* * * * *
Michael Batterberr
from Alberto Ruiz-Galladón, Mayor of Madrid, as Ariane Batterberr
I am very sad to report on the passing of one of the giants of the world of gastronomy and one of the greatest, most elegant men I have ever known, Michael Batterberry, who with his wife, Ariane (who survives him), Food & Wine magazine and then went on to found Food Arts, perhaps, because it is read avidly by chefs and restaurateurs, the most influential food magazine in America.
Michael Batterberry receiving a Madrid Fusion award in 2006 from
Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, Mayor of Madrid, as Ariane Batterberry looks on.
I am privileged to have known Michael Batterberry, to have shared experiences with him in New York, in Spain and in Napa Valley; to have written for Food Arts for nearly fifteen years under his direction; and to have been able to call him a friend. I, like many others, will miss him very, very much, now and into the future.
Michael Batterberry seriously contemplating his next culinary move
at the Food Arts holiday party at Merle Evans's apartment, January 2010.
In any visual encyclopedia, under the definition of "gentleman," my first candidate would be a photograph of Michael in one of his impeccably tailored suits or blazers. !Adios, Don Miguel, Vaya Usted con Dios!
Video: James Beard Foundations Awards Lifetime Achievement Award 2010
(Courtesy of The Wine Spectator and the James Beard Foundation.)
Obituary, The New York Times
Obituary, Food Arts