Mario Batali is an American chef, writer, restaurateur and media personality. In addition to his classical culinary training, he is an expert on the history and culture of Italian cuisine, including regional and local variations. Batali co-owns restaurants in New York City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Singapore. Batali's signature style includes shorts and orange Crocs. Batali was born in Seattle, Washington, the son of Marilyn and Armandino Batali. His family moved to Yakima, Washington shortly thereafter. When Batali was about 8, his family moved back to Seattle when his father got a job... as an engineer for Boeing. His father worked for Boeing for thirty years, then, after retirement, opened a meat-curing shop, Salumi, in Seattle. He is of Italian ancestry on his father's side, and French Canadian ancestry on his mother's side. According to research done by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. , his maternal great-great grandparents opened an Italian foods store in 1903. Batali's family roots are found almost entirely in the Western United States.
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