serious tuneage
Do you love Mario?
Of course you do. Say what you will about the ego, the multi-million dollar restaurant and product empire, that damn outfit he is ALWAYS sporting (sorry, but shorts and a fleece vest year round, the crocs, the overly groomed ponytail and perpetual three day beard are so, so tired), the guy knows his shit in spades and I’ve always been more than a little pleased with the food he makes. I love him even more for the video series he’s got going on over at Serious Eats, especially about restaurant playlists. I’m not talking about what we listen to while we cook, but when we dine. One of the more memorable meals I’ve had recently was at Momofuku in NYC: some girl friends and I walked in for lunch and what was blasting through the speakers? Van Halen. And not the crap from that ding dong Sammy, the Real Deal . (The hottie server who didn’t charge us for our drinks didn’t hurt either.) Granted, Diamond Dave doesn’t always fit, but when he does….
Unfortunately, now that you’re in the club, Mario hates you: Why I Hate Food Bloggers By Mario Batali
He does know his shit though, and I like him despite his hating me.
Your post and Joe’s response made me recall my delightful read, “Heat” by Bill Buford (lots of Mario, but alas not as much spicy language as Anthony Bourdain). Van Halen, always fun to recall. And a few years ago I found myself in a hospital bed, recovering from surgery: the surgeon stopped in to check on me and chat. I was absolutely GOOFY on drugs, but I remember laughing with him (whose office, ironically, is on CARVER Street) that watching Mario was plenty o’ fun–virtual cooking! The link to Batali’s take on food blogs was also fascinating, although as a blog lurker and educated Internet consumer, I couldn’t agree with much of it.
i met Mario a few years back, and he wasn’t the nicest guy…not not-nice, just kind of practically pleasant. It was before he got uber big on FN, and my partner and I had dinner at Babbo. I’m sure even at that time he was hounded by foodie/chef fans, but I have had better experiences with other famous food personalities.
I too did not agree with his rant on blogs: I think his experiences are the exception, rather than the rule.
BTW: from the comments at Eater pertaining to Batali’s article:
Also, honestly, Batali has sucked up to the ‘legitimate’ press so much that they’re all basically in his pocket, unlike bloggers, who have nothing to lose by telling the truth about the occasional bad dish or careless service at one of his restaurants. If Batali doesn’t want people to complain about being treated like walking dollar signs at Otto when they book a large party, then maybe he should revise his policies, or get rid of large-party dining altogether. This guy has proudly said that he could open a restaurant called “Shitstain” and people would try it. As far as I’m concerned the blogosphere and the universe have been way too soft on such a arrogant huckster. He’s made plenty of enemies over the years. Fuck Batali.
By former fan at June 13, 2007 1:27 PM
He’s very successful at his game. I cannot help but find him a bit too corporate.
I’m more interested in what you cook. Where are the recipes to go with the yummy looking pictures on your blog?
are you referring to the photos from my flickr account? i honestly don’t know/remember. some of those photos were taken a good while ago, but if there is one in particular you like, i bet i could figure it out. Thanks for reading Kelly!