Lidia Bastianich facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lidia Bastianich

Bastianich at the 2014 Texas Book Festival
Born	Lidia Giuliana Matticchio (1947-02-21) February 21, 1947 (age 78) Pula, PR Croatia, Yugoslavia
Cooking style	Italian Italian-American
Spouse	Felice "Felix" Bastianich ​ ​ (m. 1966; div. 1998)​
Current restaurant(s) Felidia, Becco, Lidia's Kansas City, Del Posto
Television show(s) Lidia's Italy in America, Lidia Celebrates America, Lidia's Italy, Lidia's Family Table, Lidia's Italian–American Kitchen

Lidia Giuliana Matticchio Bastianich (born February 21, 1947) is a famous Italian-American chef, TV host, author, and restaurant owner. She is known for her delicious Italian and Italian-American cooking. Since 1998, Lidia Bastianich has been a regular on public television cooking shows.

Lidia was born in Pula, a city that was under Allied control at the time. When she was 9 years old, her family moved to the United States. In 2014, she started her fifth TV show, Lidia's Kitchen. She owns or has owned several Italian restaurants across the U.S. with her daughter, Tanya Bastianich Manuali, and her son, Joe Bastianich. These restaurants include Felidia, Del Posto (which closed in 2021), and Becco in Manhattan. She also had Lidia's Pittsburgh (closed in 2019) and Lidia's Kansas City. Lidia is also a partner in several Eataly food markets in cities like New York City, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Silicon Valley, Dallas, and São Paulo, Brazil.

Early Life and Moving to America

Lidia Giuliana Matticchio Bastianich was born on February 21, 1947, in Pola, Istria. This area became part of Yugoslavia in September 1947 and is now part of Croatia. Istria was once part of Italy, but it became part of Yugoslavia after World War II. Lidia's parents were Erminia (who lived from 1921 to 2021) and Vittorio Matticchio (1911–1980).

Until 1956, Lidia lived with her family in Yugoslavia. During this time, their family name was changed from Matticchio to Motika. Like many other Italian people from Istria, Lidia and her family moved to Trieste, Italy. They pretended to visit a sick aunt, Nina, who was a chef. Soon after, her father joined them by crossing the border at night.

Since Nina could only offer a temporary place to stay, Lidia and her family became refugees at Risiera di San Sabba. Lidia shared in a TV documentary that a rich family in Trieste hired her mother as a cook and housekeeper, and her father as a driver. However, they still lived in the refugee camp. Two years later, their request to move to the United States was approved. In 1958, Lidia and her family arrived in the United States, first in North Bergen, New Jersey, and later settling in Astoria, Queens, in New York City.

Lidia gives credit to Catholic Relief Services for helping her family start a new life in the United States. She said, "The Catholic Relief Services brought us here to New York; we had no one. They found a home for us. They found a job for my father. And ultimately, we settled. And I am the perfect example that if you give somebody a chance, especially here in the United States, one can find the way."

Lidia started working part-time when she was 14. She briefly worked at Walken's Bakery in Astoria, which was owned by the parents of actor Christopher Walken. After finishing high school, she began working full-time at a pizzeria in Manhattan.

Even though her family is Italian, a DNA test showed that her family has a lot of Eastern European roots. This is because Istria has a mix of different cultures. Lidia has said about her identity, "I feel very Italian, but I do have some Slavic in me, and I relate to that as well; so that forms the mixture that is Lidia."

Lidia's Culinary Journey

Starting Restaurants in New York (1971–1981)

In 1971, Lidia and her husband opened their first restaurant, a small place called Buonavia (meaning "good road") in Forest Hills, Queens. Lidia was the hostess. They created their menu by using recipes from popular Italian restaurants and hired a skilled Italian-American chef.

After a short break to have her second child, Tanya, in 1972, Lidia began training as an assistant chef at Buonavia. She learned to cook many Italian dishes on her own. Soon, the couple started adding traditional Istrian dishes to their menu.

Buonavia was very successful, which led them to open a second restaurant in Queens, Villa Secondo. Here, Lidia started getting attention from food critics and began giving live cooking demonstrations. This was a hint of her future career as a TV cooking show host.

