December 16, 2024 • 39 mins
The History and Future of Delmonico's: A Conversation with Dennis Turcinovic
In this episode of 'Bread for the People,' host Jim Serpico interviews Dennis Turcinovic, a veteran restaurateur managing the historic Delmonico's in New York City. Dennis shares insights into the restaurant's rich legacy dating back to 1827, famous dishes like Baked Alaska and Lobster Newberg, and the challenges of maintaining consistency and quality in fine dining. He also discusses his journey in the restaurant business, the importance of mental health, and innovative ventures such as the upcoming Boogie Lab Bakery. The conversation delves deep into the art of hospitality and the evolving nature of the restaurant industry.
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
00:22 Guest Introduction: Dennis Turcinovic
02:23 The History of Delmonico's
03:52 Famous Dishes and Their Stories
06:44 Dennis's Journey with Delmonico's
11:08 Challenges and Evolution in the Restaurant Business
13:33 Innovations in Bread and Baking
18:15 The Tucci Family Legacy
19:25 The Legacy of Delmonico's
19:56 Tucci: A New Venture
20:33 The Art of Fine Dining Service
22:42 Mental Health in the Restaurant Industry
24:20 The Power of Meditation
32:49 Branding and Social Media
37:02 The Secret to Famous Meatballs
38:31 Final Thoughts and Reflections
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jim-serpico-bread-for-the-people-sourdough-pizza-life--5704379/support.
In this episode of 'Bread for the People,' host Jim Serpico interviews Dennis Turcinovic, a veteran restaurateur managing the historic Delmonico's in New York City. Dennis shares insights into the restaurant's rich legacy dating back to 1827, famous dishes like Baked Alaska and Lobster Newberg, and the challenges of maintaining consistency and quality in fine dining. He also discusses his journey in the restaurant business, the importance of mental health, and innovative ventures such as the upcoming Boogie Lab Bakery. The conversation delves deep into the art of hospitality and the evolving nature of the restaurant industry.
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
00:22 Guest Introduction: Dennis Turcinovic
02:23 The History of Delmonico's
03:52 Famous Dishes and Their Stories
06:44 Dennis's Journey with Delmonico's
11:08 Challenges and Evolution in the Restaurant Business
13:33 Innovations in Bread and Baking
18:15 The Tucci Family Legacy
19:25 The Legacy of Delmonico's
19:56 Tucci: A New Venture
20:33 The Art of Fine Dining Service
22:42 Mental Health in the Restaurant Industry
24:20 The Power of Meditation
32:49 Branding and Social Media
37:02 The Secret to Famous Meatballs
38:31 Final Thoughts and Reflections
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jim-serpico-bread-for-the-people-sourdough-pizza-life--5704379/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
I'm back here we go. Welcome the bread for the people.
I'm Jim Surperco. I appreciate you guys bearing with me.
I was traveling. I was out there baking bread, breaking bread,
learning some new things, and visiting with some expert bakers
around the country. But I'm very excited about my guest today.
(00:26):
He began his career as one of the youngest New
York City restaurant tours, managing one of the most famous
restaurants in America. And I don't say that lightly. I'm
talking about a restaurant that was originally opened in eighteen
twenty seven and is known around the world as being
(00:50):
America's first fine dining establishment. And it's still here today, everybody,
and not only is it here, it's as popular as ever.
And that's all in large Part two. My guest, Dennis Tersonovic. Dennis,
welcome to the program.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Welcome, Thank you so much for having me today.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Yeah, it's an honor to speak with you. There's so
many things I would love to cover. I'm trying to
build my own brand and I've only been doing it
for five years. I come from another world and another
type of business, but I fell in love with hospitality
and baking bread, which led to me studying all different
(01:32):
types of pizzas and taking it very seriously. And I
also love business development, career development, and that's one of
the things I loved about my old career as a
television producer and the founder of the brand that I'm
involved with now, because it's not boring in that there's
(01:52):
so many things involved, from understanding what should be on
the menu to understanding enough about how to make those things,
how to manage people. What are our brand values? Now
you're coming from a place of a business that started
in the eighteen hundreds, imagine, So are you carrying those
(02:12):
brand values and all those things forward and honoring them?
Are you reinventing them? You know what's going on in
terms of that that seems like a lot to carry.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Yeah, So you know, eighteen twenty seven was the start
of the building and the time when the two Swiss
brothers came from the Delmonic Mottles came from Switzerland and
actually had the idea of starting America's first restaurant where
it was actually started as a bondbon shop where they
were weaving baskets and doing some fun stuff right down
(02:46):
the block close to Delmonico's. And what it happened was
is they had found the location and you know, they
were like, look at this, it's you know, eighteen hundreds.
They never heard of restaurants here, although in France, you know,
seventeen hundreds you had restaurants there, right, and they're like,
let's bring something to America, and let's make it work,
(03:07):
and let's really bring restaurant in hospitality. So Delmonico's is
actually the was coined for the term restaurant. So just
imagine that these guys have created, you know, brought the restaurant.
But it was actually called you know, Delmonico's. But then
when as as time went on, people were calling every
(03:28):
establishment a Delmonico. So the first Chinese restaurant at Pell
Street was the Chinese Delmonico's, right, So the term Delmonico's
actually met restaurant.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Yes, I didn't know that open.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
With three hundred menu items, you know, invented many famous dishes,
all these famous patrons, socialites, notable poets that dined at
the restaurants. The history is there. I've been there for
twenty five years.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
So let's before we jump way ahead. Let's you mentioned
the famous dishes. I think I think Baked Alaska was
one of them.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Correct.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
These are household dishes to this day, correct, that people
talk about that started at this restaurant.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Correct.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
So tell us about Baked Alaska and then tell us
about a couple others.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
So Baked Alaska, Lobster, Newburgh, Eggs, Benic, Chicken, ale A
Quene all have a story, and the story comes with
patrons that ate at the restaurant, includes hospitality and what's
happening at that time. So you know, let's use an
example of baked Alaska, right, the celebration of the purchase
(04:34):
of Alaska from Russia, right, and ice trade coming into town.
