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What a pear! Elliot, left, and Bastianich, right, were photographed by Serendipity on August 30 at Tarry Market (co-owned by Bastianich and Mario Batali) in Port Chester, NY. In between takes, the guys, who are both musicians, had a great time looking through the market’s collection of rock ’n’ roll LPs. 100 OCTOBER 2013 FOODIES PA S EAUTY B EROVA, Z I ALON & S M GRAHAM ELLIOT AND JOE BASTIANICH ARE MORE THAN CO-JUDGES ANA friends ON FOX’s MASTERCHEF, THE TWO CULINARY GREATS ARE ALSO Z OLAND N GREAT FRIENDS. ON AIR, THEIR DEMEANORS DIFFer — Joe is THE SERIOUS ONE, GRAHAM IS THE EVERyman — but oFF CAMERA, AND AT SERENDIPITY’s 2013 GREENWICH WINE+FOOD FESTIVAL, GROOMING BY ZU CHRISTOPHER THEIR CHEMISTRY IS DELICIOUSLY FUN. PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEVE GIRALT We’ve all goTTEN ALONG FROM DAY ONE. WE HAVE A SIMILAR SENSE OF HUMOR, AND LOVE NOTHING MORE THAN TO BE SURROUNDED BY FOOD AND PEOPLE WHO ARE EXCITED TO COOK IT.” — on fellOW MASTERCHEF JUDGES JOE BASTIANICH AND GORDON RAMSAY 102 OCTOBER 2013 Elliot, right, with a MasterChef contestant and Joe Bastianich. ELLIOT BECAME THE grahamYOUNGEST FOUR-STAR CHEF IN THE COUNTRY AT AGE 27. NINE YEARS LATER, THE MUSICIAN, HUSBAND AND FATHER OF THREE IS STILL WINNING AWARDS, AND FANS, ON FOX’S MASTERCHEF AND WITH HIS THREE RESTAURANTS IN HIS NATIVE CHICAGO. HIS CUR- RENT PROJECTS INCLUDE AN UPCOMING BOOK, AND HE’S OPENING A LOCAL RESTAURANT BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR! If someone said to you “I want to be a tricks and sharing stories from our past famous chef and open a restaurant,” culinary experiences. With his wife and business what would you tell them? partner, Allie, and their 1. Get rid of the idea of being famous. What are some of your favorite hobbies that three sons. 2. Make sure that you work every facet of don’t involve the kitchen? the kitchen, from dishwasher to sous chef, I love playing music and going to concerts and know how to lead and share your vision. and shows. I also like to frequent museums 3. Make sure you have found your own voice and other cultural institutions. Being out- and style. That will separate you from every side foraging and hiking is another way I other chef who wants to open a restaurant. like to wind down. Your website says “music by Graham Elliot.” What would you be if you weren’t a chef? How long have you been playing? I’d either play music or be in politics. I used to sing and play guitar in a band, and have always been fond of the symbiotic Does your family influence your career? relationship between music and food. I There’s nothing more important than still record my own music, and feel that as family, and we make sure we travel as a the restaurant is an extension of myself, it group as much as possible. My amazing SPEED ROUND! only makes sense to make it as much of my wife [Allie] not only inspires me in how I Favorite kitchen utensil: Offset spatula My kids love when I cook: Eggies own as possible. cook, but every day she also inspires me to Favorite song: Sing, Sing, Sing be a better man, father and husband. by Bennie Goodman What are some of the lessons you’ve Favorite pizza topping: Pineapple and ham The dish I have yet to master: Any and all learned on MasterChef? Do you watch any cooking shows? Chinese cuisine I learned how to be comfortable in my own I don’t have a lot of time to watch TV, but The first time I saw myself on TV I thought: ELLIOT skin, meaning I don’t have to act or try and if I do get a chance to I’ll turn on Andrew Damn, I look good. I look real good. Dream menu for a day: Breakfast: scrapple be somebody else — I can be just me. It was Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods. I live vicariously GRAHAM with a fried egg and cheese sandwich. F also really eye opening to see how diverse through his crazy excursions. Lunch: sushi. Dinner: my wife’s beef O the food scene is in America. stroganoff. Dessert: strawberry shortcake. What lead up to your decision to undergo Beverage: Coca-Cola Classic. OURTESY Nothing bothers me in the kitchen more : C Do you believe people are born with an weight-loss surgery in July? than: Chefs and cooks who don’t smile. innate ability to be a great chef? It’s actually something I’ve thought about AMILY ; F No, actually. I feel like any creative outlet for 10 years, but hitting 