Mario Batali and MeToo - What are your thoughts?

[MetsFan5]

Another one disappoints the dining world: https://ny.eater.com/2017/12/11/16759540/mario-batali-sexual-misconduct-allegations

 

i honestly thought Bourdain was alluding to Flay on his tweets prior to this coming out. 

 

 

  It's hard to boycott his establishments considering all of the Eatlys are co-owned by him. 

 

  I'm sad but not shocked.

 

i feel like every day a new story will come out. 

[KennethT]

I think it is disgusting that these guys have gotten away with this kind of behavior for as long as they have - and, I hope that those who do that kind of thing now recognize that it is not acceptable behavior and stop it.

 

With that being said, I don't agree with boycotting the establishments run (or formerly run) by them.  I understand that they are still profiting from these places, but by boycotting them, you are also hurting hundreds of innocent employees - some of whom are the ones who have been harassed in the past.  Also, rather than patronizing these places, chances are you would patronize a different place (as opposed to not going out at all) - but, how can you be sure that the replacement establishment isn't being run by one of the sh*theads who do this stuff also, but just hasn't become public yet?

[Lisa Shock]

Yeah, at least at some of these places, like Mario's holdings, you know that things are being done, measures being taken to see that it doesn't happen again.

 

Today, Morgan Spurlock (Supersize Me) outed himself as an abuser and part of the problem. His apology seems sincere and thoughtful, but poorly written, and one wonders why he's having an epiphany at this moment -as he's had corrective moments in the past to inform him of wrongdoing.

 

I won't be too surprised to see more news  about others in the future. Judging by the number of incidents I myself have experienced, and my friends have experienced, perpetrators and their defenders are more common than previously discussed in polite society. Pretty much every industry has been affected by this bad behavior IMO, the news now is seeing how, or if, they change in the future.

Edited December 15, 2017 by Lisa Shock (log)

[GlorifiedRice]

Batali apologized and also gave out a recipe for cinnamon buns...

 

[Alex]

6 hours ago, GlorifiedRice said:

Batali apologized and also gave out a recipe for cinnamon buns...

 

 

Absolutely true

[rotuts]

I don't know Mario.

 

I did learn a lot from Molto Mario quite some time ago.

 

he and his partners have done vary well

 

and Im pleased for that.

 

however , based on MotoMario

 

he understands a bit of his personal errors.

 

hopefully he might understand how EtOH

 

is not his friend.

 

who has apologized  as he has ?

 

few/

 

his mistake is to go to his Image Consultants

 

and thinning 

 

for all the money he has paid them

 

a cinnamon Rx

 

is helpful ?

 

 

Im hopeful that he might straighten  himself out.

 

as in the past

 

Ive seen a lot of talent in this person 

Edited December 17, 2017 by rotuts (log)

[Lisa Shock]

Batali is already planning a comeback, despite still being entangled in legal issues related to his behavior.  “Retire and count yourself lucky,” said Anthony Bourdain  -I have to agree here. It's not like the man has no way to survive, he's a multi-millionaire.

[rotuts]

@Lisa Shock

 

thanks

 

I still subscribe to the NYtimes.

 

its getting thinner every day when I pick it up on my driveway

 

I would have missed this.

 

way back when , independently of his behavior ,

 

and he behavior cannot be independent of his productions 

 

Molto Mario was a real eye opener to Italian Food.

[ElsieD]

@Lisa Shock thank you.  The comments are interesting also.

[weinoo]

I've been boycotting the B & B restaurants since the revelations came out.  I can't wait for him to divest totally from those, as I miss the occasional meal at Otto.

 

At a dinner party here a few weeks ago, someone questioned why I still had a book or two of his on my shelves.  Good question.

[cakewalk]

"He told a colleague that he is simply trying to learn to be the wallpaper in the room and not the room itself."

 

He needs some experience in being the carpet. 

[weinoo]

I have an old Mario story.  It was back when the only place he had was Po.  We were having dinner there with another couple.  Some of the food was not seasoned properly (i.e. over or under-salted, I don't remember).  He was sitting outside the restaurant with a bottle of wine, as was his want in those days, so I chatted with him and mentioned that.  Let's just say he did not take kindly to my remark, and told me that everything was perfect coming out of his kitchen.  Of course, since he was drunk outside, I was wondering how he knew that.

