It is not April in December, as I suspected upon reading The Food Section's announcement of the forthcoming Batali tome, " Mario tailgates NASCAR style." If it is, in fact, a prank, Sports Illustrated is in on it, as witnessed by this interview with Batali. I'm guessing this sprang from the same fertile minds that created the Mary-Kate and Ashley toothpaste we keep in the guest bath. Best of all, the inspriation for the project seems to stem from the huge cultural gap between NASCAR and Mario's patrons:
SI: Your restaurant, Otto Enoteca Pizzeria, has become a hangout for NASCAR drivers. How did that come about?
Batali:
Last year, during NASCAR Week, there were a couple of big
get-together's at our place. I had told the drivers to come and check
the place out and I think they liked it. I think that's interesting for
those guys to go into a place where they are not so recognized that
they get bothered and chased around. Otto does not have a huge NASCAR
fan base as its regular customer base so these guys, who are generally
mobbed wherever they go, they are kind of left to themselves.
For those about to be remaindered, we salute you.
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