Charles Rendhoffer, genius chef, first celebrity chef, wrote the Epicurean.
He's there and he's like, I really have to create
an amazing dish here in the States. But of course
the dish was first invented in France, or the idea
of the dish. So he created the Baked Alaska, which
was the hot and cold concept. And it's amazing because
(04:58):
every time there's a dish that was created at Delmonic,
because there's something happening around the world that there's new
ingredients that are coming in lops in Newburg. Lobsters, Wow,
lobsters were not eating. They were like, what are these things?
You know, you had a brandy off the ships you had,
or cognac whatever they were bringing in to make that
sauce Tayanne pepper. So everything is kind of evolving as
(05:21):
time goes on. And they're the first of first. So
they've had this opportunity to create Americans first restaurant. And
what we do is we consistently evolve the same way
and we do our best to just always bringing the
best ingredients, local ingredients like they did, and you know,
have fun while we do it right.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
So at the beginning, and I'm going back to the
eighteen hundreds, the patrons were they made up of the elite?
Was it the everyman restaurant? Was it a special occasion restaurant?
Who was the audience and the clientele would.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Believe that it would? I mean, I wouldn't be one
hundred percent correct if I wouldn't say it was everyone.
Because you have to understand, the first Lady's Luncheon first
estoblished females to eat an establishment without being scored by man.
So there was the restaurant's councilt evolving, so it wasn't
only for one type, but it was for everyone. Of course,
you had to have money to eat at the restaurant,
(06:21):
so it was more of a luxury tea at Delmonico's.
So yes, there were lots of elites. But then you know,
people did save up for special occasions. I mean Martwine
had his seventieth birthday party there.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Wow, that's unbelievable. Yeah, So let's jump forward to how
you get involved in Doo Monacos.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Right. So, I've been at Delmonico since I was twenty
one years old, in about nineteen ninety eight, nineteen ninety nine,
I started to work. I was working with my dad.
In time I've been in the restaurant business. I was
a kid. I was about six years old, chasing my
father by his coattails, really learned the business. And what
it happened was is working at his restaurants that he
(07:05):
had in the past. You know, one day he came
to me and said, hey, listen, there's a great opportunity
for a restaurant in the Financial district that we should
take over. That's very rich history. And so I came
downtown as a young kid. I had a lot of experience.
I was surrounded by a really great group of people
that also knew the business and people that have been
veterans in the business. And from then it you know,
(07:26):
it was till today, of course.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
So he was involved in that. He was he was
one of the partners.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Yeah, he was. Yes, he was one of the partners.
And you know, we had a great run for many years,
and then COVID happened. There was a lawsuit, there was
some headaches that happened between him and a couple of
his partners and vice versa, and you know, that led
to a closure, and that led to me resigning a lease.
And now I'm on my own here at the restaurant
(07:54):
running Delmonica's.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Okay, but you spent from nineteen ninety eight basically until now,
basically doing every single job there was correct, Yes, at
the Monicos. How important do you think that was? And
did you have a problem starting at the bottom.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
No, I didn't have a problem. I Actually that's how
I operate as a leader. I'm in my restaurant, even
if it's today, if I see there's a puddle and
flore I will grab them mop and I'll clean it up.
I have no shame in this business because this is
what it took to keep the restaurants open. My father's
had restaurants for forty plus years. I know what it takes.
I'm never going to change. I believe in long term.
(08:38):
I believe in you know, really putting that effort is
showing people what it takes to keep the restaurant open.
I don't walk away from my businesses. I don't let
they're running their own I'm always involved, I'm always touching.
I know every corner of my business. I know what's
going on all day, and that's kind of how I
run my businesses.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
There are a lot of aspiring restaurant tours that listen
to this program. Would you say that's that's an important
lesson for them to learn as well.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Yes, you know, I've learned to love this business. Okay,
So you know it wasn't something that I, you know,
woke up one morning and I said, oh my god,
I'm in love with this business. But I've learned to
love this business. I do love people, and I do
love hospitality, and you know, breaking bread, eating together, family, drinking,
having a good time was all a part of the business,
(09:29):
but you know, the house has to be clean, You'll
be prepared for your guests, be treated like a home,
and there comes longevity. I mean, you know, our our
my landlord actually called me and said, hey, listen, I
want you to come back. And the reason is because
I you know, Delmonico's is a place where it needs
the attention and needs the love required to actually grow
(09:51):
and expand. And I've I've been there for so long.
I know what works there. You know, when I hear
about other people with the idea of what they would
do or what they wanted to do their demonicas, it
just wouldn't work. There's a formula to Delmonico's to keep
it alive for a long time, and I hope to
keep it going for generations to come.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
When you say formula, do you mean, I'm just curious
what you mean? Do you mean the background systems?
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Do you mean? It's hospitality? That's the formula.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
Hospitality meaning we're here to serve.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
We're here to serve. We have a yes mentality. We
never say no. We can politely find a way to.
You know, when we can't make things happen, we try
our best to make it happen. It's using a different
way of doing it. We really go out of our
way to make customers feel good. We have a big
repeat customer. We have a ton of tourists that come in,
(10:46):
and you know, people coming to spend money, you have
to make them feel good. People spend one hundred and
fifty hundred and eighty dollars per person when they come
to our restaurant. We give them the best that we
can and they always leave feeling amazing. Theyways come back.
You know. We have peopleople that you know, been coming
there for so many years because they got married at
the restaurant and they have their anniversary dinners every year
at Delmonica, which is just an amazing dude to see.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Right, what is the biggest challenge in twenty twenty five
to operate this restaurant that's been around so long? Because
I feel like even restaurants where I live in Long
Island that may have been around thirty years, forty years,
We're starting to see them all closed for some reason.
And I'm not sure if they were not evolving with
(11:30):
the times, although I know in some cases that was
absolutely the case. You know, I'm not sure if they
weren't breathing new life from introducing new foods. What could
it be and what are the challenges for you?
Speaker 2 (11:43):
You know, so obviously it's always going to be costs.
