He lost it all. His show. His restaurants. His reputation.
Batali made the mistake of feuding with President Donald John Trump. That is Batali's right but I strongly advise against such feuding because no one has ever won a feud with Donald Trump.
Not Hillary.
Not the Creepy Porn Lawyer.
And certainly not this kooky cook.
A story in People magazine on May 1, 2017, noted, "Batali is a pal of Barack and Michelle Obama, and catered their final state dinner at the White House in 2016."
For Halloween, Batali dressed up as President Trump.
And of course, he was one of the 15 chefs who refused to work with President Trump, although no one has offered proof that President Trump wanted to work with Batali. Their protest was nothing virtuous, just business. Quite a few restaurants hire illegal aliens and pay them less than minimum wage.
But all good things must come to an end, and Batali's ended with a thump. The show was canceled a while back -- and not because of its ratings. Batali faces accusations of sexual abuse and harassment of women.
On Friday, the New York Times reported, "Mario Batali Exits His Restaurants."
It reported, "'Batali will no longer profit from the restaurants in any way, shape or form,' said Tanya Bastianich Manuali, who will head day-to-day operations at a new company, as yet unnamed, created to replace the Batali and Bastianich Hospitality Group.
"The new company will operate the group’s remaining 16 restaurants under a new management and financial structure. Mrs. Bastianich Manuali and her brother, Joe Bastianich, have bought Mr. Batali’s shares in all the restaurants. They would not discuss the terms of the buyout.
"Mr. Batali is also selling his shares in Eataly, the fast-growing global chain of luxury Italian supermarkets. 'Eataly is in the process of acquiring Mr. Batali’s minority interest in Eataly USA,' said Chris Giglio, a spokesman for that company."
The newspaper reported why no one wants anything to do with him.
"In December 2017, news accounts of Mr. Batali’s history of sexual aggression touched off police investigations, torpedoed his career and cast a shadow over all the restaurants he was involved in. Reservations at Del Posto, the group’s luxurious Manhattan flagship, shrank as expense-account approvers shied away from Mr. Batali’s compromised reputation," the newspaper reported.
"Six of the group’s restaurants, in Las Vegas and East Asia, closed soon afterward, when the Sands casino group ended its contracts with Batali and Bastianich. Others shuttered as the process of dismantling the partnership dragged on. The group’s newest restaurant, the ambitious and expensive La Sirena, in the meatpacking district of Manhattan, closed in December."
The Times also reported, "The most serious incidents were said to have taken place both at the group’s restaurants and other places, including the Spotted Pig, in the West Village, where Mr. Batali was a regular and an investor."
The Spotted Pig.
An appropriate monicker for Batali.
He made the Trumpenfreude List on May 28, 2018. This is an update because you can never have too much money or too much Trumpenfreude.
People who live in glass houses...
ReplyDelete...shouldn't buy Windex
DeleteGood for a little accountability from Dem criminality. Too bad it's the private sector instead of the deep state.
ReplyDeletesalute!, cin cin!
ReplyDeleteTrump cannot continue to hide behind the wall like a coward. Mr. President, do your duty. Protect the homeland as you promised when you were campaigning and asking for our vote. You are suppose to be the commander and chief. Instead, you have turned into a faker playing games with the American people, a side show autographing bibles. The more I see, the more I realize how very little you really understand. What is it you stand for and why did you even bother to become President?
ReplyDeleteAmerica's dead heroes and defenders lay stiff and swollen, moldering over the centuries. From the early, frontier, French and Indian wars to the frozen starving, suffering of Valley Forge, the last full measure ceded by countless Americans over countless conflicts, the horrible sacrifice this nation has endured. Even our staunchest, bitterest enemies grudgingly cede; Americans have never been cowards, never failed to take the field, to meet any challenge, to make whatever sacrifice was deemed necessary, and we will not now continence an indecisive coward as our commander in chief.
Grow some spine and a pair of testicles too Mr. President. Send the armed forces to the border and lock it down, closed and shut, as tight as a frog's hind quarters. There's no trick to this decision. What lunacy is this business of subsidizing Mexico to house caravans? What will it take to replace this Homeland Security Secretary? How dense and dull are these people you surround yourself with? Why would you give the cartel's, corrupt officials who are surely pocketing our taxpayer's money and the Mexican government an incentive to bring more caravans to the border? You do realize that is exactly what this policy does? In a rush to take the pressure off, you have made it worse. America is losing and so are you sir. This is not winning and it is not any marketing problem some gold leaf branding can solve.
The very same interests that gave us NAFTA, gave us open borders. Seal the frontier and these interests immediately begin to lose billions of dollars daily. Hello? Make your Administration's problem, America's problem, their problem and we will have a solution soon enough. I am not a self made multi billionaire and you sir, are not stupid. If I can see what any blind man can see, why can't you? Either you are a fraud, another faker hoisted upon the American people, or you are a straight up, low down, sell out traitor and a coward.
Know this. America can not survive this onslaught. The one, single insight that seems to have driven your desire for achieving office is to demonstrate that America can make better business deals. Well it may come as something of a surprise to you and your "Tody," tony political advisers and fellow billionaire businessmen, but America is more than a platform for business deals. Some of us actually live here, raise our families and worship our God as allowed under a contractual constitution, which you swore an oath to defend. We have no obligation to defend, or support this filth and cesspool of corruption, this federal government you now preside over. Nor do we have any desire to see it continue.
The American people now demand you do your job and I am here to tell you. No one is asking for inspiration, but you sir are certainly no "Sully." Sully was the pilot who made the NYC river landing after losing both engines on take off. They made a movie about him, to celebrate a true hero who did his job superbly under terrible pressure and stress. Sully himself claimed he was no hero, just only a individual who was a part of a team that did their job. You sir, are no Sully.
My grandma used to say that you get more flies with sugar than with vinegar. I checked the latest poll and Trump is still at 100% at my house.
DeleteThe only part of the Batali sex scandal that was shocking was finding out that he was straight. If they ever do a movie about Batali they should get Nathan Lane to play Mario.
ReplyDeleteDude is the Colin Kaepernick of chefs.
Restaurant employees seem to be especially randy with each other. Perhaps all the standing makes them want to get horizontal.
ReplyDeleteThere may be an Australian added to the list soon. Our former Foreign Minister Julie Bishop is setting herself up for it!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2019/03/julie-bishop-tells-tales-out-of-school-to-embarrass-president-and-mrs-trump.html