Chef AF Rating | Lidia Bastianich
I've married my two passions in life: family and food.
https://linktr.ee/lidiabastianich
Whether it’s because of the “flavor-of-the-week” direction that many food critics take nowadays or because they burn out, very few cooks have the longevity that Lidia Bastianich has enjoyed throughout her career. Born in then-Italy (now Yugoslavia), Lidia and her family were uprooted and brought to New York in 1958. Lidia began her culinary journey in 1971, working as the hostess at the restaurant she co-owned with her husband, Buonavia, in Queens. Lidia started training as the assistant chef a year later, and her knack for traditional Italian cuisine quickly became apparent. As Buonavia experienced success, Lidia took more of a central role at the couple’s second restaurant, Villa Secondo, giving live cooking demonstrations and earning the attention and praise of local critics.
In 1981, Lidia and her husband Felice spent every dime they had to open Felidia, and the gamble paid off: The New York Times gave Felidia three stars, and Lidia’s career rose to new heights. In 1993, Lidia’s son Joseph convinced his parents to open Becco in Manhattan’s Theater District; the result was a rousing success that led to Lidia appearing on Julia Child’s cooking show and, eventually, a friendship with Mario Batali. In 2010, Lidia and Joseph partnered with Mario and Oscar Farinetti to open Eataly; that same year, Lidia launched her Lidia’s Kitchen line, her cookware line.