Mario Batali

Restaurateur, author and television personality Mario Batali opened his first restaurant, Pò, in 1993, offering diners a simple yet inventive take on authentic Italian cuisine. A recipient of the James Beard Foundation Award for "Outstanding Chef of the Year" (2005), Batali opened a string of successful restaurants in and outside of New York City, including his flagship Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca, a gastronomic favorite in Greenwich Village. Always eager to share his knowledge about Italian cooking, Batali hosted a number of Food Network shows, including the hit series "Molto Mario" (1996-2004) and "Ciao America with Mario Batali" (2003-04). As an Iron Chef title holder, Batali was a formidable contender on the top-rated program "Iron Chef America" (Food Network, 2005- ), a race-against-the-clock cooking competition on which the famed chef further showcased his culinary expertise. In 2011, Batali began co-hosting "The Chew," a cooking-themed morning talk show on ABC, alongside Carla Hall, Clinton Kelly, and Michael Symon. On December 11, 2017, it was announced that Batali would be stepping down from "The Chew," as well as from restaurant management company Batali and Bastianich Hospitality Group, due to a series of sexual harassment allegations.