Mario Batali Talks About Travel and Food

Mario Batali is a man constantly on the move. Here's how the restaurateur and co-host of ABC's 'The Chew' rolls on the road

By Bon Appétit

April 25, 2013

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Mario Batali is a man constantly on the move. Here's how the restaurateur and co-host of ABC's The Chew rolls on the road

You've got 21 restaurants on two continents; what's your go-to travel outfit?
Mario Batali: Crocs and a rolled-up dress shirt with a fleece vest over it. And I wear short pants just about everywhere I go, with the exception of where I'm going next.

Which is...?
MB: A farming fact-finding mission to Haiti with President Clinton. I'm excited, but I have to wear long pants because mosquitoes are an issue, as are cholera and typhoid. It's the most challenging place I've been to in terms of how to prepare.

Any eating and drinking strategies for flying?
MB: I don't eat in airports or on planes. At O'Hare, however, Rick Bayless has a restaurant called Tortas Frontera. It's the one place I'll trust.

So you don't eat anything they serve on the plane?
MB: I consume Bloody Marys on flights. I consider them breakfast and lunch. It's the first thing I'll do on a plane.

Are you a road-trip guy?
MB: Every summer the whole family drives back to New York from our lake house in Michigan. We take the dog, which means we stay at dog hotels, and they're often on the outskirts of the city, near bus stations. But it's worth it.

Any advice for handling those long drives?
MB: Do your research. You're always in striking distance from something delicious: ice cream, barbecue, or a killer sandwich. Making a trip about something other than getting somewhere is what makes it memorable.

Favorite food cities?
MB: I love Sydney, Melbourne, and Shanghai right now, and what's going on in Peru and on the Chilean coast. In the U.S., it's New Orleans, hands down.

When you fly to events, what do you bring?
MB: We used to overnight the food, but I found that when I check it on the plane, it gets there when I get there. If you're cooking for 600 people and the raviolis go missing, you end up making spaghetti pomodoro. As far as my belongings go, I always, always carry on.

Any place you haven't traveled to?
MB: I would love to go to India with Madhur Jaffrey. Indian cooking has a nuance to it that is on a different level.

How often do you fly on private planes?
MB: As often as someone else picks up the check.

When's the last time you flew coach?
MB: I was trying to get out of Aspen, which is always difficult because of the weather. I told the airline I'd take anything. They had one seat left--in the last row, next to the bathroom. Someone had vomited, so there was a wafting deliciousness, and it was between two people about my size. But hey, I got home.

--Interview by Gabe Ulla