From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Mario Batali (born September 19, 1960) is an American chef, writer, restaurateur and media personality. In addition to his classical culinary training, he is an expert on the history and culture of Italian cuisine, including regional and local variations. Batali co-owns restaurants in New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Singapore.[1] Batali's signature style includes shorts and orange Crocs. Description above from the Wikipedia article... see more