Mario Batali, Food & Wine Magazine: Help Get Rid Of The Ponytail

Buh-bye ponytail!

​Mario Batali is getting rid of half of what's made him famous. No, we wish the Crayola-colored Crocs would go. Instead, the chef/restaurateur and host of our favorite show, The Chew, has agreed to lop off his ponytail -- if the price is right!


Apparently, the price is a cool half a mil, because that's what Food & Wine Magazine claims it's going to take to get Batali to undergo a pair of barber's shears.

Batali has joined forces with nine other formidable chefs to help raise funds and awareness for their favorite charities through the magazine's Chefs Make Change campaign.

Batali plans to raise $500,000 for his Mario Batali Foundation, which helps feed kids in need.  Other chefs participating in Chefs Make Change include:

Jose Andres (World Central Kitchen)
Dan Barber (Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture)
Rick Bayless (Frontera Farmer Foundation)
Cat Cora (Chefs For Humanity)
Emeril Lagasse (Emeril Lagasse Foundation)
Michel Mischan (Wholesome Wave)
Art Smith (Common Threads)
Bill Telepan (Wellness in the Schools)

Food & Wine Hopes to raise one million dollars through this program. If you would like to donate to any of the charities (Common Threads, by the way has an active south Florida chapter), you can do so by visiting Food & Wine's Facebook page.

Follow Clean Plate Charlie on Facebook and on Twitter: @CleanPlateBPB.