In 1981, Lidia's father passed away. The family sold their two Queens restaurants and bought a small building in Manhattan. It already had a restaurant inside, near the 59th Street Bridge. They turned it into their main restaurant, Felidia, which is a mix of "Felice" and "Lidia." They used almost all their money, about $750,000, for renovations. When Felidia finally opened, it received great reviews from food critics, including The New York Times, which gave it three stars.

Growing the Business

Lidia and Felice sent their children to college, not expecting them to join the restaurant business. However, their son Joseph, who had often helped at Felidia, decided to leave his job as a bond trader on Wall Street. In 1993, he convinced his parents to open Becco (Italian for "peck, nibble, savor") with him in the Theater District in Manhattan.

Like Felidia, Becco was an instant hit. This success led to opening more restaurants outside New York City, such as Lidia's Kansas City in 1998 and Lidia's Pittsburgh in 2001.

In 1993, Julia Child, another famous chef, invited Lidia to be on her Public Television show, Julia Child: Cooking With Master Chefs. This show featured well-known chefs from across the U.S. cooking in their own kitchens. Being on the show gave Lidia the confidence to expand her family's business even more.

By the late 1990s, Lidia's restaurants had truly become a family business. Lidia's mother, Erminia Motika, took care of the large garden behind their family home. Lidia would pick ingredients from this garden for new recipes. Joe became the main wine expert for the restaurant group and also started his own restaurants. Lidia's daughter, Tanya Bastianich Manuali, used her PhD in Italian art history to start a travel agency with her mother called Esperienze Italiane. Through this, Tanya offered tours across Italy. Tanya's husband, Corrado Manuali, became the restaurant group's main lawyer.

In 2010, Lidia and her son partnered with Oscar Farinetti to open Eataly. This is a huge food market in Manhattan, about 50,000 square feet, dedicated to Italian food and traditions. Lidia teaches cooking classes to the public at Eataly's school, La Scuola. Eataly's motto is "We sell what we cook, and we cook what we sell." Eataly now has locations in Chicago and São Paulo, Brazil. They opened a second store in New York at the World Trade Center in 2016 and another in Boston that same year. More recently, Eataly opened in Los Angeles in 2017, Las Vegas in 2018, Toronto in 2019, Silicon Valley in 2022, and Dallas.

In the fall of 2010, Lidia also launched "Lidia's Kitchen," a line of cookware and serving ware for QVC. With her daughter Tanya and son-in-law Corrado Manuali, Lidia started Nonna Foods. This company sells many of Lidia's food products, including 11 types of sauces available nationwide. Lidia and her son Joseph also make wine at Bastianich Vineyard in Friuli Venezia Giulia and La Mozza Vineyard in Maremma, Italy.

Lidia on Television (1998–Present)

In 1998, Public Television offered Lidia her own TV show, which became Lidia's Italian Table. This show made her a popular chef on the network. Since then, she has hosted more public television series, including Lidia's Family Table, Lidia's Italy, Lidia's Italy in America, and Lidia's Kitchen.

She also hosts a series of hour-long Public Television specials called Lidia Celebrates America. These specials started in 2011 with Lidia Celebrates America: Holiday Tables & Traditions. In this series, Lidia explores the many different cultures across the United States and shares stories of immigrants. Other specials include Lidia Celebrates America: Weddings – Something Borrowed, Something New (2012), Lidia Celebrates America: Freedom & Independence (2013), Lidia Celebrates America: Life's Milestones (2013), Lidia Celebrates America: Holiday Tables and Traditions (2015), Lidia Celebrates America: Holiday for Heroes (2016), Lidia Celebrates America: Homegrown Heroes (2017), Lidia Celebrates America: A Heartland Holiday Feast (2018), Lidia Celebrates America: The Return of the Artisans (2019), Lidia Celebrates America: Eating in With Lidia (2020), Lidia Celebrates America: A Salute to First Responders (2020), Lidia Celebrates America: Overcoming the Odds (2021), and Lidia Celebrates America: Flavors that Define Us (2023). Lidia always ends her shows with a warm invitation to eat with her family: Tutti a tavola a mangiare! (Italian for "Everyone to the table to eat!").

