Mario Batali could not contain his holiday cheer on Monday while heading out to grab some lunch in New York City.
The disgraced chef and unemployed restaurateur was all smiles as he made his way through the Big Apple dressed like a child in a pair of pink shorts, filthy sneakers and a baseball cap.
Batali’s sartorial choices were far less shocking however than the fact that he was still wearing his wedding ring in his first outing since being accused by multiple women of sexual assault and misconduct.
The 57-year-old father-of-two has now been accused by over 10 women of sexual misconduct, a behavior that though shocking to most appears to have been an open secret among members of the New York City restaurant scene.
The staff at one of the city’s most popular establishments, The Spotted Pig, even referred to him as ‘The Red Menace.’
But this does not seem to have impacted his relationship with wife Susi Cahan judging by Batali’s choice in jewelry on Monday. The couple has two teenage sons.
Spotted: Mario Batali (above) was seen walking to lunch in New York City on Monday, his first public outing since he was accused of sexual misconduct last week
Reckoning: Over 10 women have now come forward to accuse Batali of sexual assault or misconduct over the past three decades
Batali announced last Monday that he was stepping down from his restaurant empire and would no longer be appearing as a host on his ABC daytime show The Chew in the wake of the allegations against him, which at that time came from four women.
That came soon after Eater published an article in which four women accused the chef of inappropriate groping over the years.
One of the women said that Batali groped her chest after wine spilled on her shirt while another said he grabbed her from behind and held her tightly against his body.
Three of those four women asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution from Batali, who was their boss at that time.
Batali admitted on Monday that ‘much of the behavior described does, in fact, match up with ways I have acted.’
A representative for his restaurant business, Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group, said an employee reported inappropriate behavior by Batali in October.
The company told Eater it was the first formal complaint against Batali and that he was reprimanded and required to attend training.
The group’s restaurants include Babbo in New York, Carnevino Italian Steakhouse in Las Vegas and Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles. It’s also a partner in Eataly, an Italian food hall and grocer, which has locations in New York, Chicago and Boston.
His career took off after opening Po in New York City in the early 1990s, and he skyrocketed to fame with the airing of Molto Mario, a show that ran on the Food Network for eight years, until 2004.
It was there that his signature look, a fleece vest, shorts, and orange Crocs, became recognizable to most people. He has also won several prestigious James Beard awards.
A spokesperson for the Food Network said on Monday that a planned rehboot og Molto Mario had been put on hold, adding that it ‘takes matters like this very seriously.’