Love City has long been a haven for the rich and famous who relish the island’s beauty and serenity.
While most celebrities keep low profiles — they have to eat too, and some can’t resist straying out of their hotel rooms to indulge in the delectable offerings of Cruz Bay eateries.
Iron Chef, New York and Las Vegas restaurateur, cooking show star and cook book author Mario Batali was spotted on Saturday evening, February 16, enjoying a lavish dinner at Cruz Bay hot spot La Tapa.
Batali, a frequent St. John visitor who often stays at Caneel Bay Resort, seems to have taken advantage of the President’s Day weekend to return to the island with his family and escape the Northeast winter for a bit.
The revered chef has long been a proponent of fresh ingredients prepared in simple, yet elegant dishes, and it seemed his palate was pleased with La Tapa owner Alex Ewald’s creations.
Although Batali is a frequent visitor to St. John, some residents thought perhaps he was intrigued to try La Tapa after reading about the restaurant in the inaugural issue of the St. John Magazine.
Whatever the case may have been, this Molto Mario fan was delighted to have once dined at the same table as the eminent chef and restaurateur himself. As Batali once inscribed in a copy of his “327 Simple Italian Recipes to Cook at Home,” during a book signing in his hometown of Seattle, “pasta is life!”
Buon appetito a tutti!
