Joe Bastianich
Joseph "Joe" Bastianich (born in Astoria September 17, 1968)[1] is a restaurateur and vineyard owner. He is also a judge on the competitive cooking shows, MasterChef and MasterChef Italia.
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[edit] Early life and education
The son of Felice and Lidia Bastianich, Joseph Bastianich was born in Astoria, Queens, four years before his parents purchased their first restaurant, the tiny Buonavia, in Forest Hills, Queens. He was eleven years old when they purchased their second restaurant, Villa Seconda, also in Queens, and thirteen when his parents sold the two Queens restaurants and launched their flagship restaurant, Felidia (a contraction of their two first names), on the East Side of Manhattan near the 59th Street Bridge. Joseph attended Fordham Preparatory School in the Bronx that allowed him to skip the eighth grade.
Joseph received his B.A. from Boston College, After college, he took a job working as a bond trader at Merrill Lynch on Wall Street, but soon after abandoned that career route to join the family's restaurant business.
[edit] Restaurants
Soon after joining his parents restaurant business, he convinced his parents to put up the capital and partner with him in 1993 to open Becco (Italian for "peck, nibble, savor") in the Theater District in Manhattan. Like Felidia, Becco was an instant success and catapulted the family into opening additional restaurants outside New York City, starting with Lidia's Kansas City likewise in 1993, the family's first restaurant outside of New York.
In 1997, Felice and Lidia Bastianich, divorced after 31 years of marriage. His father resigned from the business and transferred his share in the partnership to their two children, Joseph and Tanya. The following year, Joe teamed up with chef Mario Batali to open Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca. The restaurant earned three stars from The New York Times. Continuing the partnership, the pair opened seven more restaurants in New York City: Lupa, Esca, Casa Mono, Bar Jamón, Otto, Del Posto, and most recently (2010), Eataly. In Los Angeles, Bastianich and Batali opened Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza (which were later copied at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore), and in Las Vegas, B&B Ristorante, Enoteca San Marco, and Carnevino. Closer to home, the duo revived the old Tarry Lodge in Port Chester, New York.[2]
[edit] Wineries
Bastianich has established three wineries: Azienda Agricola Bastianich in Friuli; La Mozza s.r.l. in Maremma, Tuscany; and in Tritono Mendoza, Argentina. He recently acquired the Brandini Estate in La Morra, Piedmont, Italy.
[edit] Books
Bastianich co-authored the award winning Vino Italiano and Vino Italiano Buying Guide with David Lynch. In 2005, he was recognized as "Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional" by both the James Beard Foundation and Bon Appétit magazine. In 2008, he and Batali were awarded the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Restaurateur Award.[3]
Bastianich is currently a judge on the American version of the television series MasterChef along with Gordon Ramsay and Graham Elliot.[4] In 2011, he is also judge of Italian version of MasterChef, with a great success. He also dubbed himself in the localized Italian version of MasterChef USA.
[edit] Personal life
Bastianich lives in Greenwich, Connecticut, with his wife and three children, Olivia, Miles, and Ethan.
Bastianich, who was overweight and suffering from several health issues, began running and eventually lost 45 pounds. He has also participated in several marathons.[5]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/28/sports/othersports/28runner.html
- ^ The New York Times Expanding a Culinary Empire Into the Suburbs, January 15, 2009
- ^ The New York Times Chefs Find Winner’s Circle Familiar Turf, June 11, 2008
- ^ NY Daily News Sob stories, bad auditions: Gordon Ramsay's new 'MasterChef' is like 'American Idol' for foodies, July 26, 2010
- ^ [1]
