Joe Bastianich was born into food. But he's been dogged by toxic partnerships, extra pounds, and
restaurants that couldn't go the distance. Curious what tune he's singing these days? Keep watching
for why this mogul keeps stirring the pot. Growing up, Bastianich showed little interest
in the culinary world. Born in Queens to parents who both worked in the restaurant biz,
he knew firsthand how financially taxing it could be. He once told Reuters,
"This industry is rife with opportunities to bleed money — you have to watch every nickel."
So, he first pursued a career in finance. As he recalled to Business Insider,
"I went to work on Wall Street because that's what
you did in 1989 if you wanted to be rich. And I wanted to be rich."
"All energy all the time."
But he quickly learned that watching stocks and crunching numbers all day
wasn't his true passion. He quit the job and took his chef mother Lidia's advice;
traveling to Italy to immerse himself in the food, wine and culture. He soon returned
to New York and finally gave the family business a shot. Together with his parents,
he opened his first restaurant, Becco, in 1993 — which still welcomes hungry visitors today.
These days, Bastianich is happily married to his wife of over 26 years,
Deanna. According to the New York Times, after quickly moving in together,
they tied the knot in 1995 after meeting through friends. And yes, his mom, Lidia,
did most of the cooking for their wedding reception. But apparently, Deanna didn't
have the same kind of culinary roots as the family she married into. As she told the outlet,
"[I] subsisted primarily on yogurt, popcorn, bagels and cereal."
In the years since, the couple has been busy raising three kids together:
Miles, Olivia, and Ethan. And while Bastianich typically keeps his brood out of the public eye,
he and his wife occasionally post about the kids on social media. In 2013, Bastianich
described his kids' possible interest in joining the family biz, telling the New York Daily News,
"My kids are immersed in the food and wine world. I don't really shove it down
their throats, but to the extent they want to participate in it, it's always around them."
It was Joe's mom who introduced him to a guy who would change the course of his career:
Mario Batali. Already a promising chef and restaurant owner himself, Batali and Joe were
tapped by mom Lidia to assist with a James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards dinner. The two not
only became fast friends, they quickly decided to go into business together. As Bastianich recalled,
they spotted a "for rent" sign one night and impulsively snapped the space up.
It soon became the location for their Michelin-rated eatery, Babbo.
Bastianich & Batali Hospitality Group also opened the renowned Del Posto in New York,
as well as several other highly-acclaimed restaurants in Manhattan and Las Vegas. In 2010,
they partnered with Lidia to open the first U.S. location of Eataly — a large-scale,
high-end Italian marketplace. After launching in New York City, Eataly
outposts popped up all over the country. As Batali explained to New York Magazine,
"We don't want you to just come and eat and walk away. We want
you to come and taste some things and then take them home and cook them."
These days, Bastianich keeps himself in tip-top shape. But that's a relatively new
lifestyle change. As he tells the story, he was
once 60 pounds overweight and suffering from sleep apnea as a result. In 2006,
a doctor warned him that both his cholesterol and blood pressure were dangerously high. With that,
he decided on the spot to embark on a journey to lose the weight. He told Runner's World,
"I come from a family that loves to eat, not exercise. Being fat made even walking hard. […] I
walked one mile, then two, then three. Then I began to pick up the pace and started running."
Just four years later, Bastianich had not only slimmed down, but he was running marathons.
In 2011, he even completed an Ironman World Championship.
Bastianich dished a little of his strategy to fitness success, telling Epicurious:
​​"When I stopped looking at food as a reward or a celebration and began looking at food as energy
to fuel my athletic ambitions, that really kind of changed the whole world for me."
Thanks to the success of his restaurants, there was no question Bastianich had become
a major player in the culinary world. But he gained national recognition when "MasterChef"
hit American TV screens in 2010. As one of the show's original judges,
his straight-shooter critiques quickly earned him a notorious reputation.
Next to him, the normally hot-tempered chef Gordon Ramsay almost looked like a softie.
"I'm just trying to push you to the next level."
Bastianich admitted his honesty could be brutal,
but said it came from the best of intentions. He told Real Style Network,
"I take cooking and the show very seriously,
and I think my attitude reflects that. Some say I am too harsh, but I'm not going to
apologize for having high standards for what should make up our country's best home cook.
I don't think doing anyone any favors will help to keep that title elevated to where it should be."
In 2013, "MasterChef Junior" made its adorable debut, featuring contestants ages 8 to 13.
But don't assume that Bastianich is taking it any
easier on these pint-sized chefs. As he told Parade,
"I treat these kids like I would cooks in my kitchen."
"This is like military style. OK, you ready? Let's try it again.
'Picking up 5 racks, 3 halis.'" "Picking up 5 racks, 3 halis." "Voila."
2010 was a milestone year for Bastianich. He turned 40, and his father, Felice,
succumbed to an illness, passing away later that year. As part of his grieving process,
Bastianich began writing the book that later became his 2012 memoir,
"Restaurant Man." He pulled no punches recounting his experiences in the New York food scene,
reportedly offending everyone from an Esquire food writer to
the owner of Le Cirque for their unflattering portrayals. He told the New York Daily News,
"I didn't see the point in writing a fluff book. If I was going to do it,
it was going to be like me, completely honest."
