Joe B's Restaurant Man Hits Shelves Today

Joe Bastianich is adding another book to his list of accomplishments today with the publication of Restaurant Man.  In his new, cut-to-the-chase memoir, Joe takes us back to his college days and his year on Wall Street, before he set out to work at restaurants and vineyards in Italy.  The book is a personal, candid, curse word-infused account of becoming one of the most successful restauranteurs in the world.

In addition to feuds that have already gone public, the book talks about Del Posto's struggle to land its fourth star and Joe's eventual partnership with Mario Batali that has lead to one of the most signifiant movements in Italian cuisine.

Batali's Vespa 86'd

According to the New York Post, Mario Batali's vespa was damaged last week near Lincoln Center while he was shooting an episode of The Chew.  Apparently someone bumped into it while it was parked, dented it, and drove off.

Green is the New Orange this Earth Day

To celebrate Earth Day and to help raise awareness, all of Batali and Bastianich's restaurants will be offering dishes that help to maintain a low carbon footprint.

Carbon footprints are an estimate of how much carbon dioxide, or green house gas (GHG), is produced to support a lifestyle.  Raising and slaughtering livestock, growing and harvesting grains, fruits, and vegetables, and transporting these foods (over 800 million tons anually) to the global marketplace expends a tremendous amount of energy.  Attempts to cut back on this energy expenditure is why words like "local" and "sustainable" have become commonplace on today's restaurant menus.  Once the food arrives at its destination, whether it is a home or restaurant, the preparation has further effects on carbon output.  This understanding is why B&B leads a company-wide effort to reduce their footprint.

Earth Day is a chance to shine a light on the green sensibilities that run rampant in B&B restaurants on a daily basis.  Each restaurant in the Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group is a Green Certified restaurant, a certification that comes from earning points in seven environmental categories, including water conservation, food sustainability, and chemical waste and pollution reduction.  To further reduce their carbon footprint, B&B chefs are competing amongst themselves to see who can come up with the best Earth Day dish, considering products that are pesticide free, local, and use minimal packaging.

Check out any of their restaurants Sunday, Vegas and L.A. locations included, to see what the chefs come up with.  If you do, B&BHG will throw in a custom packet of organic Cherry Belle radish seeds that double as a two for one promo to visit The New York Botanical Garden this summer.

Lunch Launches at Babbo

Babbo began serving dinner at 110 Waverly Place in June of 1998.  For 14 years it has remained the most lauded dining location in Mario Batali's empire and one of the most sought after reservations in the city.  Today, starting at 1130am, the restaurant will be open for lunch.

Eater has pictures of the menu, which gives the option of a 4-course, $49, tasting menu.

Attack of the Batali Pang

Num Pang is a Cambodian sandwich shop with Greenwich Village (21 E 12th) and Midtown (140 E 41st) locations.  Today marks the start of the shops "Guest Chefs Give Back" campaign that sets to raise money for the New York City Food Bank and the Cambodian Children's Fund.

Mario Batali is the first featured chef and his "Batali Pang", available starting today, will run for the next month, through March 15th.  The sandwich is one of cotechino, which is a slow cooked Italian sausage, balsamic braised onions, Cacio di Roma cheese, and the rest of the fixens you'd find on a sandwich under the Banh Mi blanket; pickled carrots, cucumber, and cilantro.  It can be yours for $9.75 - 60% of that cost will head to above mentioned charities.

If the the cotechino is anything like the Prosecco braised version Batali's Greenwich Village pizza spot Otto does for New Year's, I'm there.  If it's any different, I'm there.