Batali attempts a comeback

Back in October, Mario Batali resurfaced on Instagram and hinted at a comeback with a message that said “virtual events coming soon.” This week, Batali made good on his announcement, hosting a livestreamed, $50 per person cooking demo last week that featured cacio e pepe and bucatini all’ Amatriciana. Batali hosted the show from his home in a tiny Michigan town where he retreated after sexual assault allegations surfaced in 2017. Judging from the video’s comments, not everyone is ready to welcome Batali back to the airwaves, virtual or otherwise.

The reactions included brutal statements like “Nobody missed you Mario. No one wants you back,” and “He needs to bake himself some humble pie.” During the demo, someone asked if Batali planned to return to New York or host demos from Eataly. The answer was a resounding no, with the disgraced chef saying he will remain in Michigan. “New York, there’s a lot of great people I love most of them, but there’s enough a**holes in New York City that I’m done with that town. And I wish everyone the best there,” he said.

While Batali was under criminal investigation over claims he sexually assaulted women in a “rape room” located over The Spotted Pig in NYC, no charges were ever filed. In 2021, Batali’s restaurant company (along with Batali and his business partner) paid $600,000 to resolve sexual harassment allegations made by employees of the company. In 2022, Batali was acquitted of sexual assault and battery charges stemming from an alleged groping event that occurred at a Boston bar in 2017.