Joe Bastianich stars in "Masterchef" on FOX as one of the judges.
Beginning with almost Dickensian roots, working in his parents Felice and Lidia's Italian restaurant in Queens, washing dishes, cleaning the sidewalk, and touring the jungle-like meat markets of the Bronx, Joe Bastianich's life charts a culinary adventure that ends with this nice Italian boy becoming one of America's premier restauranteurs—as well as a noted winemaker, bon vivant, street-level philosopher, and eventually, a marathon
Joe's story begins with him learning the ropes of the restaurant racket at the feet of his father, an ultra-pragmatic "restaurant man" who saw no glamour in his business. After college (and some time following the Grateful Dead) Joe found himself working on Wall Street, where he used his knowledge of wine to level the playing field with the so-called "Masters of the Universe." After just a year working in finance, Joe ditched his suit and tie and went head first into a life of food and wine, buying himself a one-way ticket to Italy, where he spent the next year traveling the country in a beat-up Volkswagen, working in restaurants andon vineyards, digging himself deeper into his rich heritage.
Upon returning to New York, he partnered with his mother, Chef Lidia Bastianich, to open Becco, which quickly became a New York City favorite for its home-style pasta and eye-opening fixed price wine list.
Soon after Joe became partners with the irrepressible Mario Batali, and is now the less-publicly-vociferous but equally important power behind some of New York's best restaurants, including the legendary Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca, Lupa Osteria Romana, Esca, Casa Mono, Bar Jamón, Otto Enoteca Pizzeria and the much storied Del Posto.
Along the way Joe began his own vineyards in Italy and Argentina. He has conquered Las Vegas with Enoteca San Marco, where he has mastered the simple pizza rustica, as well as B&B Ristorante and Carnevino, spectacular restaurants, mind-boggling in scope and style. In Los Angeles, he and Mario's collaborations with Nancy Silverton, Pizzeria and Osteria Mozza, have become legendary celebrity haunts, as famous for their food as for their A-list clientele. Closer to home, Joe and Mario's Tarry Lodge in Port Chester, New York, opened to a warm welcome by the local community.
Few others can claim as much gravitas as Joe Bastianich in pairing great wine with great food. His books on Italian wine, "Vino Italiano," and its companion buying guide, written with sommelier and journalist David Lynch, are recognized as the ne plus ultra of the genre. Joe is also a regular guest on "The Today Show," where he shares his down-to-earh expertise. He has recieved Oustanding Wine and Spirits Professional Awards from Bon Apetit magazine and James Beard Foundation, and in 2008 the James Beard Foundation honored him once again by presenting him and Mario with the much revered Outstanding Restauranteur Award.
After a life of nearly Romanesque eating and drinking, Joe took up the challenge to run the New York Marathon, losing 45 pounds and transforming himself in the process. When Joe is not working the dining room at one of his many restaurants or in Italy tending his vines, he can be found at his home in Greenwich, Connecticut, playing guitar and spending time with his wife, Deanna, and their three children, whom he counts as his greatest achievements to date.
Beginning with almost Dickensian roots, working in his parents Felice and Lidia's Italian restaurant in Queens, washing dishes, cleaning the sidewalk, and touring the jungle-like meat markets of the Bronx, Joe Bastianich's life charts a culinary adventure that ends with this nice Italian boy becoming one of America's premier restauranteurs—as well as a noted winemaker, bon vivant, street-level philosopher, and eventually, a marathon
Joe Bastianich Masterchef Joe Bastianich MasterChef Joe Bastianich Tony Carbone Masterchef with Joe Bastianich (left) Chris Spradley Masterchef with Joe Bastianich (left) Joe Bastianich Pictures
runner...Joe's story begins with him learning the ropes of the restaurant racket at the feet of his father, an ultra-pragmatic "restaurant man" who saw no glamour in his business. After college (and some time following the Grateful Dead) Joe found himself working on Wall Street, where he used his knowledge of wine to level the playing field with the so-called "Masters of the Universe." After just a year working in finance, Joe ditched his suit and tie and went head first into a life of food and wine, buying himself a one-way ticket to Italy, where he spent the next year traveling the country in a beat-up Volkswagen, working in restaurants andon vineyards, digging himself deeper into his rich heritage.
Upon returning to New York, he partnered with his mother, Chef Lidia Bastianich, to open Becco, which quickly became a New York City favorite for its home-style pasta and eye-opening fixed price wine list.
Soon after Joe became partners with the irrepressible Mario Batali, and is now the less-publicly-vociferous but equally important power behind some of New York's best restaurants, including the legendary Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca, Lupa Osteria Romana, Esca, Casa Mono, Bar Jamón, Otto Enoteca Pizzeria and the much storied Del Posto.
Along the way Joe began his own vineyards in Italy and Argentina. He has conquered Las Vegas with Enoteca San Marco, where he has mastered the simple pizza rustica, as well as B&B Ristorante and Carnevino, spectacular restaurants, mind-boggling in scope and style. In Los Angeles, he and Mario's collaborations with Nancy Silverton, Pizzeria and Osteria Mozza, have become legendary celebrity haunts, as famous for their food as for their A-list clientele. Closer to home, Joe and Mario's Tarry Lodge in Port Chester, New York, opened to a warm welcome by the local community.
Few others can claim as much gravitas as Joe Bastianich in pairing great wine with great food. His books on Italian wine, "Vino Italiano," and its companion buying guide, written with sommelier and journalist David Lynch, are recognized as the ne plus ultra of the genre. Joe is also a regular guest on "The Today Show," where he shares his down-to-earh expertise. He has recieved Oustanding Wine and Spirits Professional Awards from Bon Apetit magazine and James Beard Foundation, and in 2008 the James Beard Foundation honored him once again by presenting him and Mario with the much revered Outstanding Restauranteur Award.
After a life of nearly Romanesque eating and drinking, Joe took up the challenge to run the New York Marathon, losing 45 pounds and transforming himself in the process. When Joe is not working the dining room at one of his many restaurants or in Italy tending his vines, he can be found at his home in Greenwich, Connecticut, playing guitar and spending time with his wife, Deanna, and their three children, whom he counts as his greatest achievements to date.
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Joe Bastianich Masterchef Joe Bastianich MasterChef Joe Bastianich Tony Carbone Masterchef with Joe Bastianich (left) Chris Spradley Masterchef with Joe Bastianich (left) Sheena Zadeh Masterchef with Joe Bastianich to her left Joe Bastianich Pictures
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