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A New Documentary About the Rise and Fall of Mario Batali Premieres This Week

Plus, a new Xi’an Famous Foods is slated to open at Flushing’s Tangram mall — and more intel

Celebrity Chef Mario Batali Arraigned On Charge Of Indecent Assault And Battery
Celebrity chef Mario Batali exiting the Boston Municipal Court in May.
Scott Eisen/Getty Images

A new documentary about the controversial career of Mario Batali, dubbed Batali: The Fall of a Superstar Chef, premieres Thursday, September 22, on Discovery+, according to the New York Times. The documentary chronicles accusations of sexual misconduct that date back over two decades, which first surfaced in 2017, leading Batali to divest from his restaurants and pay a settlement of $600,000 to former employees. In August, Batali also settled two additional sexual misconduct lawsuits, related to alleged incidents in Boston, after a Boston judge found Batali not guilty of indecent assault and battery in May. The Times reveals that the documentary includes new testimony from a former Babbo employee, who previously remained anonymous, asserting that she was allegedly sexually assaulted by Batali.

Turn mooncake tins into art

Local organization Think!Chinatown is hosting an exhibition of recycled mooncake tins this fall. Artists are invited to submit their sculptures by Monday, October 17 for potential inclusion.

Xi’an Famous Foods eyes new Flushing location

Beloved chain Xi’an Famous Foods is the latest store to open at Flushing’s splashy new Tangram Mall. The latest Xi’an outpost is set to debut on Saturday, September 24, where from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. customers can get one free dish if they repost the company’s Instagram opening announcement.

A gala for the Street Vendor Project

The Street Vendor Project, an advocacy group for street vendors, is celebrating 21 years in operation. Tickets to the fundraiser — held at the Queens Museum on Tuesday, October 11 — are now live and start at $161.39 per person. Admission includes bites from birria truck Birria-Landia, tamale favorite Evelia’s Tamales, and Bangladeshi spot Tong.

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