Rather than a gossipy tell-all, he maintained that the book was meant to honor his parents,
telling the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,
"[It's] an unabridged story of what happened in my life, the good, bad and ugly. I think if you
read the book you can understand what has made me, the son of an immigrant. People who left
everything behind and worked hard, a sense of frugality and respect of earning money."
"Restaurant StartUp" Bastianich all but exited the
"MasterChef" franchise in 2014. At the time, Eater speculated that the chef was focusing
on his new show, "Restaurant Startup." Rather than critiquing contestants on the food alone,
the series was also about demonstrating the vision and savvy behind running a
business. The winner would ultimately receive a real-life financial investment from Bastianich,
who also served as judge and executive producer. But the series was canceled after three seasons.
"It's my fault. I let you guys down."
But Bastianich hadn't abandoned the "MasterChef" world entirely, remaining a judge on "MasterChef
Italy." As he departed the American franchise, he had only kind things to say, telling E! News,
"I had a great experience. It was a show that changed my life."
The Me Too movement hit home for Bastianich with a scathing report from Eater in 2017.
Multiple employees accused his business partner, Mario Batali,
of inappropriate behavior in their restaurants. Batali swiftly apologized and stepped away from
both the day-to-day running of his businesses as well as the spotlight. Bastianich quickly
issued a statement, acknowledging his own part in the situation, writing,
"I'm proud of what our teams accomplish every day,
and I've always tried to show respect for them and their work.
I'm re-examining my own behavior to ensure that everyone I work with feels that respect."
Two years later, with Batali facing criminal charges, Bastianich and his mother formally cut
professional ties with him altogether. According to Vox, the Bastianich family also beefed up
their human resource department and installed an employee hotline for reporting harassment.
In 2021, Batali agreed to pay $600,000 to the female employees who
claimed they were harassed on the job. In the aftermath of the Batali scandal,
Bastianich kept a low profile. That is, until he resurfaced in 2018 with a return to "MasterChef."
To the delight of fans and viewers, he resumed his role as a full-time judge on Season 8 — without
missing a beat. Season 11 winner Kelsey Murphy commented during an interview with Food Sided,
"I think that most people would agree that Joe is very hard to please.
He is very critical. […] [He's] not very forthcoming with his positive comments."
"It was seasoned aggressively. I wanted to taste a little bit more of the quality of the beef,
but good job."
But when it comes to the fans, many think Joe's years of business experience only add
to the show's credibility. As one Redditor suggested,
"You do not need to be a chef to be a successful restaurateur. He
clearly has to know food and what people like."
Another user affirmed the sentiment, posting:
"He represents a big element of what makes chefs successful:
whether or not their dish will actually sell in a restaurant."
The Covid pandemic lockdown resulted in the permanent closure of countless restaurants
in New York City, including two owned by Bastianich. Del Posto,
his upscale Italian eatery that won a four-star review from the New York Times in 2010,
finally shuttered its doors after 15 years. But there was a silver lining. Bastianich and his
mother sold the space to a group that included Del Posto's longtime general manager, Jeff Katz, and
executive chef Melissa J. Rodriguez. Bastianich said in a statement to the New York Times,
"Jeff and Melissa were the driving force behind the success and evolution of Del
Posto. I am happy and proud that they will continue that evolution into the future."
Another of his many successful restaurants, Otto — famous for its pizza — had already bowed out as
well, having briefly opened for take-out during the pandemic, before closing its doors for good.
At the time, Bastianich didn't downplay the ravishing effect that Covid and the lockdown
fallout was having on the entire industry. As he explained to Italian food site, Identita Golose,
"My restaurants in New York are all closed. Or rather:
in two restaurants we've placed a few tables outside, but it's very little,
and on top of that here it rains almost every day. The other 15 are closed. Most of all:
there's no opening date, we know nothing, and we can't make plans. It's a devastating situation."
Lidia Bastianich's renowned Italian restaurant, Felidia, also closed for
good in the Fall of 2021. But as the sun set on a wildly successful four-decade run,
fans still have their pick of Bastianich outposts all over the country, and beyond.
Even just a quick peek at Bastianich's Instagram makes it abundantly clear that in addition to
food, he is also deeply devoted to music. It all started with a gift from his grandmother,
who bought him his very first guitar. He's been writing songs and performing live ever since,
regularly jamming onstage in New York City.
He has said that it's actually music — as opposed to cooking or his restaurants — that
reflects his true spirit the most. As he explained to The Voice of New York,
"When you're writing music you really have to be introspective and you have to let your real
emotions come out. The music best represents who I am as a person more than anything else."
In the earlier part of 2021, as the country attempted to emerge from lockdown, Bastianich
penned a song called, "One City Man." He says it portrays both the pain and anger caused by
the pandemic as well as a sense of hope as people do their best to rebuild and recover. It's also a
love letter to his Manhattan hometown. Describing his writing process, he told the outlet,
"Through that period, I was writing in the subways, going to Central Park, or walking
on the High Line alone. There was the emotional part and then the confidence in New York City.
Never bet against New York City. New York City will be back and that's the song."
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