Costs are a big challenge in the business, and you
have to do the volume. You have to charge properly.
Obviously that's the only way to stay in business. But
in our business, the way we survived and my father survived.
And the key thing here is is to really have
people trust your brand. You know, Delmonico's is a very
(12:04):
trusted brand. My father's restaurant in Midtown is called Arno.
It's been there for forty plus years. It's a very
trusted brand. Always busy, always the same, customers, always leave
them feeling good. Right, So if you allow people to
if you give people the proper hospitality and consistency, you see,
people love consistency. My father used to tell me when
(12:25):
I was a kid. He used to say, don't if
you make a crappy dish, let's say calamari, and you've
been in business making the same crappy calamari for ten
years and it works, don't all of a sudden be
smart and try to make it better. Because what's going
to happen is you're going to kill that client cile,
you know what I'm saying. So consistency is whatever consistency
it is. The consistency is the consistency. You can have
(12:46):
great restaurants out there, they serve one dish that solid.
Everything else is crap. Stick to that one dish. So
you know the key thing here is yes, of course
you can always get better. Slowly introducing new products a
great way of marketing and obviously making people feel good.
You know we've learned over the years with Delmonico's is
(13:10):
there's so much rich history, there's so much going on,
and you know, telling those stories and making people feel
that when they walk into the room, that the timeless
look that we created there and making you know, telling
the stories of of what's been going on in this
building for one hundred and eighty five hundred ninety years
is just what gets people excited about the restaurant. And
(13:31):
back to costs. You know, it's funny we're on this
on this podcast called Breaking Bread. Delmonico's had just partnered
where we have a partner with a company called Boogie
Lab Bakery, which will be the first scaled artisan dough
artists in the bakery in the probably in the world.
(13:51):
It's actually a food tech company that can produce artists
and artisan artists and bread at scale.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
Where were they based.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
We're originally we're based in Croatia, but now we're building
a factory in upstate New York and we really hit
the market strong I go. The bakery is actually going
to be opening in our first Our first door is
going to be opened in one hundred and sixty nine
Street in Broadway, which is the old Coogan's location. That'll
(14:18):
be that'll be slated to open in about seventy eight months.
But our bakery downtown next door to Delmonico's, we call
that our lab where we actually teach chefs how to
make sour dough for really from scratch correct, Yeah, for free?
Speaker 1 (14:35):
Yes, Okay. How do people get involved with that?
Speaker 2 (14:39):
We well, it's it's worth it's it's by mouth. So
we started by just reaching out to chefs that actually
use our products, and we will also tell them you
can use our product because you save a lot of
money serving you know, a fully baked frozen artisan bread.
You save about twenty five percent of fresh but you
can control the consistency of the product as well. So
(15:00):
when I talk about saving costs and products and businesses,
there's certain things you have to do in this business
in order to survive. It's still it's still produced with
just flour, salt water. The bread is amazing, and these
are little things that Dollmonicos gets involved with to really
evolve as restaurants, as a restaurant's work, restaurant operations.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Do you know much about baking bread yourself?
Speaker 2 (15:21):
I do, actually, yes, I love eating it as well.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
So do you guys use long cold ferments. So these breads, we.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Have a patented fermenting technology really that allows us to
produce the best sour dough using just flour, salt water
in an hour or two.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
What I want to see this in actionroundbreaking.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
Yes, I'll bring you some bread next time. We'll break
some bread together.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
That is amazing. Yeah, that's amazing. So it's.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Forty eight hours, right, yeah, a lot of chefs, I
mean at least forty eight hours and forty eight hours
some people do the less and more time type one
sour dough in the product is you know, you.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
Probably can't produce a consistent product like that, so you know,
when you look at a product that just contains you know,
simple flower silk water. Yes, there's plenty of sour doughs
in the market that you can buy, but producing it
the way we produce it is it's really not available
right now.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
That's so cool.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Yeah, but that's the kind of stuff that Delmonico's will,
you know, obviously get evolved and involved with. And when
you know, we're always changing. Right when delmonico started, there
wasn't no public running water, correct, there was. Things evolved
and we get used to certain things. So Delmonico's is
always kind of that's my thing. It's always let's get
involved different things. Let's get involved in technology, which which
(16:45):
I love. So that's kind of the future of the business.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
At some point, will you guys start talking a little
bit more about what that process is. I don't know
if it's when the patent becomes confirmed or.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Yeah, we will, that'll come within the next We are
building a state of the art factory in upstate New
York that should be scaled open about a year and
a half. We will partner with certain coal manufacturers here
in the States. We are currently bringing in about two
container loads of bread from overseas. Now we have a
(17:18):
ton of RFPs up for some large business that's going
to be scheduled to happen in the next six state months.
So the business is really doing tremendous.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
So the containers are are are coming over frozen. Yeah,
and the purpose of bringing them over is to actually
serve them now, yes, so we sell.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Them to uh, you know, we we sell them nationally too,
high end restaurants and hotels.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
And when they're sold and served, are they branded as
read from Del Monico's.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
No, it's it's it's the name of the company's Boogie
Lab Bakery, So you know that that'll that's that to
start up our business. But we're evolving into sour del Pasta's,
dry and fresh and blessed frozen obviously they'll be. We're
into the fermenting business. So that's a future of our business.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
Love it, Love to hear more about it. Going back
to the history, how important was Oscar Tucci to Delmonico's
And what does the Tucci family mean or have to
do with Delmonico's today?
Speaker 2 (18:30):
So Max Tucci, brand ambassador of Delmonico's. His family had
run the restaurant for many years, They were the second
family to take over Delmonico's after the Dalmonico family. They
were amazing restaurant tours that provided some of the best
hospitality and they were the next generation. So I would
say the Delmonico's, the first Delmonico's family was really you know,
(18:53):
started the restaurant right and now you have this family.
