The Restaurant Manifesto

Jun 23, 2024 | restaurantmanifesto.com | Adam Reiner

The tragic and sudden death of Jamal "James" Kent, the venerable chef and restaurateur behind New York City's Saga Hospitality Group, last week sent shockwaves through the restaurant world. Tributes to the 45 year-old flooded social media, praising his compassion as a leader, generosity as a mentor, and stature as a chef. Aside from Anthony Bourdain's shocking death six years ago, I can't recall a restaurant figure whose passing was met with such widespread sorrow.

Jan 12, 2024 | restaurantmanifesto.com | Adam Reiner

There was a time not too long ago when you could grease your way into a trendy restaurant by slipping a crisp $50 bill into the maître'd's palm. I suspect there are still a few impressionable gatekeepers willing to trade a cozy corner table for a generous bribe, but the good 'ole days of buying your way into a restaurant are pretty much over.

Oct 14, 2023 | restaurantmanifesto.com | Adam Reiner

I don't need my Negronis to be fancy. You can keep your boutique small batch bitters from Brooklyn that uses organic cochineal from Peru. Campari is just fine for me. After years of being inundated with countless Negroni variations - coconut fat-washed Negronis, cold brew coffee Negronis, Cosmogronis, Negronis named after every city in the world, white Negronis, black Negronis, green Negronis, and Negroni foam - it's safe to say we've reached peak Negroni.

Aug 9, 2023 | restaurantmanifesto.com | Adam Reiner

Returning from a beach vacation in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, my family's convoy stopped at an unassuming local spot just across the Roanoke Sound called T.L.'s Family Restaurant. Our weary group couldn't stomach another gut-busting combo meal from Bojangles, so we settled on good old-fashioned American comfort food with sit-down service.

Jun 29, 2023 | restaurantmanifesto.com | Adam Reiner

When Danny Meyer's book on the power of hospitality came out in October of 2006, it became the seminal text for restaurant industry insiders and entrepreneurs. Before Setting the Table, no one had given much serious thought to the notion that a restaurateur's wisdom could provide a framework for success in other businesses.