For the 2010 holiday season, Lidia's new TV production company, Tavola Productions, created an animated children's special for Public Television called "Lidia's Christmas Kitchen: Nonna Tell Me a Story." This special went along with a book Lidia wrote with the same title.

In 2013, Lidia returned to Public Television with Lidia's Kitchen, a 26-part series. The tenth season premiered in October 2022, and the eleventh season launched in October 2023.

Lidia has also appeared as a celebrity judge on other cooking shows. She was a judge on MasterChef USA in 2000. Her son, Joseph Bastianich, later became a judge on the Gordon Ramsay version of MasterChef. Lidia also judged Junior MasterChef Italia in 2014 and 2015. In 2016 and 2017, she was a judge for the Italian show, La Prova del Cuoco. In 2020, she judged Family Food Fight on Sky, alongside her son Joe Bastianich and Antonino Cannavacciuolo. In 2021, Lidia co-starred with Italian chef Anna Moroni in Senti che fame! Nonna pensaci tu, which aired on Discovery+ in Italy.

Lidia's Cookbooks (1990–Present)

Lidia Bastianich has written many cookbooks that go along with her TV series. Some of her popular titles include:

• La Cucina di Lidia
• Lidia's Family Table
• Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen
• Lidia's Italian Table
• Lidia's Italy
• Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy
• Lidia's Italy in America
• Lidia's Favorite Recipes
• Lidia's Commonsense Italian Cooking
• Nonna Tell Me A Story (a children's book)
• Nonna's Birthday Surprise (a children's book)
• Lidia's Egg-Citing Farm Adventure (a children's book)
• Lidia's Mastering the Art of Italian Cuisine
• Lidia's Celebrate Like an Italian
• My American Dream: A Life of Love, Family, and Food
• Felidia, Recipes from My Flagship Restaurant
• Lidia's a Pot, a Pan, and a Bowl: Simple Recipes for Perfect Meals
• Lidia's From Our Family Table to Yours

Awards and Special Recognitions

Lidia Bastianich has received many awards and honors for her work in the culinary world:

• (1987) Woman of the Year/Innovation Award, Restaurant Category
• (1993-1998) Nominated multiple times for "Best Chef in New York" by the James Beard Foundation for Felidia
• (1996) "Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America" James Beard Award
• (1999) Named "Best Chef in New York" by the James Beard Foundation
• (2001) Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen won the International Association Culinary Professionals (IACP) cookbook Award
• (2002) Named "Best Outstanding Chef" by the James Beard Foundation
• (2002) Called "The First Lady of Italian Cuisine and Restaurants in the United States" by Senator George Onorato
• (2009) Lidia's Italy named "Best Cooking Show" by the James Beard Foundation
• (2011) Lidia Celebrates America received a Silver Award at the Telly Awards
• (2013) Won an Emmy for "Outstanding Culinary Host"
• (2013) Inducted into the Culinary Hall of Fame
• (2016) Lidia Celebrates America: Home for the Holidays won "Best Special" by the James Beard Foundation and "Best Food Program" at the Taste Awards
• (2017) Lidia Celebrates America: Holiday for Heroes won a James Beard Award for "Best Special"
• (2018) Won a Daytime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Culinary Host"
• (2018) Lidia Celebrates America: Homegrown Heroes won a James Beard Award for "Best Special" and a Gold Telly Award
• (2019) Received the Master of the Aesthetics of Gastronomy Award from the Culinary Institute of America
• (2019) Awarded the Premio Artusi by the Scientific Committee of Casa Artusi
• (2022) American Public Television Silver Award
• (2023) Received a Taste Award
• (2023) Received an honorary degree from Manhattan College
• (2023) Received WHYY's Lifelong Learning Award
• (2023) Received a MenuMasters Award

Other Recognitions

Lidia has also been recognized for her contributions to the Italian-American community and other causes:

