30 Facts About Lidia Bastianich

Lidia Giuliana Matticchio Bastianich is an Italian-American celebrity chef, television host, author, and restaurateur.

Lidia Bastianich owns or has owned several Italian restaurants in the US in partnership with her daughter Tanya Bastianich Manuali and her son Joe Bastianich, including Felidia, Del Posto, and Becco in Manhattan; Lidia's Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh ; and Lidia's Kansas City in Kansas City, Missouri.

Lidia Bastianich is a partner in Eataly locations in New York City, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Lidia Giuliana Matticchio Bastianich was born on February 21,1947, in Pola, Istria, just before the city was assigned to Yugoslavia in September 1947.

Lidia Bastianich is the daughter of Erminia and Vittorio Matticchio.

Lidia Bastianich, like many other Istrian Italians, fled to Trieste, Italy, during the Istrian-Dalmatian exodus, with her brother Franco and her mother on the pretense of visiting their sick aunt Nina, who was a personal chef.

Lidia Bastianich gives credit for the family's new roots in the United States to their sponsor, Catholic Relief Services:.

Lidia Bastianich started working part-time at the age of 14, during which she briefly worked at the Astoria bakery, Walken's Bakery, owned by Christopher Walken's parents.

In 1981, Lidia Bastianich's father died, and the family sold their two Queens restaurants and purchased a small Manhattan brownstone containing a pre-existing restaurant on the East Side of Manhattan near the 59th Street Bridge to Queens.

Lidia Bastianich was Puerto-Rico-born David Torres, known at the restaurant as Davide'.

Bastianich's daughter Tanya Bastianich Manuali used her PhD in Italian art history as the foundation for a travel agency partnership with her mother called Esperienze Italiane, through which Tanya and friend Shelly Burgess Nicotra offered tours throughout Italy.

Lidia Bastianich offers culinary and gastronomy classes to the public at Eataly's school, La Scuola.

Together with her son Joseph, Lidia Bastianich produces wine at Lidia Bastianich Vineyard in Friuli Venezia Giulia and La Mozza Vineyard in Maremma, Italy.

In 2013, Bastianich returned to Public Television with Lidia's Kitchen, a 26-part series produced by Tavola Productions.

Lidia Bastianich has appeared on the Italian television show Junior MasterChef Italia in 2014 and 2015 for Season 1 and Season 2.

In 2020, alongside son Joe Lidia Bastianich and Antonino Cannavacciuolo, she was a judge on the cooking competition show on Sky, Family Food Fight.

Lidia Bastianich has authored several cookbooks to accompany her television series:.

The couple married in 1966 and Lidia Bastianich gave birth to their son, Joe, in 1968.

Lidia Bastianich continued expanding her business while Felice transferred his shares in the business to their two children.

Joe Lidia Bastianich occasionally appears in his mother's series to offer wine expertise.

In 2011, Lidia Bastianich was accused of keeping an indentured servant.

Lidia Bastianich is an active member of society who participates in community service activities and special events on behalf of several foundations.

Lidia Bastianich is a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier and a founding member of Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, two non-profit organizations of women leaders in the food and hospitality industries.

Lidia Bastianich is a champion for the United Nations Association of the United States of America's Adopt-A-Future program, in support of refugee education.

Lidia Bastianich is on the Board of the Arrupe College, a higher education program founded by the Loyola University of Chicago for underprivileged students, and regularly hosts Fundraisers for the program at Eataly in Chicago.

Lidia Bastianich is actively involved with various non-profit organizations that are focused on promoting and celebrating Italian and Italian-American culture and heritage.

Lidia Bastianich is part of the National Organization of Italian American Women's Distinguished Board, a national organization for women of Italian ancestry that focuses on preserving Italian heritage, language and culture.

In 2010, the Lidia Bastianich family was honored by NOIAW for their outstanding contributions to Italian culture in America.

Lidia Bastianich was the Grand Marshal of the Columbus Day Parade in New York City in 2007, and an honorary guest at the 2016 Columbus Celebration Kickoff Event at Eataly Downtown in New York City.

In 2014, Lidia Bastianich led the committee that determined the winners of a contest initiative launched by Eataly and IACE for students.