The public persona he presents, utterly unique, both brash and delicate, subversive and charming, masks an inner core of serious artistry. This lover of nature in all of its forms -- good, bad and ugly -- mostly lives an austere, isolated life that has enabled him to make such a rich contribution to the fragile, precious library of American literature.
Making his way into the limelight through his Food Network shows, restaurant ownership, many cookbooks, and now his spot on ABC's daytime cooking talk show "The Chew," chef Mario Batali has quickly become a household name. But where does this former (he's not on the show anymore) Iron Chef love to eat when he's not cooking for himself and the public?