400 pounds and or craft is continually refined by travel, hearing from the doctor that I was in jeop- You’re working on a book. What’s it about? ASTING C family upbringing and experiences. ardy of losing my life, that’s the moment I Basically, it’s going to be a year in the life had to make a drastic change. I have a lot of a Graham Elliot restaurant. There BROAD X O You, Joe Bastianich and MasterChef’s third more energy and I have a more optimistic won’t be recipes, but [you’ll see our] notes judge, Gordon Ramsay, have very different outlook on life, which allows me to be more about each dish, and photos. A cookbook X ©2013 F personalities. How do you make it work? active with my family. with everyday recipes is in the works O We’ve all gotten along from Day One. We after this one is finished. You’ve lost around a 100 pounds! How has AYNE/F have a similar sense of humor, and love G nothing more than to be surrounded by the reaction been so far? Are you cooking up any new restaurants? REG G : : food and people who are excited to cook Surprisingly good. People have been re- We are currently working on a restaurant HEF C it. Even though our styles differ greatly, markably supportive. My kids actually have concept in the Greenwich area that we there’s a tremendous amount of respect. noticed that I’m faster at tag and have way expect to open before the end of the year. ASTER M Every day we are teaching each other new more energy to play with them. Hint, hint! SERENDIPITYSOCIAL.COM 103 BASTIANICH IS INCAPABLE OF DOING A LITTLE BIT joeOF ANYTHING. HE GOES BIG AND, ENVIABLY, WITH GREAT SUC- CESs — FROM THE RESTAURANT EMPIRE HE’S BUILT WITH FAMOUS FRIEND AND CHEF MARIO BATALI, TO HIS VINEYARD, TO HIS FITNESS ROUTINE. HE’S CONSIDERED THE MOST STOIC AND CRITICAL OF THE MASTERCHEF MEN, BUT SOMEONE WHO CARES SO PASSIONATELY ABOUT CREATING PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO BOND OVER GREAT FOOD AND WINE MUST SURELY BE MADE OF SOFTER STUFF. The mozzarella station at Eataly. On your website, you refer to yourself as a If someone said to you, “I want to be a “restaurateur, winemaker, author, sometimes famous chef,” what would you tell them? Jamming with his TV personality, critic, rocker, runner, hus- Think about taking $100,000 and burning band, The Ramps. band and father.” Which one came first? it in the middle of the street, because you 1. Restaurateur: You could say I got my will save more money this way than if you start at age three when my parents opened choose to open your own place. Then, get their first restaurant, Buonavia, on Queens on the first flight to Europe, then go to Boulevard in 1971. Growing up, we practically Asia. Come home and spend the next two lived at the restaurant. By the age of 14, I was years working in someone else’s kitchen recommending and serving wine tableside. for $200 a week. If you are comfortable 2. Husband and father: I’m fortunate with this, then forge ahead, my friend. that I’ve accomplished a great deal in my professional life, but my three children are Which of your restaurants would you pick my greatest achievement. They are good for the following events: kids, but let’s see how the teenage years go! A wedding proposal: Del Posto. It is a 3. Winemaker: My mother [Lidia Basti- very grand and elegant setting that retains anich] and I founded the Bastianich Win- a sense of intimacy. ery in 1997 in Friuli, Italy. Friuli is argu- Wowing a new date: Hands down, ably the white wine-making capital of Babbo. Just being able to get in should set H Italy. I feel strongly about the potential of you off on the right foot! C the wines coming out of this region. It’s a Bringing the kids: Otto and Tarry Lodge BASTIANI privilege to be able to make wine there. are very family friendly. Both offer great OE J 4. Author: Restaurant Man came out last options for kids, and an extensive collec- F O Season 4 MasterChef year, which is a memoir of sorts. I felt I tion of wine for Mom and Dad. contestant James needed to tell my story, which is really the Breaking up with your girlfriend: La Nelson with Joe OURTESY story of the evolution of the New York res- Piazza in Eataly is your best bet; it’s loud : C Bastianich and his sons, taurant scene over the last 40 years. My and you aren’t even sitting down. Quite Ethan (left) and Miles. father [Felice Bastianich] was the original ideal for making a quick exit.