For this Italian family that took this restaurant really provided
the best high hospitality, amazing food, and there was an
era of superstars, ibagabor Or. You had rock huts in
the building, you had Babe Ruth, you had all these
famous people dining in the restaurant. And then you had
future restaurant tours that had started there, Sirio Maccioni, Hary Pilakis,
(19:18):
you had Tony May. You had all these restauranteurs that
started there and learned the business and became restaurant tours after.
So it's just fascinating. And Max is just an amazing guy.
And he knows so much about the history of the restaurant.
You know, his father and his grandfather, and you know,
he really works well with us and understanding on the
past and in his era, the Delmonica way, the way
(19:41):
they did their Delmonico's and the way you know, of
course his grandfatheraly knew the way the original Aduptord much
closer in time. And then we have you know, the
future of Delmonico's, and you know, we're so proud to
do Delmonico's together. And we have you know, we opened
the restaurant called Toucci, which is after Max's family as well,
(20:02):
so with some of the dishes that were inspired by
his family, which is doing absolutely amazing.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
Where is that exactly in the Bleaker and Broadway? Oh wow,
that's how long has that been there?
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Well, we've been open for about eight nine months. It's
an amazing restaurant. We're extremely busy. The food is absolutely amazing,
the service, hospitality is really top. We kind of, you know,
copy the same style of business that we do at
all Monocos or the customers first, and we do a
great job at it.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
So you know, I'm fairly knowledgeable about the restaurant business,
but I haven't worked in that very high and fine dining.
How difficult is it too? And where do you find
let's talk about the waiters, how do you train them?
Where you find these people that are so amazing and
(20:53):
understand the mentality.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
We have a rock star team that has experienced some
of the best restaurants. Darko Matotia's are our managing partner.
He actually has come from some of the best houses
Maria La, Berna, Dan And it's all about the experience
that you get from those restaurants and how you teach
it to others. He's a great leader and I've seen
(21:18):
people that he started training that really didn't know much
about the business and turned them into rock stars as well.
And I just love seeing people evolve. And you know,
you know, you have a person that comes in and
you know a lot of the times you would say,
this person ain't gonna make it here because they really
need that patience. You know, it's fine dining, fine or dining,
(21:38):
and people need that slow touch the patients with them
and they are spending a lot of money, right and
you know, Darko was really takes them and really teaches
them how to give that type of service. And I'm
super impressed by that. And then we just over you
know a certain amount of time, you build an all
star team. Everybody at the restaurant is my family. Everybody
at all my restaurants are my family.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
So so do you think you've experienced less turnover than
maybe some other places.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
We don't have to turnover at our restaurants. I mean
there's probably a waitingness of people trying to get into
the restaurant. Wow, we're the training center. They make good money.
It's a great environment to work in. It's like one
big family. I mean, you're spending eight nine hours a
day there. You want to be in a place where
you feel good. I'm a big mental health guy because
I've had I've broken down many times of being in
(22:27):
this business. And so you know, if you can't create
a good environment for people, why would they stay. Some
people come to our restaurants that can work in better restaurants,
making more money or different field and come there like
this is such an amazing environment.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
So it's kind of you know, yeah, I've heard you
talk about mental health before. You mentioned a little bit.
I don't know how deep you're willing to go into it,
but you know, at what point in your life did
you experience some trouble with mental health and what what
do you think the trigger was and what could people
(23:03):
in this business who were coming up look out for?
Speaker 2 (23:07):
You know, in this business, I don't. I wouldn't say
I'd call it people pleasing. But you know a lot
of the times you're putting others in front of you,
and you're taking care of so many people, you forget
to take care of yourself. And what happens is is
you're stuck in this pattern and without proper meditation and
without some time and some self love, you break down.
(23:29):
So alcohol became a medicine. You know, I struggled a lot,
and you know I've affected other people in my circle
just because of you know, my energy. There's a lot
that's happened to me. I mean, you know, I twelve
fourteen hours a day in the restaurant business, drinking a night,
(23:49):
waking up early, getting up, taking the kids to school.
All these things that have happened in my life. You know,
all these struggles. I would sit there and be like,
how do I do this? For a bit? Just you
just keep doing it right, churning it out to survive,
to make money. Also because you kind of like, you know,
to start to like it. It's like this this this
high that you get and then after a while, you
(24:11):
you gain a lot of weight. Your You're you're constantly pain,
you're you're you're unhappy, and at the same time you
have to be happy because you're in a environment people
coming and spend money in your place. So you know,
I've I've taken to the like I've taken liking to
Joe Despenza, which is like my mentor. And you know,
I meditate for about an hour a day. I jump
on a treadmilk forty five minutes a day. I'm still
(24:32):
heavier than I heavier than you know, let me both. Yeah,
but you know, at the same time, I am healthier.
I do put myself first, which is.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Really important, and I'm trying to do that.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
I'm a mentor to others, and you know, it starts
with it starts with being present, being in peace. I
don't judge anybody. I love very strong. I care a lot,
but I care for myself first.
Speaker 1 (24:59):
That's great. My wife and I are into this. She's
a school psychologist and she's a partner in my bread company,
and we have very different personalities, but she's taught me
a lot about mindfulness. I listen to podcasts about secular Buddhism,
which is very related to mindfulness, and I love it.
(25:22):
And I'm getting more and more into it, and I'm
back at the gym, trying to take care of myself first.
You know, I have the issue of and kind of
always had. I wake up with these things on my
mind that I'm actually kind of excited to do. But
I think it's also I'm feeling anxious that I have
(25:44):
to do it. And I would put that stuff before
going to the gym and anything else. And I do,
and traditionally over the years, especially in the TV business,
which is another business where you work long hours, you
work hard, and you know, the relief was drinking. You know,
(26:04):
I haven't, I don't. I don't drink like that now,
but I can occasionally, but I don't do it regularly.
But I can see how that could happen.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
Well, you know, we can drink, and I don't ever
tell myself I'm never going to drink. I don't. I
don't give myself and I don't know how to explain this,
but you know, when you're present and you're still, you
can enjoy a good cocktail, You can enjoy anything. When
you're out of your mind and running in these crazy patterns,
it just just like you're really not you know, you
(26:36):
can't even eat food. You know when the last time
you actually sat there and ate something, it said, Wow,
this is absolutely amazing, without devouring three other dishes and
ten desserts and just sitting there with one meal really
understanding and you know, there's so many more notes you have.
