In my “Culinary Pantheon” (if it’s reasonable to have such a
thing), Mario Batali would be in my Top 2.
Like
Bourdain, Batali is responsible not just for my greater understanding of food,
but also a desire to know the cultures behind where it comes from.
In the early days of when I was becoming interested in food
(late ‘90s), Mario’s Food Network shows of Molto Mario and Mario Eats Italy
were standouts. They exemplified the
characteristics of knowledge and passion of one’s subject. If you haven’t watched them, I can’t more
highly recommend shows about food. They’re
on par with Alton Brown’s Good Eats, and all of Tony’s shows.
His PBS documentary of “Spain, On the Road Again”, for example, inspired me to spend a month travelling the Iberian Peninsula.
Today it seems that every show has to be either a competition
or a gimmick (where often one is the other).
Most culinary network television has identified the unfortunate truth
that the money is in catering to the lowest common denominator. Instead of primarily functioning to educate
the viewers on the topic that the chefs love (the food), the airways are now
dominated by shows seeing who can make tuna casserole, served three ways, in
under 14 minutes.
And hey, I like Top Chef and Iron Chef – but there’s only so
much of this that one can take.
While Mario’s shows had some of that as well, and Batali
clearly has a sense of businessman in his ability to adapt to such things as
Iron Chef and The Chew, his sheer talent and knowledge of food has always outshone
any such drawbacks of commercialization.
He has been, and remains, in my Top 2.
For my birthday last month, Kyra gave Chris and I two
tickets to a Town Hall production of Mario Batali, live on stage, talking about
food. We also got a pair of books, got
to have Mario sign them, and we got to chat with him for a little bit. It was a lot of fun J
I’ve been to several of these “foodie events”. Ferran Adria came to town last year. I’ve seen Tony Bourdain numerous times (once
*with* Batali).
These events are always sort of a “who’s who” of Seattle
food. Frequently local famous chefs will
turn out at these things, often times being on stage. I recall a particularly amusing introduction
to Bourdain by Tom Douglas, who went into graphic detail of how he and his wife
christen a new restaurant!
Since Kyra is Kyra, she got Chris and I the “behind the
scenes super-secret backstage pass” tickets, that included some food, wine,
face time with Mario, a copy of his new book, and general food schmooziness. There were a number of famous local chefs
backstage, including Thierry Rautureau (who’s Loulay just won Seattle Met’s
2014 Best Restaurant, where I had my birthday dinner a few weeks back).
Last year's James Beard Best Chef Northwest winner Matt Dillon was
there. I showed him my phone’s
wallpaper, which is a picture of Chris at his new Bar Sajor, the day after our
wedding.
Indeed, when it became time for Mario to take stage, it was actually both Dillon and Batali that took their seats in the lounge chairs to be interviewed by the host, Warren Etheredge.
It started off amusingly, the three of them exchanging witty banter and cracking wise. The three were drinking throughout the evening, Mario often chiding the host for having brought a flask of gin. "Who the fuck puts gin in a flask? Though the juniper berries are quite herbaceous!"
And I think that this, perhaps, is where it struck the wrong note with me.
The title of the book that he's promoting is America Farm to Table. Presumably the topic of the discussion was to involve being conscious of a chef's place in the food chain, and how (in Mario's own words), too "cook more deliciously".
Don't get me wrong - anyone who knows me knows that I love drinking and carousing and having a great time with friends. But it seemed as though Mario were somewhat hammered throughout the whole thing. Any question asked by either the host or the audience was met with a five minute soliloquy that rambled this way and that, only tangentially touching on the question.
The worst part was when a mother, who had brought her child to the show and was sitting in the front row, asked Mario for his advice on what to do when raising children while $65k in debt to her student loans (while working through grad school), which precludes the ability to afford a $7 Whole Foods tomato. She also asked for advice on how to make time for cooking good food in a land of the $2, 900 calorie hamburger. The gist of the question was "you guys have an inside track on where to source good product for a reasonable price. Care to clue us in?)
Mario's response was (almost verbatim) "You can make your own choices, but if you eat that, you're going to fucking die. You're going to pay for it now, or pay for it later. Maybe when deciding on buying that Lexus, you buy a Mini Van instead".
This and similar comments proved to illustrate that, at least for this evening, Mario was quite a bit out of touch. Yes, I'm sure there are a number of folks in the audience, particularly those of us lucky enough to (be gifted) $100 tickets for a wine and catered pre-party, who are making decisions like that. But the choice for many in the audience isn't between a Lexus and a Mini Van, while spending the change on organic produce. The choice is between the $1 Extra Value Menu, or nothing.
Matt Dillon did interject on numerous occasions with actually thoughtful and helpful advice, mostly in the vein of being truly aware of all that is available to cook with. Thoroughly investing yourself in the endeavor of being involved with your food (he gave an example of not buying lettuce for a salad, but rather using turnip greens (an often discarded item) as a salad, and gave some ideas on how to use them).
In honesty, Matt stole the show.
Which is unfortunate in a way, because I really love Mario. He just wasn't on his game this evening, though I don't feel like I should have to make excuses for him.
And it's fortunate in a way as well, because Matt Dillon is a Seattle chef through and through, and we are lucky enough to live in a part of the country where those like him run profitable restaurants all over town.
In the Charles Barkley fashion - Mario's not a role model. It's not his responsibility to instruct America on how to cook healthily or cheaply. I mean, look at him. Again, in his own words, he's more interested in "deliciously". And, in fairness, I typically am as well.
Though, like Sir Charles in the 90's - he actually is a role model, whether he wants to be or not. He is for me.
The concept of "farm to table" is often taken as being emblematic of a healthier lifestyle, which he himself espoused when he warned the questioner of the dangers of a Happy Meal. Maybe it's more healthy, maybe it's not. Factory farming versus Organic farming is a complex issue that I've often debated myself. But I'll guarantee you that for the most part it's more delicious, which is why I often find myself spending what I do. And, you know, organizing things like Seattle International Dinner Club, etc.
This was Chris's first time seeing Mario in person, so it was disappointing that this was her experience, particularly given how important I consider him to be. But, that being said - what do you expect from shows like this? I myself don't really know - but I had a great time overall. It was thought provoking, if not necessarily for the reasons it was meant to be. And, if nothing else, it made me want to eat more of Dillon's food.
Which I intend to do in short order :)
