Mario Batali likes city’s gastro scene
Mario Batali was all praise for Pittsburgh’s culinary scene, saying it has become a gastronomic city. But he does not intend to open a restaurant here.
“Lidia’s [Pittsburgh] is already here, and competing against my mother-in-law will be a problem,” he said, laughing.
The restaurateur/TV personality/cookbook author, who is not related to Lidia Bastianich but coowns several restaurants with her in the New York area, including the famed Del Posto, said: “I get lots of advice from her but I never give her any. I mean, she’s Lidia.”
Mr. Batali was in town Saturday to meet, greet and sign copies of his latest cookbook, “Big American Cookbook,” at Settler’s Ridge Market District in Robinson. The event was originally slated for last December but was canceled because of an ice storm.
He arrived at the store in his signature outfit — a black vest over a shirt with rolled-up sleeves, Bermuda shorts, blue socks and orange Crocs, and first headed to the cooking demo area to sample a pasta tossed with marinara, from his sauce line. Market District will be selling three more of his sauces — sausage Bolognese, butternut squash and cioppino — starting in May.
He then headed upstairs to chat and have photographs taken with 700 of his fans, who included the young and the young-at-heart, who started lining up an hour and a half before the meet-and-greet.
Adam Rubritz, 7, came with his sister, Charlotte, 4, parents Julie and Tom, and a loaf of “holey bread” that he had baked for Mr. Batali, who promised him that he would eat it later.
It was the third time that Gilda Ognibene, 95, of Scott was getting a signed Mario Batali cookbook from him. She said that she had been watching him as long he has been on television. “He does a lot of
interesting things, and I hope there’s something new in this cookbook,” she said.
Another long time fan was Andi Sowers of Upper St. Clair, who had her hands full. She bought eight books to be signed.
“I have been following him for 20 to 25 years. I think he makes authentic dishes with easy-to-find ingredients,” she said.
“Big American” is Mr. Batali’s 10th cookbook but he said he doesn’t feel the need to take a breather from writing another one.
“Never. This is what I do,” he said, emphatically.
“I’m right now in the middle of writing the Babbo cookbook for its 20th anniversary, which is next summer.”