How powerful is Mario Batali? So powerful that on a recent visit to Texas Motor Speedway during a Nextel Cup weekend, he managed to enter the garage area — where shorts are banned by NASCAR under all circumstances — in his trademark orange clogs and khaki shorts. Oh, sure, Batali was halted by speedway security, but, after an appeal to NASCAR President Mike Helton, the celebrity chef was allowed entrée without changing his attire. “We see it this way: Mario Batali in long pants is like asking Tom Wolfe to put on a black suit,” said NASCAR spokesman Andrew Giangola. “It just doesn’t work.”
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Cooking impresario Mario Batali has branched into
NASCAR with his new book, “Mario Tailgates NASCAR
Style,” and he’s found a new (and hungry)
fan base in the process. |
Like Wolfe, whose Esquire profile of stock car king Junior Johnson became immortal the day it was published, Batali has a fondness for NASCAR, too. The 45-year-old entrepreneur — who has created a sprawling empire encompassing five Food Network shows, a stable of seven haute cuisine eateries in New York and a best-selling cookware line sold by Crate & Barrel and Sur La Table — now counts racing among his business endeavors, too. This month, Batali published “Mario Tailgates NASCAR Style,” which already has gone back to press for a total of 200,000 copies in stores. It boasts recipes for chili, burgers and other staples of the infield camper — and offers the latest proof that Batali has moved well beyond being considered a mere flavor of the month.
Batali recently discussed his newfound passion for melding carbs and carburetors with SportsBusiness Journal correspondent Erik Spanberg.
Family: Wife, Susi; sons Benno (9) and Leo (7)
Residence: New York City
Favorite book: “The Sound and the Fury” by William Faulkner
Favorite city: New York City
Favorite athlete: Bart Starr
Last movie seen: “Cheaper by the Dozen 2”
Favorite TV show: “The Sopranos”
Best vacation spot: My house in Michigan
Most admired brand: I think the car companies do a good job. Does it have to be still alive? PacBell.
What’s on your iPod: I have 10 iPods — everything by Jimi Hendrix, everything by R.E.M., everything by Dave Brubeck, everything by John Coltrane.
Let’s start with the basics: Why NASCAR?
Batali: Why not? I love NASCAR. I love fast cars. I love people that want to have a good time. I love the idea of tailgating for an entire week. It’s an amazing thing.
So what is appropriate NASCAR tailgate fare?Batali: Well, there are several things, like breakfast dishes, which have never been in any of my books. There is one — I made it this morning on Fox TV — that is my favorite. It’s a tortilla and egg casserole. There are simple things like grilled pizza, a couple of burgers, some sloppy joe kind of things, a really nice chili and tequila. Things like skirt steak tacos, bacon-wrapped pork kabobs, vegetables and some interesting desserts that you can cook on top of the grill.
You have cooked private meals for [NASCAR Chairman] Brian France and his wife in Florida on at least one occasion. Tell me, what was that like?
Batali: It’s great. They have very nice boats, they have cool friends and they just like to relax. It’s not a big high-wire, super-tense situation. They like simple things that are really nicely done. They like their pasta and they’re really nice, easy people to get along with.
When you’re tired and you don’t feel like cooking, what do you eat? Do you just get a spoon and a jar of peanut butter or what?
Batali: I like salsa. I like it without the chips even — I like it with celery. Easy to use and it’s always around.
How are sports and cooking alike?
Batali: Both of them you have to train for, both of them are intense team events and in both victory is delicious.
Which celebrity chef would make the best athlete and why?
Batali: I would say that Wolfgang Puck is probably the best skier and Bobby Flay is probably the best golfer because they just grew up knowing how to do it.
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Batali’s latest book takes his expertise in the kitchen
and translates it to the racetrack infield with such items
as sloppy joes, steak tacos and chili and tequila. |
How did Otto, your New York pizzeria, become a hangout for NASCAR drivers?Batali: I’m not really sure. We threw a little party for them once and they all came, and now whenever they come around they stop by. It’s really cool. I think they like it because they are famous in a lot of places and when they walk into Otto, it’s so crowded they have a certain anonymity.
These guys pay their bills?
Batali: Everyone pays their bills — although I might comp Jimmie Johnson’s check. I just took a ride around the track in the pace car with him driving. That’s worthy [of a free meal]. I drove around with one of the non-NASCAR driver guys and then I went around with Jimmie. And Jimmie went about 20 miles an hour faster and the car didn’t shake and it just felt really smooth. And he talked and he told stories the whole time about what is on the track and this and that. He is really a cool dude.
Having gone through this NASCAR experience, are there other sports you would like to blend with your NASCAR recipes?
Batali: Um, I’m going to stick with NASCAR for now, but all sports blend well with recipes. I think the uniqueness of the NASCAR experience is it’s not just one day, one game. It’s really about kind of a lifestyle.
I know you’re going to a number of races this season and you dropped the green flag at Pocono last year. What do you like about being at the racetrack?
Batali: Aside from the really fast cars that look like giant cannons are being shot at you? I just like the feel of it. It feels good. The qualifying, you know, the people watch it and then everybody goes back to their life — they do their barbecuing or their horseshoe throwing or whatever they do [at the track camp sites] and then they get ready for the next event. It’s more like Woodstock than it is like a football game.
When you first went to NASCAR events last year, did fans catch on to who you were pretty quickly?
Batali: In a second. I was surprised. Well, you know what it is? All the fans that are big into NASCAR are big into food. They just don’t go out and buy a steak at a restaurant or whatever. They all cook. There are no restaurants inside the speedways except the hot dog places. So these people are passionate about food.
Why do people take so much pleasure in eating while watching other people exercise?
Batali: It’s kind of evil meets truth. People like to eat no matter what, and they kind of pair it up with whatever is going on.
