By Khushbu Shah

Chef Mario Batali and restaurateur Joe Bastianich will open a new restaurant in New York City. According to Eater NY, the pair have inked a deal to "take over the entire food and beverage program" at the Maritime Hotel. They will replace the hotel's current restaurant, La Bottega, with a place that centers on the food of the "Italian coast and islands." Eater NY notes that this is Batali and Bastianich's the first major restaurant project in NYC — aside from their Italian megastore Eataly — since Del Posto, which they opened in 2006.

The pair are also busy with other new projects including a Babbo Pizzeria in Boston. Their Italian mega-marketplace Eataly is also in the works for cities across the U.S. including Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Plus, both are currently starring on their own shows: Batali launched a series on Hulu called The High Road, while Bastianich stars in CNBC's Restaurant Startup.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/