I've become so much more understanding of how food tastes
and why people would like it. You know, I want
(26:57):
to go back to something. I don't need to kill
myself find it right away. That's you know, And that's
that's the part of the struggle. The struggle is overeating,
over drinking, overthinking, which is the biggest, the biggest problem.
You know, that one comes everything else. And I've learned
to stole my mind down and be a lot more patient,
and that's what's what's helping a lot. And you know,
and our meditation should be very simple after three months
(27:21):
and becomes addicting because.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
It seems like a lot of things, like I can't
imagine myself yet giving myself an hour to do that.
I do understand the value, but I'm just like, and
it's so funny because like I'm probably at this point
in my life, in these months of my life, I
am sure I am not as busy as you.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
And think about that, right. So when you can control
your mind and you can sit there for an hour
with no matter what's going on outside in that world,
and you give yourself that time to sit there and
you're in full control, without that phone ringing, without that
person yelling or screaming or hearing those complaints and noises
and sounds. You're in full control. And when you realize
(28:06):
that you have control, everything else starts, you know, it
starts to calm, right. So for me, it's it's it's
my medicine. You know, people that would know me, you
know from years and years and years of my life,
they knew Dennis. They used to say, your ADHD is
affecting my life, And yes, do I have some am
I a little bit more hyper And that's okay, that's
(28:28):
my personality, right, But I'm a lot more patient as
a person. And what happens is when you wake up
in the morning and you don't have to pick up
that telephone and and and go through your you know,
take your brain waves and just make them go crazy
and figure out what's going on for the day, where
you just get up, you go to your place, you
get into that zone and you're in full control, everything
(28:50):
else comes easier for the rest of the day. And
that's what I've learned has created my success of my
hospitality group.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
So that's how you structure your day. I assume you
work late.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
I don't sleep much, but that's I believe that's a
genetic thing. I don't like to sleep. Unfortunately, I don't
take a liking to it. So I'm like my father.
I sleep four hours. If I get five hours, it's hardcore,
but it's person to person. I'm you know, it's.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
Not because your mind is going crazy in the morning
saying I got to do all this today.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
Who knows. It could have been some epigenetics or some
past life that I was a part of that really
didn't require much sleep. But my father's a seventy five
year old man that sleeps four hours a day. He's
still working in the business, and he's healthy, he's strong,
his mind is sharp, and you know, for me, it's
the quality of sleep. You know, people say, oh, you know,
I slept eight hours. Yeah, I was you tossing and
(29:44):
turning for seven hours. When you get four solid hours
of sleep, you know, there's a big difference. So you know,
kind of okay, play's that way, so.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
Help me structure my day. Do you think it's best
to start with the meditation so that it kind of
stays with you during the day and sets you up correctly.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
So I meditate two three times a day. But that's
because that has become my medicine. And in the morning
if I do miss my meditation, which does happen. I'm
no superstar. There's no there's no race here, there's no
better or worse, and there's no wrong way to meditate.
So I don't judge people for the way they meditated
what they do. As long as you're getting better as
(30:25):
a person and you see the results from your meditations,
that's when you know it's working yourself, and others will
also tell you, wow, you've changed. What happened to you?
Where's Dennis? Why? So? Calm is everything? Okay? So you
start by morning meditation. You start with some induction which
gets you to that to that point of you know
(30:47):
or ready to get into just that you know you're
you're you're you're in a place where you're aware that
you're actually meditating and you're actually controlling what you're thinking
about rather than your brain. Just spinning out control and saying, well,
I got to think about all these different things, and
you control what you want to think about. So in
my in my meditations, I can think about I leave
(31:07):
my body. I'm not talking about real stuff. I'm talking
about just my meditation in my mind, my thoughts. Sure,
I leave my body, leave the room, and I'm watching
myself as I walk out the door. And now I
have control of what I'm doing. And a part of
what meditation is is to really be in control of
your mind, pulling your mind out of your body. Your
body is always trying to react to something. But when
(31:30):
your mind can control all that, you can heal yourself.
You can manifest so much. You know, who would think
that I would get into the restaurant, who own my
own place and have a bunch of restaurants and all
these different things that have happening. Is because I've put
myself in that position. I've accepted that's cool and what
I am and what I deserve. So gratitude is a
big part of it as well.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
I love it. That's great, man. I appreciate you sharing
all that.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
Yeah, and that's a big that's a big part of
you know, of life. If you know, like I'm a
mentor to a few a few people, and I really
help them. I don't judge them. Some take a long time,
you know. And sometime I always say like stillness speaks.
That's my thing, and that's where you start. That's the foundation.
(32:17):
And don't ever be afraid of the unknown?
Speaker 1 (32:20):
Right, Yeah?
Speaker 2 (32:21):
And of course I grew up in a Catholic family.
My mom is probably right now wanting to strangle herself
and saying it is that. But you know, I do believe.
I believe in all religions. I believe in all faiths.
And the most important thing to me is really too,
don't be afraid because as you're present, as you're you're
(32:42):
in the now, only good things are happening.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Right, I love it now a complete one eighty Yeah,
get into branding and social media? Which do you guys
use it for branding? And and I'm interested in branding
outside externally of the restaurant. Is that important? Do you
guys use it?
Speaker 2 (33:06):
There's different ways to brand. The best type of branding
I call it the It's the it's the frequency of
the brand. It's that energy. It's people knowing who you are,
what you do, and what you bring to the table.
You can do as much advertising as you want, doesn't
mean people are going to come in. If that energy
(33:27):
is there, the business is going to come in. So
it may sound crazy right now, but you need to
develop that vibration. So like Delmonico's is a really cool spot.
I mean, I have the restaurant. I'm a forty six
year old man. I have twenty five year olds and
I have seventy five year olds that come to my restaurant.
They love it. Both love it equally, okay, And we
create that environment for them and that energy in there.
