Mario Batali Fallout Reverberates Nationwide, Including With Governor Cuomo

Fallout has been swift for Mario Batali

Following allegations of decades of sexual harassment from four women by Mario Batali that he does not deny, the celebrity chef’s influence has been crumbling. Beyond stepping away from day-to-day operations at his restaurants and being asked to leave The Chew, here in New York, Batali has dropped out of a $10,000-per-plate fundraiser for Governor Andrew Cuomo that he cooked at last year. Lidia Bastianich will continue to cook. Elsewhere in the country, Food Network has halted the airing of his Molto Mario remake, a California restaurant chain has removed his products from their shelves, and a high-profile fundraising gala in New Orleans has replaced him as the featured chef.

These are a few of Pete Wells’ favorite things

The end of 2017 is quickly drawing nigh, and so comes end-of-year roundups. Here now, Times critic Pete Wells names the 10 dishes that drew him closer to ecstasy. They include the crispy layered potatoes at White Gold Butchers, the uni crepe at Otway, and Sahib’s chicken biryani. The full list is here.

Il Laboratorio del Gelato opens near NYU on Friday

Il Laboratorio del Gelato, that lab-like gelato shop on the Lower East Side, will open its second NYC location this Friday, December 15. The new location will have 48 rotating flavors, plus sundaes, cakes, milkshakes, and, come January, ice cream sandwiches. The 800-square-foot space at 56 University Place will have 12 bench-style seats, at which gelato guzzlers can gaze at competitor Amorino directly across the street.

High school students open pop-up coffee shop

Seniors at the Food and Finance High School, a culinary high school in Hell’s Kitchen, have opened a pop-up coffee shop in the school called Murphy’s Beans n’ Dreams. Murphy’s serves coffee and pastries and students rotate through positions to learn every area of restaurant operations. Joe Coffee Company, Orwasher’s Bakery, and more have donated the goods. Its open today through Friday from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. at 525 West 50th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues.

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