CHILDHOD MEMORIES
BECOME THE INSPIRATION FOR RESTAURANT SUCCESS
Anyone who operates a business starts with some kind of inspiration. Often it's memories from childhood that set a career in motion. That's how our involvement in the restaurant business began.
Headquarters Restaurant 108 West 49th Street, near Radio City, opened in 1946.
Our dad, Andrew Nieporent, was an attorney who did legal work for restaurants. Our mom, Sybil Trent, was an actress. As a result, when we were youngsters, we often went out for dinner as a family. We ate in a wide range of different restaurants, with many different themes and cuisines. We tasted the foods of diverse cultures, sat at tables in many different dining environments, and observed the work ethic of chefs and waitstaff. My brother, Drew, was fascinated by the many atmospheres we encountered and knew from his early teens that this would be his life's work. He was fascinated by every aspect of the business, in both the front and back of the house, and absorbed a wealth of technical knowledge. We always sat at the table in such a way that he would have the best view of all the hustle and bustle around us.
My passion for the business came later. During those early days, my primary mission was just to eat and enjoy the theatricality of the restaurants and the company of our family. It is no surprise that many of the happiest memories of childhood happened at the dinner table of restaurants. These restaurants of 40 years ago are now all gone and sadly forgotten in the sands of time. But they are part of our DNA and have a profound influence on us. Let me take you on a brief visit back in time to some of New York City's places in which we were raised and that made an indelible impression on us.
Headquarters Restaurant was run by Johnny Schwarz, chef to General Dwight D. Eisenhower during World War II. The name referred to Eisenhower's own headquarters, and there were huge photographs of the general--soon to be president--displayed all over the restaurant, along with other nations' generals and world leaders. The room had a larger-than-life quality, with flowing draperies on the ceiling, a seated balcony, and banquettes surrounding the many tables. Frank McGee, the NBC anchorman, often did live radio broadcasts and interviews from a corner table. There was always great people watching at Headquarters, and a feeling of excitement that something big was about to happen. Our favorite moment was dessert, which always came with a sparkler on top. Johnny said, "If you can blow out the sparkler, you get to keep the restaurant"-- but as hard as we blew, we could never blow the sparkler out. Every one of our restaurants has been opened the old-fashioned way.
Mike's Ship-A-Hoy probably was the first theme restaurant, although the idea for such restaurants was still decades into the future. Mike's was a white-tablecloth restaurant, with each table placed in the middle of an individual boat. It was so exciting to climb in your own boat within a huge dining room. I never wanted to abandon ship.
Chez Giselle was an American restaurant with French overtones that had wonderful hospitality. Drew and I had a sibling-rivalry dispute there one evening, and our parents had some sharp words for us. Our heads down on the table, we were downcast after the rebuke. Suddenly, a familiar-looking man with a Beatles-esque haircut walked over to our table and started mugging at us, trying to turn our frowns upside down. It was Moe Howard of The Three Stooges! We were thrilled--it was Moe! During the course of the evening, Drew and I walked over to his table several times, and he was gracious and accommodating with autographs and snappy repartee.
At D'Angelo's, Chef Charlie D'Angelo and his wife, Italia, were the consummate hosts at a theater-district restaurant that served everyone from Frank Sinatra to Heavyweight Champ Floyd Patterson. The food was hearty and substantial, but what always impressed me most was Charlie's work ethic. He would come to our table, sweat on his brow, with a towel wrapped around his neck, and talk with pride about his work. He never complained and never had any expectations of fame or fortune; it was the quality of the work that was most important. That lesson has never been forgotten.
Ralph's was the neighborhood Italian restaurant that every neighborhood aspires to have. It was a storefront pizzeria in the front and a hearty Italian restaurant in the back. It was a refuge for Mayor John V. Lindsay, who had previously been the neighborhood's congressman. There were photos of Lindsay in moments of accomplishment on the walls, and many provocative political discussions bounced from table to table. I could never quite understand what Ralph was saying, because with his heavy Italian accent and fractured English, Lindsay sounded like "Lince," Nixon was "Nix," and Hubert Humphrey was "Umph." One thing I did understand was that virtually all of Ralph's customers left the restaurant smiling.
La Potinière, Al Green's exterior
Al Green's restaurant was a classic luncheonette on Sixth Avenue in the days before all the skyscrapers, like the Time-Life Building, were erected. Their motto was "Every Morsel ... A Bite of Heaven," and they were serving satisfying comfort food before anyone had even coined the phrase.
We also dined at several French restaurants, which challenged our limited knowledge of etiquette and forced us to be little gentlemen when being little barbarians was more our style. Here, a jacket and tie were required, hushed tones were appreciated, and formality was the rule rather than the exception. We discovered food that was sublime, and it expanded our culinary horizons by light-years. Whether it was L'Amerique, Cafe Argenteuil, or La Potinière, we developed an appreciation for the craft of cooking and devotion to service.
All of these experiences during our formative years helped build a foundation of professional knowledge that serves us well today. The different types of dining experiences we enjoyed inspired us to present the cuisines of multiple cultures and sensibilities in our own restaurants In October 2003, we had an experience that summed up for me the satisfaction and pride we feel in being in the restaurant business, and also what it takes to be successful. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played a threeand-a-half-hour concert at Shea Stadium to culminate a yearlong worldwide tour, and then had the after-party at Montrachet (now Corton). Having played over 120 shows, everyone was going to go their separate ways after this night, and Bruce expressed to each band member his appreciation. He thanked them for their work ethic, personal integrity, sacrifice, and commitment. He said they had done good work and made a lot of people happy. He concluded simply by saying, "And that's good!" Not that we need any more competition, but Bruce would make a helluva restaurateur.
Tracy Nieporent is Director of Marketing and Partner in the Myriad Restaurant Group, and Restaurant Chairman of NYC & Co's Restaurant Committee.