(33:49):
And you know that's so when we speak about branding, yes,
we do really cool ads. We have a great marketing team,
we have a great public relations team, but it really
starts from with it, and everything starts from within because
you can't tell them a story and bring them into
a restaurant without making them feel that when they do
come there, they feel good after they leave, because then
(34:09):
they'll come back. I always used to tell people, I
love it when people leave the restaurant and they make
another reservation. That means we did a really good job.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
Absolutely. I love what you're saying. I do think. I
think when I started my small little bread company on
the side. It was about what was coming from within.
And I think lately, four or five years later, I've
lost some of that and I'm falling into the just advertising,
and I feel the difference. I don't feel as much
(34:39):
of a connection.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
You know. I'm great so also the little things that
we do. And I'm so grateful to have folks around
me but have a ton of experience. I love to
surround myself by I call them wizards and people that
are like wickedly smart about what they do right. And
I love like a dear friend of mine cloth Terra
(35:03):
Pie created Reptilian marketing, you know, and he always tells
me about the stories of when he made Folgers coffee
famous and when you you know, put that vacuum in
the coffee, and when you smell, when you smell coffee,
the code for coffee is home. Nobody likes the taste
of coffee, but it's what it's what it does to
(35:25):
your to your mind, to tell your mind. So you
start with the tribe, right, You start with like Delmonico's
there's a story. Become a part of my tribe, Become
a part of what we do. Become a part for
a moment, and and you know, you learned that a
lot of this reptilian that you have in your and
when people come in, everything they've they've eaten or had
or did between the ages of like let's say three
(35:49):
and seven, is what they're gonna love, like understand or
make them feel a certain way. So we try to
channel some of that stuff in our businesses.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
It's amazing and so it's.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
Not always done with advertising. It's done with you know,
just a perfect example. You know, look at these popular croissants,
and look at these popular cakes, the birthday cake, or
the cinnamon toast crunch, or the frosted flakes, rice crispy treats.
These are all a part of someone's past that have
just group roll ups and all these different these childhood
(36:24):
foods that they've eaten and now have evolved again. Music
that has come again. Sometimes I listen to stuff as
known this for so long, Why it's so popular now.
So things are constantly evolving. You know, it's like the
parents in producing to the kids. The kids have heard
it from the past, their parents, So a lot of
that stuff plays a role. It makes them feel like
they're they're familiar with something. Oh wow, what is that
(36:46):
that tastes? What do you taste that? What does it
taste sounded like? And that's something that we try to
really focus on and that's why we're successful. Whether it's
our clubs, our restaurants, or anything that we're involved with.
We're always trying to understand people love that.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
We're gonna wrap it up soon. But you guys are
famous for you meatballs at g Yes. Could you tell
me a little bit about the secret. Let me ask
you this way. Are they fried?
Speaker 2 (37:15):
Our meatballs are fried?
Speaker 1 (37:19):
They are okay slightly. I think I grew up eating
fried meatballs, and I know a lot of people don't
do it.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
So there's different ways to fry okay, different guts. So
you know, some people can drop them in a deep fires,
some people can just quickly crisp them up. There's different
ways to the fry products to fry meatball. But it's
the meat ball. It's the consistency, it's the perspect the
amount of heat that goes into the sauce. You need
(37:47):
just a touch of heat, and it's not the heat
that hits you here, it's the heat heat that hits
you back here. The sauce. I mean, our chefs do
an amazing job, led by our chef Eddie. They really
do it, and we taste, you know, I always taste.
I'm constantly tasting. I mean, if I wasn't doing the tasting,
I'd be about forty pounds later. And if if I
(38:09):
don't like it, what makes anybody else think that? You know,
anybody else would like it? You know. So that's uh,
that's what that's and it made us popular. You know,
it's amazing kind of thing.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
I've read about them. I haven't tried them in person,
but I plan to do it for sure.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
I'm really be my guest anytime. Give me a qull.
Speaker 1 (38:30):
I would love that, So listen. It's been great getting
to know you a little bit.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
Uh, great getting to know you as well.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
I love I love this conversation because I truly am
and have been working on myself. I work real hard
on my business and uh, I'm just a lone wolf
out there. But I love hearing a story and your
stories because I think I learned from it, which is
why I started and wanted to do this podcast. And
(38:57):
I think my listeners also get something out of that.
So take care of appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
Take care of that wolf.
Speaker 1 (39:03):
Yeah, man, I want I want to be surrounded by
experts that help me. I don't want to do this alone.
So we'll see where we go.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate you.
Have a great day.
I'm back here we go. Welcome the bread for the people.
I'm Jim Surperco. I appreciate you guys bearing with me.
I was traveling. I was out there baking bread, breaking bread,
learning some new things, and visiting with some expert bakers
around the country. But I'm very excited about my guest today.
(00:26):
He began his career as one of the youngest New
York City restaurant tours, managing one of the most famous
restaurants in America. And I don't say that lightly. I'm
talking about a restaurant that was originally opened in eighteen
twenty seven and is known around the world as being
(00:50):
America's first fine dining establishment. And it's still here today, everybody,
and not only is it here, it's as popular as ever.
And that's all in large Part two. My guest, Dennis Tersonovic. Dennis,
welcome to the program.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Welcome, Thank you so much for having me today.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Yeah, it's an honor to speak with you. There's so
many things I would love to cover. I'm trying to
build my own brand and I've only been doing it
for five years. I come from another world and another
type of business, but I fell in love with hospitality
and baking bread, which led to me studying all different
(01:32):
types of pizzas and taking it very seriously. And I
also love business development, career development, and that's one of
the things I loved about my old career as a
television producer and the founder of the brand that I'm
involved with now, because it's not boring in that there's
(01:52):
so many things involved, from understanding what should be on
the menu to understanding enough about how to make those things,
how to manage people. What are our brand values? Now
you're coming from a place of a business that started
in the eighteen hundreds, imagine, So are you carrying those
(02:12):
brand values and all those things forward and honoring them?
