Other
Lidia Matticchio Bastianich
James Beard Award winner
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
Her style is often traced to three kitchens: grandmother Rosa’s farm-to-table approach, Aunt Nina’s more sophisticated methods in Trieste, and the commercial cooking she learned in a refugee camp kitchen. In Lidia Matticchio Bastianich’s work, those sources read as technique rather than nostalgia—memory, necessity, and a strict respect for ingredients turned into a cooking style that is warm, exacting, and built to carry history on the plate.
Coming Up
The early discipline in Lidia Matticchio Bastianich’s career was kitchen labor, not authorship. At Walken's Bakery in Astoria, New York, part-time work taught production rhythm and the standards baked dough demands. A full-time post at a pizzeria in Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York City, added speed, timing, and the pressure of keeping service consistent. The dining room side came next. In 1971, Lidia Matticchio Bastianich became hostess at Buonavia in Forest Hills, Queens, New York, a position that sat between front of house and kitchen and required an understanding of how service moves. In 1972, she returned there as assistant chef, a step that deepened the practical skills and confidence built shift by shift. The career was assembled in sequence: one room, one responsibility, one lesson at a time. The move from employee to proprietor marked the broader reach of Lidia Matticchio Bastianich’s work. Felidia since 1981 established a restaurant identity that traveled with her name. Becco since 1993, Lidia's Kansas City since 1998, and public television host of PBS from 1998 extended that language into other rooms and other audiences. In 2001–2019, she was restaurateur at Lidia's Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and in 2010 she became partner of Eataly, a role that placed her inside a larger food conversation without changing the grounded habits that shaped her practice.
Where They Are Now
Today, the work remains split between restaurant service and public broadcasting: Felidia in New York City, and an Emmy Award-winning public television host. The throughline is consistency. The same culinary approach moves from dining room to screen, carrying the same emphasis on clarity, continuity, and the foods and techniques tied to her early life. American by background and practice, she has kept that connection intact across formats.
Signature
Lidia's signature dishes include Felidia, Lidia Celebrates America, Lidia's Italy in America, Lidia's Italy, and Lidia's Family Table. Read together, they map the range of her work: the restaurant that shaped her public standing, the television projects that carried her into American homes, and the family frame through which she has often presented her food. The set shows a career built less on novelty than on repetition, on making a personal culinary tradition legible across different formats.
Honors
Lidia's honors include James Beard Award for "Best Special" for Lidia Celebrates America: Holiday for Heroes, James Beard Foundation "Best Special" for Lidia Celebrates America: Home for the Holidays, James Beard Foundation "Best Cooking Show" for Lidia's Italy, James Beard Foundation "Best Outstanding Chef", James Beard Foundation "Best Chef in New York", and James Beard Award, "Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America". The awards span television, kitchen leadership, and broader industry recognition, reflecting a body of work defined by steadiness, craft, and a clear culinary voice over time.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Lidia
What is Lidia Matticchio Bastianich's current role?
As of 2026, Lidia Matticchio Bastianich is restaurateur of Felidia.
Where did Lidia Matticchio Bastianich work before?
Lidia Matticchio Bastianich's earlier career included Walken's Bakery, a pizzeria, and Buonavia.
What recognition has Lidia Matticchio Bastianich received?
James Beard Award for "Best Special" for Lidia Celebrates America: Holiday for Heroes (2017).
