Mario, who is quick to name other chefs he admires (Francis Mallman, Eric Ripert, Massimo Bottura, Jody Williams, Paul Kahan, Tom Douglass, Daniel Boulud, Jenn Louis, just to name a few), doesn’t believe in competition.
“The media here is so quick to pit us against each other, but if, say, Jean Georges opened up a restaurant across the street from here, it would be a great thing for my business!”