• (1996) Distinguished Service Award from the Italian Government
• (1999) Honored as "Commendatore" (Commander) of the Republic of Italy
• (2000) Golden Whisk Award by Women Chefs and Restaurateurs
• (2008) Honored as Commander by the President of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano
• (2008) Chef for Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to New York City
• (2009) National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) Special Achievement Award for humanitarian service
• (2010) The Bastianich family was honored by the National Organization of Italian American Women (NOIAW)
• (2012) Lifetime Achievement Award at Healthcare Chaplaincy Wholeness of Life Awards Dinner
• (2015) Chef for Pope Francis during his visit to New York City
• (2017) Received the Grand Dame Award by Les Dames D' Escoffier International
• (2018) Celebrity Champion for "Adopt-A-Future" campaign by UNA-USA/The UN Refugee Agency
• (2018) The Bastianich Family received an Award from the Italian Heritage & Culture Committee of New York, Inc.
• (2018) Received The One America Award for Entrepreneurship by NIAF
• (2019) Received the Spirit of Arrupe Award from Loyola University Chicago

Lidia's Family Life

At her sweet sixteen birthday party, Lidia met her future husband, Felice "Felix" Bastianich. He was also an Italian immigrant from Istria and worked in restaurants. They married in 1966. Their son, Joe Bastianich, was born in 1968, and their daughter, Tanya Bastianich Manuali, was born in 1972.

Lidia and Felice divorced in 1998. Lidia continued to expand her business, while Felice gave his shares in the business to their two children. He passed away on December 12, 2010.

Lidia lives in Douglaston, Queens. She lived with her mother, Erminia Motika, until her mother's passing in February 2021. Lidia's own kitchen has been the set for four of her TV shows. The garden that her mother, Erminia, took care of provided many ingredients for the shows. Erminia, often called "grandma" on the show, frequently helped Lidia cook.

Joe Bastianich sometimes appears on his mother's shows to share his knowledge about wine. He, his wife Deanna, and their three children live in New York City.

Tanya Bastianich Manuali, with her husband Corrado Manuali, lives in Arizona. Tanya is very involved in producing Lidia's public television series as an owner and Executive Producer of Tavola Productions. She also works daily in the family restaurant business.

In an interview, Lidia spoke about how important it is for her to pass on family traditions: "Food for me was a connecting link to my grandmother, to my childhood, to my past. And what I found out is that for everybody, food is a connector to their roots, to their past in different ways. It gives you security; it gives you a profile of who you are, where you come from."

Giving Back to the Community

Lidia Bastianich is very active in community service and supports several foundations. She is a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier and a founding member of Women Chefs and Restaurateurs. These are non-profit groups for women leaders in the food and hospitality industries. She also supports the United Nations Association of the United States of America's Adopt-A-Future program, which helps refugee children get an education.

Lidia was on the Board of Arrupe College, a higher education program by Loyola University Chicago for students who need extra support. She often hosts fundraisers for this program at Eataly in Chicago. BoysGrow, a local non-profit program that teaches job skills, is another organization she works with. She has hosted annual benefit dinners for them at her restaurant Lidia's in Kansas City since 2013.

Additionally, Lidia has helped raise money for UN Women (formerly UNIFEM) by co-chairing charity events throughout her career. She is also involved with Jesuit Refugee Service, The Child Center of NY, and teaches classes at August Martin High School in Queens, New York.

Lidia is also actively involved with various non-profit organizations that promote Italian and Italian-American culture. She is on the board of the National Organization of Italian American Women (NOIAW), which works to preserve Italian heritage, language, and culture. In 2010, the Bastianich family was honored by NOIAW for their great contributions to Italian culture in America.

She supports the Columbus Citizens Foundation, a non-profit group that celebrates Italian-American heritage. She was the Grand Marshal of the Columbus Day Parade in New York City in 2007.

Furthermore, Lidia has worked with the Italian American Committee on Education (IACE). This New York-based non-profit promotes the study of Italian language and culture. She visits elementary schools and speaks to students, for example, in Harlem in 2011 and the Bronx in 2014. In 2014, Lidia led the committee that chose the winners of a contest for students, launched by Eataly and IACE.

See also

• List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards