As a thriving restaurant operator — with locations across the world — to a best-selling author with over ten books to his name to (finally) being an unmistakable face on television, Mario Batali has long made a name for himself as one who proliferates cutting edge cooking with a wholesome and genuine touch. Batali is known as always having one foot on the forefront of food culture.
And now, just in time for summer, Batali has found his next diamond in the rough. It’s a place that he believes will soon be heralded as a world-class dining and entertainment hotspot: Michigan.
“There’s a great culture in Michigan, almost like a guild of Eastern European butchers who are all making really fun, cool, delicious stuff,” says Batali. “And it’s available to everybody. You don’t have to be a member of a secret club, you don’t have to be a chef. You can’t just come out here and meet the people that make it and really get involved.”
“It’s kind of a cool thing that I wouldn’t have expected, but now it’s become the centrepiece of my summer vacation,” he says.
To see more of Batali’s insights on Michigan food and entertainment culture, check out the PopMatters exclusive video interview.