Home : Paparazzi Video : Chef Mario Not Molto Mobile

Chef Mario Not Molto Mobile

Posted Sep 18th 2007 3:44PM by TMZ Staff

As a chef, Mario Batali is known for restaurants like Babbo and Mozza and his prodigious talent, energy, brio -- and belly. As a quarterback, Mario is known ... well, mainly for his belly.


The Croc-clad culinary cad was out -- if not so about -- in New York's West Village, tossing around a football with some local kids, whose relative size made Mario look like the Jolly Tangerine-Dusty Rose Giant. With his paunch playing offensive line, Batali did his best to engage the youngsters -- as long as the ball was thrown right to him.

Tags: Mario Batali, MarioBatali

Comments [27]
SHARE |
4ie6

Reader Comments

(Page 2 of 2) Previous 15 Comments

16. Ease up on Mario. He's a great chef, always fun to watch, and I think he's a hunk. I think it stinks that you guys find a celebrity that is doing a positive thing and trash him for it.

Posted at 4:34PM on Sep 25th 2007 by Boo

17. Hey...large folks need love too! I love ya Mario....I love a man that cooks.

Posted at 5:01PM on Sep 18th 2007 by DJCate

18. Mario seems like a nice guy, I've seen him on many shows over several years. He really needs to lose some weight though. I can tell that he is gaining a few more pounds every year. Even if he is healthy and has no problems with diabetes or high blood pressure, the bulk of his abdomen alone is a severe handicap. My best suggestion to him would be to avoid eating pasta and meat in the same meal. I think the body can't properly handle diverse forms of fats/sugars/carbs in any one session of digestion. Eat a meal that is primarily meat or primarily pasta, but not both. Anyway, he's got to change his diet because his current diet is destroying him.

Posted at 5:03PM on Sep 18th 2007 by jdohe

19. oh yea....crocks are great if you stand on your feet all day. I wear them...I could give a hoot less what anyone thinks....COMFORT FIRST....when your a working person.

Posted at 5:04PM on Sep 18th 2007 by DJCate

20. Are you guys for real? Do you think Mario actually gives a rat's ass what you think of him and his crocs? Mario's the man, and you dorks must be having a slow news day.

Posted at 5:24PM on Sep 18th 2007 by ValerieSara

21. Are we sure that's not Axl Rose ???
Kidding, of course.

Posted at 5:38PM on Sep 18th 2007 by Dawn Parizek

22. Please leave Mario alone. He's a humble guy and a great chef! What is the matter with people these days? And those Crocs are comfy (and ugly too) but who cares!!!

Posted at 6:38AM on Sep 19th 2007 by Rosie

23. Who would pick on a talented guy- TMZ! Leave him alone- he's doing a great thing- gobash stories of the low -lives - drug addicts that make this world a negative place!!!!!

Posted at 11:01PM on Sep 18th 2007 by P-Type

24.
#17---really?
no carbs & protein in the same meal? Or just no meat & pasta? I did not know that. That would be hard for any Italian food groupie!
Anyway, I love Mario. He is a great story teller about the regions of Italy and the foods that come from them. I'll not judge him by his girth. I'm sure he knows he's big.

Posted at 1:35AM on Sep 19th 2007 by amica

25. tmz, please stop criticizing celebrities when they're caught unselfishly doing something nice for people. i would think famous people playing ball with children is the sort of thing we should encourage through the media. you could have spun this as "mario batalli finally gets exercise and fresh air! he makes kids happy and sets a positive example!"

Posted at 1:40AM on Sep 19th 2007 by beth

26. Is he GAY???

Posted at 10:04AM on Sep 19th 2007 by p

27. C'mon TMZ-dissin on an Iron Chef??????

Mario is a wonderfully entertaining man with a passion for cooking and eating. Any man who has such a talent is ok in my book. BTW, Crox are the bomb. I work twelve hour shifts in a hospital and they are the only thing that save my feet and legs. Granted, mine aren't orange but to each his own!

Posted at 6:00PM on Sep 24th 2007 by DDunn62

Previous 15 Comments