Joe Bastianich Working On TV Pilot Based On 'Restaurant Man'

 

When restaurateur Joe Bastianich released his memoir, "Restaurant Man," earlier this year, it certainly made some waves in the hospitality community. It's an honest, unflinching portrayal of Bastianich's experience growing up and making a name for himself in the restaurant industry, with plenty of cameos from friends and associates including partner Mario Batali. He pulled no punches and spared no one, leading to a long-simmering feud with Esquire critic John Mariani that played out on Page Six.

But now that the waters have settled, the restaurant man himself is planning his next steps, which appear to include a TV show. During an interview with The Celebrity Café last week he let it slip that he's currently "working on a pilot on a scripted version" of the book, and a credible source told Eater yesterday that the pilot's been ordered by "a major cable network."

No word yet on which network that is (maybe Food Network has a future in scripted programming?), but rumor has it that the working title is Hungry.