STG Presents An Evening W/ 'Bad Boys' Bourdain & Batali 5/30

Seattle Theatre Group (STG) presents An Evening with Anthony Bourdain and Mario Batali on Saturday, May 30, 2009 at The Paramount Theatre at 8:00 PM. Bourdain and Batali, alleged "bad boys of cuisine," are not your typical celebrity chefs. Witness the two as they discuss the world of restaurants, chefs and cooking in what is sure to be a colorful evening of foodie banter. Joined in the mix to moderate the discussion is Seattle's Luke Burbank, host of KIRO Radio's "Too Beautiful to Live."

Bourdain returns to Seattle after a sold out engagement last year at The Moore Theatre. Bourdain is as irreverent, opinionated and entertaining as always in The Nasty Bits, his book of essays derived in part from his popular television travelogue series, "No Reservations." Bourdain is the author of seven books, including Kitchen Confidential and A Cook's Tour.

Batali co-wrote A Culinary Road Trip to Spain with actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Now on PBS, the book comes to life as "Spain...On the Road Again" starring Batali, Paltrow, food writer Mark Bittman and actress Claudia Bassols.

Tickets: An Evening with Anthony Bourdain and Mario Batali tickets are $45.00 - $175.00 (not including applicable fees). Auction* is Friday, February 20 - Thursday, February 26, 2009. Single tickets go on sale Friday, March 6, 2009 online at www.stgpresents.org, by phone at (877)STG-4TIX, in person at The Paramount Theatre box office, Monday through Friday 10:00am-6:00pm and The Moore Theatre box office Tuesday through Friday 11:00am-2:30pm and 3:15pm-6:00pm or at venue kiosks. The Paramount Theatre is located at 911 Pine Street in downtown Seattle.

*Auction: Treat Your Foodie with Front Row Seats to Anthony Bourdain and Mario Batali at The Paramount Theatre PLUS Post-Show Party Onstage!
Auction includes two front row seats and two VIP passes to the exclusive post-show party on The Paramount Theatre stage featuring specialty cocktails, Heineken and Jones Soda beverages as well was light hors d'oeuvres.

Starting on February 20 and ending February 26, food lovers can bid on this one-of-a-kind event in an online auction at STGpresents.org.
About Seattle Theatre Group
Seattle Theatre Group is the 501 (c)(3) non-profit arts organization that operates the historic Paramount and Moore Theatres in Seattle, Washington. Our mission is to make diverse performing arts and education an integral part of our region's cultural identity while keeping these two landmark venues alive and vibrant. STG presents a range of performances from Broadway, off-Broadway, dance and jazz to comedy, concerts of all genres, speakers and family shows - at both historic theatres in Seattle and venues throughout the Puget Sound and Portland, Oregon.

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ANTHONY BOURDAIN
Chef, author of Kitchen Confidential and host of The Travel Channel's "No Reservations," Anthony Bourdain has been dubbed "the bad boy of cuisine" for his rock star look and blunt observations about the world of restaurants, chefs and cooking.

Bourdain, the executive chef at New York's famed bistro Les Halles, is the author of the best-selling Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, a candid, hysterical, and sometimes shocking portrait of life in restaurant kitchens that has been translated into over 28 languages. His book, A Cook's Tour, published in conjunction with his series on the Food Network, was also a bestseller in the U.S. and the U.K.

His other books are Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook, The Nasty Bits and No Reservations: Around the World on an Empty Stomach, an illustrated journal of Bourdain's travels. His crime novels include, The Bobby Gold Stories and Bone in the Throat.

A contributing authority for Food Arts magazine, his work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times and Gourmet. He has shared his insights about team building and crisis management with the Harvard Business Review. He has also been profiled by "CBS Sunday Morning" and "Nightline" and appeared on "The Late Show with David Letterman."

"No Reservations," nominated for an Emmy and widely popular all over the world, is currently in its fifth season. Bourdain continues to travel to the farthest reaches of the globe exploring destinations from rural Laos to a struggling New Orleans.

MARIO BATALI
Mario Batali believes that olive oil is as precious as gold, shorts are acceptable attire for every season, and food, like most things, is best when left to its own simple beauty. To that end, Mario, together with his business partner Joe Bastianich, create magic night after night in his many 12 hotspots in New York City, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Mario and Joe's flagship restaurant is Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca, an award-winning Greenwich Village dining establishment, where Mario has seamlessly combined traditional Italian principles with intelligent culinary adventure since June 1998. Mario is also the chef/owner of six other enormously successful restaurants in New York City: Lupa Osteria Romana, Esca, Casa Mono, Bar Jamón, Otto Enoteca Pizzeria, and Del Posto.

The duo's first west coast venture, in collaboration with Nancy Silverton, is Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles. Mario and Joe recently journeyed to Las Vegas to open B&B Ristorante and Enoteca San Marco in the Venetian Resort Hotel and Casino and Carnevino Italian Steakhouse opened in January of 2008 in the brand new Palazzo Hotel.

In their latest venture, Mario and Joe traveled just outside the city to Westchester County. The Tarry Lodge, in Port Chester, NY, is the site of their new authentic trattoria and now folks outside of the city get to enjoy great Italian food and wine without venturing too far away.

Among his many accolades, Mario was named "Man of the Year" in the chef category by GQ Magazine in 1999. In 2002 he won the James Beard Foundation's "Best Chef: New York City" award, and in 2005 the James Beard Foundation awarded Mario "Outstanding Chef of the Year." Mario is also one of the recipients of the 2001 D'Artagnan Cervena "Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America," a prestigious lifetime achievement award.

Mario has authored Simple Italian Food (Clarkson Potter, 1998), Mario Batali Holiday Food (Clarkson Potter, 2000); The Babbo Cookbook (Clarkson Potter, 2002); Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes (Ecco, 2005); Mario Tailgates NASCAR Style (The Sporting News 2006); and Mario Batali - Italian Grilling (Ecco, 2008).

This fall, Mario's new PBS series with co-stars Mark Bittman, Gwyneth Paltrow and Spanish actress Claudia Bassols aired. "Spain...On the Road Again" follows the foursome's adventures as they travel and eat their way through Spain. Spain...A Culinary Road Trip (Ecco 2008) is the companion book to this prime-time series. Hundreds of gorgeous and candid photos, anecdotes, and more than seventy recipes from Mario appear in this scrapbook of the dream vacation through Spain.

Mario splits his time between New York City's Greenwich Village and Northern Michigan with his wife and their two sons.

LUKE BURBANK
Growing up as one of seven kids, Luke Burbank learned early on how to vie for attention. Those well-harnesses childhood issues have propelled him to many successful projects, including his current radio program "Too Beautiful To Live" on KIRO FM Seattle, and his many appearances on such shows as 'This American Life' and 'Wait Wait Don't Tell Me'.

Luke's been written about in (none other than) The New York Times, New York Observer, Chicago Tribune, iTunes, Seattle Magazine, The Seattle Times and lots of other places. Ira Glass, star of stage and screen recently commented that 'Luke is re-inventing talk radio' which made him tear up just a little when he heard it.

Along with his hosting duties, Luke's worked as a commercial actor both on-camera and voice-over for the likes of Nike, Alaska Airlines, Molson Beer, AT&T and many others.

Drawing on his experience as a radio host, reporter and stand-up comic, Luke provides clients with a smart, quick-witted, approachable talent for on and off camera projects, as well as live events.

His hobbies include, long walks on the beach, ice cream cones and writing about himself in the third person.