Are you reinventing them? You know what's going on in
terms of that that seems like a lot to carry.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Yeah, So you know, eighteen twenty seven was the start
of the building and the time when the two Swiss
brothers came from the Delmonic Mottles came from Switzerland and
actually had the idea of starting America's first restaurant where
it was actually started as a bondbon shop where they
were weaving baskets and doing some fun stuff right down
(02:46):
the block close to Delmonico's. And what it happened was
is they had found the location and you know, they
were like, look at this, it's you know, eighteen hundreds.
They never heard of restaurants here, although in France, you know,
seventeen hundreds you had restaurants there, right, and they're like,
let's bring something to America, and let's make it work,
(03:07):
and let's really bring restaurant in hospitality. So Delmonico's is
actually the was coined for the term restaurant. So just
imagine that these guys have created, you know, brought the restaurant.
But it was actually called you know, Delmonico's. But then
when as as time went on, people were calling every
(03:28):
establishment a Delmonico. So the first Chinese restaurant at Pell
Street was the Chinese Delmonico's, right, So the term Delmonico's
actually met restaurant.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Yes, I didn't know that open.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
With three hundred menu items, you know, invented many famous dishes,
all these famous patrons, socialites, notable poets that dined at
the restaurants. The history is there. I've been there for
twenty five years.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
So let's before we jump way ahead. Let's you mentioned
the famous dishes. I think I think Baked Alaska was
one of them.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Correct.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
These are household dishes to this day, correct, that people
talk about that started at this restaurant.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Correct.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
So tell us about Baked Alaska and then tell us
about a couple others.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
So Baked Alaska, Lobster, Newburgh, Eggs, Benic, Chicken, ale A
Quene all have a story, and the story comes with
patrons that ate at the restaurant, includes hospitality and what's
happening at that time. So you know, let's use an
example of baked Alaska, right, the celebration of the purchase
(04:34):
of Alaska from Russia, right, and ice trade coming into town.
Charles Rendhoffer, genius chef, first celebrity chef, wrote the Epicurean.
He's there and he's like, I really have to create
an amazing dish here in the States. But of course
the dish was first invented in France, or the idea
of the dish. So he created the Baked Alaska, which
was the hot and cold concept. And it's amazing because
(04:58):
every time there's a dish that was created at Delmonic,
because there's something happening around the world that there's new
ingredients that are coming in lops in Newburg. Lobsters, Wow,
lobsters were not eating. They were like, what are these things?
You know, you had a brandy off the ships you had,
or cognac whatever they were bringing in to make that
sauce Tayanne pepper. So everything is kind of evolving as
(05:21):
time goes on. And they're the first of first. So
they've had this opportunity to create Americans first restaurant. And
what we do is we consistently evolve the same way
and we do our best to just always bringing the
best ingredients, local ingredients like they did, and you know,
have fun while we do it right.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
So at the beginning, and I'm going back to the
eighteen hundreds, the patrons were they made up of the elite?
Was it the everyman restaurant? Was it a special occasion restaurant?
Who was the audience and the clientele would.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Believe that it would? I mean, I wouldn't be one
hundred percent correct if I wouldn't say it was everyone.
Because you have to understand, the first Lady's Luncheon first
estoblished females to eat an establishment without being scored by man.
So there was the restaurant's councilt evolving, so it wasn't
only for one type, but it was for everyone. Of course,
you had to have money to eat at the restaurant,
(06:21):
so it was more of a luxury tea at Delmonico's.
So yes, there were lots of elites. But then you know,
people did save up for special occasions. I mean Martwine
had his seventieth birthday party there.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Wow, that's unbelievable. Yeah, So let's jump forward to how
you get involved in Doo Monacos.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Right. So, I've been at Delmonico since I was twenty
one years old, in about nineteen ninety eight, nineteen ninety nine,
I started to work. I was working with my dad.
In time I've been in the restaurant business. I was
a kid. I was about six years old, chasing my
father by his coattails, really learned the business. And what
it happened was is working at his restaurants that he
(07:05):
had in the past. You know, one day he came
to me and said, hey, listen, there's a great opportunity
for a restaurant in the Financial district that we should
take over. That's very rich history. And so I came
downtown as a young kid. I had a lot of experience.
I was surrounded by a really great group of people
that also knew the business and people that have been
veterans in the business. And from then it you know,
(07:26):
it was till today, of course.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
So he was involved in that. He was he was
one of the partners.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Yeah, he was. Yes, he was one of the partners.
And you know, we had a great run for many years,
and then COVID happened. There was a lawsuit, there was
some headaches that happened between him and a couple of
his partners and vice versa, and you know, that led
to a closure, and that led to me resigning a lease.
And now I'm on my own here at the restaurant
(07:54):
running Delmonica's.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Okay, but you spent from nineteen ninety eight basically until now,
basically doing every single job there was correct, Yes, at
the Monicos. How important do you think that was? And
did you have a problem starting at the bottom.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
No, I didn't have a problem. I Actually that's how
I operate as a leader. I'm in my restaurant, even
if it's today, if I see there's a puddle and
flore I will grab them mop and I'll clean it up.
I have no shame in this business because this is
what it took to keep the restaurants open. My father's
had restaurants for forty plus years. I know what it takes.
I'm never going to change. I believe in long term.
(08:38):
I believe in you know, really putting that effort is
showing people what it takes to keep the restaurant open.
I don't walk away from my businesses. I don't let
they're running their own I'm always involved, I'm always touching.
I know every corner of my business. I know what's
going on all day, and that's kind of how I
run my businesses.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
There are a lot of aspiring restaurant tours that listen
to this program. Would you say that's that's an important
lesson for them to learn as well.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Yes, you know, I've learned to love this business. Okay,
So you know it wasn't something that I, you know,
woke up one morning and I said, oh my god,
I'm in love with this business. But I've learned to
love this business. I do love people, and I do
love hospitality, and you know, breaking bread, eating together, family, drinking,
having a good time was all a part of the business,
(09:29):
but you know, the house has to be clean, You'll
be prepared for your guests, be treated like a home,
and there comes longevity. I mean, you know, our our
my landlord actually called me and said, hey, listen, I
want you to come back. And the reason is because
I you know, Delmonico's is a place where it needs
the attention and needs the love required to actually grow
(09:51):
and expand. And I've I've been there for so long.
