Mario Batali’s Fall from Grace Detailed in Discovery+ Documentary

One of the reasons I love writing and talking about food and the people who prepare it is because of the joy and pleasure that food brings to so many, myself included. Sharing chef interviews or detailing an episode of a food-focused television show, or talking about new products is nothing less than a labor of love…until now. Nobody made me write this piece, nor did they push me to watch the subject of it, but after viewing Batali: The Fall of a Superstar Chef on Discovery+, I was compelled to do so. In the way most of us are compelled to slow down as we pass a nasty car accident, I couldn’t not watch.

One of the foundational chefs upon whom Food Network built its eventual empire and a chef of substantial renown, Mario Batali, seemingly had it all. Until he didn’t, really for no other reason than he habitually sought to have and touch and abuse what wasn’t his to explore – – other people’s personal space.

Thankfully, a number of brave women ultimately chose to speak out, exposing themselves to the inevitable onslaught of dismissive venom that often comes with shining a light on the dark actions of an icon. And make no mistake, in the food world, whether through his vast restaurant holdings or as a star on such shows as Molto Mario, Iron Chef America, and The Chew, Mario Batali was an icon.

Unfortunately, it’s when an icon begins reading his own press clippings that he becomes emboldened, subsequently, in Batali’s case leaving behind a trail of victims. As detailed in Batali: The Fall of a Superstar Chef, Mario Batali’s abusive roadmap earned him the moniker “the red menace,” someone who “felt entitled to do whatever the f—k he wanted to do.”

A recurring theme in the Discovery+ documentary is alcohol, the excessive consumption of which only exacerbated Batali’s vile and invasive behavior. When employees and associates observed the chef imbibing, what was to follow became a foregone conclusion. In the grand scheme of sexual harassment, being referred to as “handsy” might be explained away by some as benign, but such behavior was just the amuse-bouche on Batali’s menu of predatory actions.

Mario Batali as a chef, entrepreneur, and television personality, is someone whose fame not only overstuffed his own pockets but those of many other partners and associates. With such cash flow comes the inevitability of some within that circle choosing to simply look the other way when hearing about his escapades. I intentionally use the word “hearing” anecdotally because I’m hard-pressed to believe that they were just learning of same. Batali’s modus operandi was no secret to anyone.

While some folks in Batali’s universe opted to look away, other long-time associates like Joe Bastianich and his mom Lidia didn’t, ending their 20-year partnership with the chef in 2019. In doing so, they took control of their fast-growing global Eataly concept, as well as other critically acclaimed restaurants, including their flagship Babbo in New York.

Batali: The Fall of a Superstar Chef is an important watch. It’s also a difficult watch, but that doesn’t lessen its importance. In an industry where 70% of the women who work in it say they’ve been sexually harassed, any vehicle that brings such abhorrent behavior to the fore demands to be viewed. More vitally, the brave women who share details of their own personal Batali hell in the doc deserve to be celebrated by intently listening to their stories.

Watch Batali: The Fall of a Superstar Chef on Discovery+ or The Roku Channel.