Lidia Matticchio Bastianich

Lidia Matticchio Bastianich was born in Pula in 1947. Her love of food, cooking, and her ability to bring family and friends together was nurtured during her childhood in her native Istria, which was part of Italy until the region became part of communist Yugoslavia at the end of the Second World War, at the same time as Lidia was born. Lidia and her family were forced to leave: after a dramatic escape, they lived as refugees in Italy before being resettled in the USA. The family settled in Astoria, where she began working at Walken’s Bakery, a bakery owned by the parents of actor Christopher Walken. There, together with her husband, she opened her first restaurant – Buonavia. She has been awarded an Emmy, is the author of bestselling cookbooks, and is a successful restaurateur. In 2024, Lidia Bastianich was honored with the Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award. She has also won seven „James Beard“ awards and the APT Silver Award for 25 years on public television.