Mario Batali Drops F-Word on Queen of Spain
New York chef known for orange clogs uses salty language at $1,000-a-plate dinner honoring Spanish food
by Sara Bonisteel / photo by Getty Images
A larger than life celebrity chef used some salty language last week at a dinner honoring the Spanish royal family.
Mario Batali repeatedly dropped the f-word at the $1,000-a-plate dinner on Feb. 19 while announcing Chef José Andrés to a crowd that included King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain, the Miami Herald reports.
Batali, who emceed the dinner celebrating Spanish food and wine at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival, used the swear word while trying to quiet the crowd, the paper said.
The New York chef famous for his orange clogs and "molto" personality allegedly grabbed Andrés' buttocks following the salty introduction to the group of 400, the paper said. Among the celebrities in the audience: Emilio and Gloria Estefan and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist.
Queen Sofia "blanched" at the remarks, guests told the paper.
''This is what food and wine from Spain will do to you,'' the Herald reported him as saying. "It will lift your spirits.''
Batali has a PBS show, "Spain … On the Road Again," with co-hosts Gwyneth Paltrow and Mark Bittman. Batali's rep did not return an immediate request by AOL Food for comment about his remarks.
New York chef known for orange clogs uses salty language at $1,000-a-plate dinner honoring Spanish food
by Sara Bonisteel / photo by Getty Images
Mario Batali repeatedly dropped the f-word at the $1,000-a-plate dinner on Feb. 19 while announcing Chef José Andrés to a crowd that included King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain, the Miami Herald reports.
Batali, who emceed the dinner celebrating Spanish food and wine at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival, used the swear word while trying to quiet the crowd, the paper said.
The New York chef famous for his orange clogs and "molto" personality allegedly grabbed Andrés' buttocks following the salty introduction to the group of 400, the paper said. Among the celebrities in the audience: Emilio and Gloria Estefan and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist.
Queen Sofia "blanched" at the remarks, guests told the paper.
Andrés -- who has several Washington D.C. restaurants and a new one, The Bazaar, in Beverly Hills -- took it in stride.
''This is what food and wine from Spain will do to you,'' the Herald reported him as saying. "It will lift your spirits.''
Batali has a PBS show, "Spain … On the Road Again," with co-hosts Gwyneth Paltrow and Mark Bittman. Batali's rep did not return an immediate request by AOL Food for comment about his remarks.
