Joseph Bastianich (born September 17, 1968) is an American restaurateur, winemaker, author, television personality, and musician. He, along with his mother and business partner Lidia Bastianich, co-owns thirty restaurants in four countries, including Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles, which the owners expanded in 2010. Earlier that same year, they teamed up with businessman Oscar Farinetti to bring Eataly, an upscale food and wine market, to Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York City and London.

Early life and education

Joseph Bastianich was born in Astoria,

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

in 1968, to Istrian Italian immigrants Felice and Lidia Bastianich. His parents were born in Istria (now in Croatia) and moved to the United States in 1958 during the large

Istrian exodus Istria ( ; Croatian and Slovene: ; ist, Eîstria; Istro-Romanian, Italian and Venetian: ; formerly in Latin and in Ancient Greek) is the largest peninsula within the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic bet ...

. While nationally Italian, public DNA tests have shown that Joe's family on his mother side is largely of

Eastern European Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whi ...

descent, due to the multiethnicity of Istria. His mother has stated that she feels very Italian, but that she relates to her Slavic roots too. Raised working in his parents' Italian restaurant Felidia in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, he attended

Fordham Preparatory School Fordham Preparatory School (also known as Fordham Prep) is an American private, Jesuit, boys' college-preparatory school located on the Rose Hill campus of Fordham University in the Bronx, New York City. From its founding in 1841 until 1970, ...

before attending

Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classified ...

, where he studied political science and philosophy.

Career

After spending a year on

Wall Street Wall Street is an eight-block-long street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs between Broadway in the west to South Street and the East River in the east. The term "Wall Street" has become a metonym for ...

as a

bond trader A trader is a person, firm, or entity in finance who buys and sells financial instruments, such as forex, cryptocurrencies, stocks, bonds, commodities, derivatives, and mutual funds in the capacity of agent, hedger, arbitrageur, or speculator. ...

, he gave up his newly launched career and ventured into the food industry. He took an extended trip to

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. In 1993, he opened Becco (Italian for "peck, nibble, savor"), an Italian restaurant with his mother, Lidia Bastianich. He then partnered with

Mario Batali Mario Francesco Batali (born September 19, 1960) is an American chef, writer, and restaurateur. Batali co-owned restaurants in New York City; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; and Newport Beach, California; Boston; Singapore; Westport, Connecticut; and N ...

to open Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca, an Italian restaurant that gained the prestigious three stars from ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', the first Italian restaurant to gain the award in 40 years. Babbo also has earned one

Michelin star The Michelin Guides ( ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The Guide awards up to three Michelin stars for excellence to a select few establishments. The acquisition or loss of a ...

. Together they opened seven more restaurants in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

: Lupa, Esca, Casa Mono, Bar Jamon, Otto, Del Posto, and Eataly (an Italian marketplace). In 2010, Del Posto received a four star review from ''

,'' one of only five restaurants in

to win that award. Their culinary empire has expanded to 10 restaurants in

, four restaurants in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...

, three restaurants in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

, two restaurants in

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

, one Italian market in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

, one Italian market in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, one Italian market in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, and two restaurants in

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...

. After being accused of sexual harassment, Batali gave up his restaurants, selling his shares to Bastianich and his sister Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Otto Enoteca Pizzeria closed during the coronavirus pandemic. When it closed,

TimeOut Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to: Time * Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team * Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken * Timeout (computing), an enginee ...

wrote "it was the type of place that was nice yet casual enough to go on any night of the week with plenty of tables the white marble-covered enoteca (offering wine, cheese and salumi) and the more formal dining area focusing on pastas and pizzas. We'll also miss the olive oil gelato." Bastianich has co-authored two award-winning books on Italian wine, and his memoir, ''Restaurant Man'', became a ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' Best Seller within a week of its release in May 2012. He claims to have invented the

Everything bagel An everything bagel is a type of bagel baked with a mix of toppings. The exact ingredients vary, but recipes may include caraway seeds, garlic flakes, onion flakes, poppy seeds, sesame seeds and salt. The bagels are made with regular dough and t ...

in 1979, although this feat is also claimed by other people.

Television

Bastianich was a judge on the American '' MasterChef'' series broadcast by Fox until it took too much of his time, and '' MasterChef Junior'' until he was replaced on both series by Christina Tosi in the spring of 2015 after he exited the franchise in November 2014. However, he eventually returned to temporarily judge Season 6 of ''MasterChef Junior'' on March 2, 2018 and has returned to the judging panel as a full-time judge on '' MasterChef'' since season 9, which debuted in June 2018''.'' He was also a judge on the Italian version of the program. ''MasterChef Italia'' shown on Sky Uno for its first 8 seasons. In May 2019, Bastianich announced his departure from MasterChef Italia in order to dedicate himself to his passion for music. In mid-September of the same year, Bastianich released his first album, titled "Aka Joe". In late January 2020, he will star in a musical concert tour around Italy, featuring his "New York Stories" album. He has also guest starred as a guest judge on ''MasterChef Canada'' on Season 1, Episode 14. He co-starred alongside

Tim Love Tim Love is a chef best known for urban western cuisine. He is the owner and executive chef of several Fort Worth-area restaurants including the historic White Elephant Saloon, the Love Shack, the Woodshed Smokehouse, as well as his flagship res ...

and

Antonia Lofaso Antonia Lofaso (born 1976) is an American celebrity chef and restaurateur. She has appeared on the reality television shows ''Top Chef'', '' Chopped'', ''Cutthroat Kitchen'' and '' Restaurant Startup'', among others. Lofaso owns the restaurants ' ...

in the American reality show ''

Restaurant Startup ''Restaurant Startup'' is an American food competition series that aired for three seasons on CNBC, from 2014 to 2016. In the show, two judge-investors meet with aspiring chefs, taste their food, hear their concept and decide whom they want to su ...

