Nobu – An Empire Beyond Sushi |
A visit to New York also means gastronomy. For me, among the city’s endless attractions, it became a walk down memory lane to meet Drew Nieporent – one of New York’s most influential restaurateurs and a pioneer of modern hospitality.
Nieporent, who comes from a Jewish family background, became one of the defining figures of New York dining. He founded the Myriad Restaurant Group and helped create some of the city’s most celebrated culinary destinations, including Montrachet, Tribeca Grill, Nobu New York, Nobu Fifty Seven, Rubicon, Corton, Bâtard, Crush, Next Door Nobu, Centrico, Mai House, Flo Fab, and Greenwich Grill.
My own connection with him goes back nearly thirty years. Back then, Hilton Tel Aviv was searching for a fresh culinary direction for its fine dining venue at that time, The King Solomon. David Cohen, the hotel’s visionary Food & Beverage executive at the time, (and later the mythological General Manager of the David Intercontinental Tel Aviv) initiated a partnership with Nieporent to periodically bring some of his celebrated chefs to Tel Aviv.
I happened to be the marketing and PR person behind the project, leading Israel’s top food writers through a series of culinary experiences in Manhattan and helping tell those stories back home. During those years I occasionally crossed paths with........