine in
hand is an experience I should have thought
of sooner.

You launched Eataly Chicago in 2013,
and most recently a second in Manhattan.
What made you want to open another
New York location?

The World Trade Center is a special place for a lot
of reasons. Our partners in Westfield are creating
a community in the Financial District to attract
tourists, finance types, and reporters alike. We
want Eataly to be a destination, and the World
Trade Center is New York's new cultural center.

What's your food philosophy?

Food, like most things, is best when left to its own
simple beauty.

hospitalitydesign.com December 2016

097

Photo by HUGE GALDONES

Photo by KEN GOODMAN

>F&B Marketplaces


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Hospitality Design - December 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hospitality Design - December 2016

Hospitality Design - December 2016
Contents
Online TOC
From the Editor
Behind the Design
People: CitySCENE Miami
People: CitySCENE Toronto
Perspectives
Places: Paris
Places: San Diego
5 Questions for Andy Thaemert
Products
Profile Adam Siegel
Carpet
Bath
Textiles
Trendspotting
Projects
Hoshinoya Tokyo
W Punta De Mita
Casa Cook Rhodes
Ad Index
Back Space
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - Intro
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - Hospitality Design - December 2016
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - Cover2
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 1
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 2
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 3
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 4
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 5
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 6
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 7
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 8
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 9
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 10
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 11
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 12
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - Contents
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 14
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 15
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 16
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - Online TOC
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 18
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 19
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - From the Editor
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 21
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 22
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 23
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - Behind the Design
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 25
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 26
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 27
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 28
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 29
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 30
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 31
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - People: CitySCENE Miami
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 33
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 34
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 35
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - People: CitySCENE Toronto
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 37
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 38
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 39
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 40
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 41
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 42
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - Perspectives
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 44
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 45
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 46
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - Places: Paris
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 48
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 49
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 50
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 51
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 52
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 53
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 54
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - Places: San Diego
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 56
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 57
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 58
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 59
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 60
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 61
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 5 Questions for Andy Thaemert
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 63
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 64
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - Products
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 66
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - Profile Adam Siegel
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 68
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - Carpet
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 70
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 71
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 72
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 73
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 74
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - Bath
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 76
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 77
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 78
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - Textiles
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 80
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 81
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 82
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - Trendspotting
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 84
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 85
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 86
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 87
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 88
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 89
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 90
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 91
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 92
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 93
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 94
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 95
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 96
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 97
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 98
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 99
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 100
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 101
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 102
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - Projects
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - Hoshinoya Tokyo
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 105
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 106
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 107
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - W Punta De Mita
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 109
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 110
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 111
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - Casa Cook Rhodes
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 113
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 114
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 115
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 116
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 117
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - Ad Index
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - 119
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - Back Space
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - Cover3
Hospitality Design - December 2016 - Cover4
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