 

Once a douche, always a douche.  And trust me, it was well known what was going on at Spotted Pig, amongst other places.

[rotuts]

its one thing to choose to no longer contribute to MB's wealth today or in the future.

 

Im at a loss to understand what gitting rid of his cookbooks that you already own accomplishes.

 

I think I have one or perhaps two from a long time ago.  they don't bother me sitting on the shelf.

[KennethT]

@rotuts I agree... getting rid of the books only hurts you - no one else will ever know.  If you still find the information in the books valuable,  then I think you should keep them.  I completely understand not going back to any of his restaurants - I haven't either, and I am starting to miss the house made charcuterie I used to get at Lupa.  Unless of course, just seeing the books gives you a bad feeling, then I'd say toss 'em.

[rotuts]

If I no longer need CB's , for whatever reason , I donate them to my LocalLibrary.  they have a

 

huge bi-yearly book sale.  they might get $ 1 for them .  

 

possible now 2 for $1.   Id have to go find them first .

 

from time to time Ive found Political Correctness , esp. with regard to the Past

 

which is not the Present , Odd.

 

not all the time , just some of the time.

 

I can see missing dishes at a restaurant now worth wile.

 

but it adds very little to solving a very long standing problem.

[Katie Meadow]

http://www.everywhereist.com/i-made-the-pizza-cinnamon-rolls-from-mario-batalis-sexual-misconduct-apology-letter/

 

In case you have not seen this yet, I think it is hilarious. It was referred to as a "hate bake." Just one woman's take on the cinnamon roll apology.

[HungryChris]

I learned a lot from  watching MB, and for that matter Jeff Smith ( the Frugal Gourmet). It was a real eye opener to learn that they were less than stellar at just being people. It will not change how much I value what I learned and will not be the only time in life that I learned valuable lessons from jerks and crooks. I would never even think about tossing their books.

HC

Edited April 4, 2018 by HungryChris (log)

[Lisa Shock]

Fact is, most of his material (and Jeff Smith's as well) was not original. He learned it by living and studying in Italy.  There are plenty of other conduits for information from Italy: other cookbook authors, other chefs who have traveled, and from Italians themselves across many types of media.

 

I never purchased any of his books, so, I do not face the decisions which some of you do. But, nowadays, I get a ton of information from Italian websites and youtube. (with a little help from Google Translate on occasion)

[paulraphael]

 

On 4/4/2018 at 10:07 AM, weinoo said:

I've been boycotting the B & B restaurants since the revelations came out.  I can't wait for him to divest totally from those, as I miss the occasional meal at Otto.

 

At a dinner party here a few weeks ago, someone questioned why I still had a book or two of his on my shelves.  Good question.

 

Well, you can't take back the royalties you already payed him. Why not keep the books for the information, but deface all the pictures of him? Or claw his name off the dust jackets?

 

Books are such good conversation starters.

[Lisa Shock]

I just found the 60Minutes report (warning, some explicit content regarding criminal physical assaults), and it's far worse than I had previously thought. I cannot believe that he's trying to stage a comeback now. (or ever)

[MetsFan5]

3 hours ago, Lisa Shock said:

I just found the 60Minutes report (warning, some explicit content regarding criminal physical assaults), and it's far worse than I had previously thought. I cannot believe that he's trying to stage a comeback now. (or ever)

 

 

  I’m not at all surprised. and these women are saying the same thing I’ve said— I’ve never NOT been sexually harassed or assaulted in all of the various restaurant jobs I’ve had. 

 

  I’ve always considered Batali a creep. Same with Flay.  

 

  The supersize me guy will do anything for attention. Hated his documentary, have zero respect for him.  

[gfweb]

Not much has been said (that I've seen) about April Bloomfield's involvement at Spotted Pig and all the stuff that went on there.

 

 

edited to add

https://ny.eater.com/2018/5/20/17374664/april-bloomfield-ken-friedman-spotted-pig-divorce

Edited May 21, 2018 by gfweb (log)

[weinoo]

If she knew what was going on, I guess she's just as complicit.

[MetsFan5]

http://m.tmz.com/#!article/2018/05/22/mario-batali-sauce-makers-never-donated-proceeds-womens-group/

[gfweb]

"In recent weeks, Mr. Batali has been talking with friends and associates about whether a comeback or a new career might be possible "

 

He could cook in the prison kitchen perhaps.