'' on

CNBC CNBC (formerly Consumer News and Business Channel) is an American basic cable business news channel. It provides business news programming on weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time, while broadcasting talk s ...

, for which he is the executive producer along with Endemol Shine North America. Bastianich also made a special appearance in the 2015 television film '' An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success'' as a judge in a fictional season of ''MasterChef Junior''. From March 22, 2016, he presented, with Guido Meda and

Davide Valsecchi Davide Valsecchi (born 24 January 1987) is an Italian former racing driver and the 2012 GP2 Series champion. Career Formula Renault Valsecchi drove in Renault-based series from 2003 to 2007, rising from Italian Formula Renault and the Formula ...

, the first edition of

Top Gear Italia Top Gear Italia is an Italian motoring show, which was first broadcast on 22 March 2016 on Sky Uno. It is an international version of the British BBC Two motoring show, ''Top Gear''. This version of the show is presented by Davide Valsecchi, Gui ...

. He will also serve as a judge on the judging panel of Italia's Got Talent and Family Food Fight Italia, airing on Sky Uno in the spring of 2020.

Controversy

In an episode of ''MasterChef Italia'' which came to the attention of the U.S. media in January 2018, Bastianich makes several remarks about Chinese men while making sexually suggestive comments to women giving him a manicure and pedicure at a beauty salon in Milan's Chinatown. He asks the women if they have ever had Italian boyfriends and remarks that Chinese men are "inadequate" in certain situations. When asked by the blog Grub Street for comment, Bastianich issued an apology:

This was a scripted segment shot in a Milan nail salon that I've gone to regularly. I know the women, and we were given the questions to discuss in advance. That said, it's clear that some of what I said was in poor taste and not reflective of my views. I'm sorry I said those things.

Personal life

Bastianich lives in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, with his wife, Deanna, and their children, Olivia, Ethan, and Miles. He is fluent in Italian.

Restaurants

Restaurants owned or operated by Batali and Bastianich Hospitality Group: * BABBO Ristorante e Enoteca, New York City * Bar Jamon, New York City * Becco, New York City * Birreria, New York City * Carnevino Italian Steakhouse, Las Vegas, Nevada (closed) * Casa Mono, New York, New York (1 Michelin Star) * Chi Spacca, Los Angeles (Michelin Guide) * Del Posto, New York City (1 Michelin Star) (closed) * Eataly (New York City, Chicago, Boston, São Paulo, Los Angeles, Las Vegas) * Lidia's, Kansas City, Missouri * LUPA, New York City (Michelin Guide) * Mozza2Go, Los Angeles * Orsone, Cividale del Friuli (Frazione Gagliano), Italy * Osteria Mozza, Los Angeles, California (1 Michelin Star) * OTTO Enoteca Pizzeria, New York City (closed) * Pizzeria Mozza, Los Angeles, California (Bib Gourmand) / Newport Beach, California * Tarry Market, Port Chester, NY (closed) * Tarry Wine, Port Chester (closed) * Tarry Lodge, Port Chester, NY / Westport, CT (closed) * Tarry Lodge, New Haven, Connecticut (closed)

Published works

* 2015. ''Healthy Pasta: The Sexy, Skinny, and Smart Way to Eat Your Favorite Food''. (Knopf) * 2014. ''Giuseppino. Da New York all'Italia: storia del mio ritorno a casa''. (potter) * 2013. ''Restaurant Man''. (Knopf) * 2010. ''Grandi Vini: An Opinionated Tour of Italy's 89 Finest Wines''. (potter) * 2005. ''Vino Italiano: The Regional Wines of Italy''. (potter)

Television appearances

* ''

MasterChef (US TV series) ''MasterChef'' is an American competitive cooking reality television series that premiered on Fox on July 27, 2010. Based on the British series of the same name and produced by Endemol Shine North America and One Potato Two Potato, the seri ...

'' * ''

MasterChef Italia ''MasterChef Italia'' is the Italian version of culinary talent show ''MasterChef''. The first edition was aired from 21 September to 7 December 2011 on Sky Uno. The judges are chefs Bruno Barbieri, Carlo Cracco, Antonino Cannavacciuolo by the ...

'' * '' MasterChef Junior'' * ''

'' * '' Top Gear Italy''

References

External links

Official website

Bio from Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bastianich, Joseph 1968 births Living people American expatriates in Italy American financial traders American food writers American investors American memoirists American people of Italian descent American restaurateurs American winemakers Fordham Preparatory School alumni Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences alumni Businesspeople from Greenwich, Connecticut Businesspeople from Queens, New York MasterChef (American TV series) Merrill (company) people Judges in American reality television series Participants in Italian reality television series People from Astoria, Queens Television producers from New York City Writers from Greenwich, Connecticut Writers from Queens, New York Eataly people