I know what works there. You know, when I hear
about other people with the idea of what they would
do or what they wanted to do their demonicas, it
just wouldn't work. There's a formula to Delmonico's to keep
it alive for a long time, and I hope to
keep it going for generations to come.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
When you say formula, do you mean, I'm just curious
what you mean? Do you mean the background systems?
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Do you mean? It's hospitality? That's the formula.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
Hospitality meaning we're here to serve.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
We're here to serve. We have a yes mentality. We
never say no. We can politely find a way to.
You know, when we can't make things happen, we try
our best to make it happen. It's using a different
way of doing it. We really go out of our
way to make customers feel good. We have a big
repeat customer. We have a ton of tourists that come in,
(10:46):
and you know, people coming to spend money, you have
to make them feel good. People spend one hundred and
fifty hundred and eighty dollars per person when they come
to our restaurant. We give them the best that we
can and they always leave feeling amazing. Theyways come back.
You know. We have peopleople that you know, been coming
there for so many years because they got married at
the restaurant and they have their anniversary dinners every year
at Delmonica, which is just an amazing dude to see.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Right, what is the biggest challenge in twenty twenty five
to operate this restaurant that's been around so long? Because
I feel like even restaurants where I live in Long
Island that may have been around thirty years, forty years,
We're starting to see them all closed for some reason.
And I'm not sure if they were not evolving with
(11:30):
the times, although I know in some cases that was
absolutely the case. You know, I'm not sure if they
weren't breathing new life from introducing new foods. What could
it be and what are the challenges for you?
Speaker 2 (11:43):
You know, so obviously it's always going to be costs.
Costs are a big challenge in the business, and you
have to do the volume. You have to charge properly.
Obviously that's the only way to stay in business. But
in our business, the way we survived and my father survived.
And the key thing here is is to really have
people trust your brand. You know, Delmonico's is a very
(12:04):
trusted brand. My father's restaurant in Midtown is called Arno.
It's been there for forty plus years. It's a very
trusted brand. Always busy, always the same, customers, always leave
them feeling good. Right, So if you allow people to
if you give people the proper hospitality and consistency, you see,
people love consistency. My father used to tell me when
(12:25):
I was a kid. He used to say, don't if
you make a crappy dish, let's say calamari, and you've
been in business making the same crappy calamari for ten
years and it works, don't all of a sudden be
smart and try to make it better. Because what's going
to happen is you're going to kill that client cile,
you know what I'm saying. So consistency is whatever consistency
it is. The consistency is the consistency. You can have
(12:46):
great restaurants out there, they serve one dish that solid.
Everything else is crap. Stick to that one dish. So
you know the key thing here is yes, of course
you can always get better. Slowly introducing new products a
great way of marketing and obviously making people feel good.
You know we've learned over the years with Delmonico's is
(13:10):
there's so much rich history, there's so much going on,
and you know, telling those stories and making people feel
that when they walk into the room, that the timeless
look that we created there and making you know, telling
the stories of of what's been going on in this
building for one hundred and eighty five hundred ninety years
is just what gets people excited about the restaurant. And
(13:31):
back to costs. You know, it's funny we're on this
on this podcast called Breaking Bread. Delmonico's had just partnered
where we have a partner with a company called Boogie
Lab Bakery, which will be the first scaled artisan dough
artists in the bakery in the probably in the world.
(13:51):
It's actually a food tech company that can produce artists
and artisan artists and bread at scale.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
Where were they based.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
We're originally we're based in Croatia, but now we're building
a factory in upstate New York and we really hit
the market strong I go. The bakery is actually going
to be opening in our first Our first door is
going to be opened in one hundred and sixty nine
Street in Broadway, which is the old Coogan's location. That'll
(14:18):
be that'll be slated to open in about seventy eight months.
But our bakery downtown next door to Delmonico's, we call
that our lab where we actually teach chefs how to
make sour dough for really from scratch correct, Yeah, for free?
Speaker 1 (14:35):
Yes, Okay. How do people get involved with that?
Speaker 2 (14:39):
We well, it's it's worth it's it's by mouth. So
we started by just reaching out to chefs that actually
use our products, and we will also tell them you
can use our product because you save a lot of
money serving you know, a fully baked frozen artisan bread.
You save about twenty five percent of fresh but you
can control the consistency of the product as well. So
(15:00):
when I talk about saving costs and products and businesses,
there's certain things you have to do in this business
in order to survive. It's still it's still produced with
just flour, salt water. The bread is amazing, and these
are little things that Dollmonicos gets involved with to really
evolve as restaurants, as a restaurant's work, restaurant operations.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Do you know much about baking bread yourself?
Speaker 2 (15:21):
I do, actually, yes, I love eating it as well.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
So do you guys use long cold ferments. So these breads, we.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Have a patented fermenting technology really that allows us to
produce the best sour dough using just flour, salt water
in an hour or two.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
What I want to see this in actionroundbreaking.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
Yes, I'll bring you some bread next time. We'll break
some bread together.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
That is amazing. Yeah, that's amazing. So it's.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Forty eight hours, right, yeah, a lot of chefs, I
mean at least forty eight hours and forty eight hours
some people do the less and more time type one
sour dough in the product is you know, you.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
Probably can't produce a consistent product like that, so you know,
when you look at a product that just contains you know,
simple flower silk water. Yes, there's plenty of sour doughs
in the market that you can buy, but producing it
the way we produce it is it's really not available
right now.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
That's so cool.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Yeah, but that's the kind of stuff that Delmonico's will,
you know, obviously get evolved and involved with. And when
you know, we're always changing. Right when delmonico started, there
wasn't no public running water, correct, there was. Things evolved
and we get used to certain things. So Delmonico's is
always kind of that's my thing. It's always let's get
involved different things. Let's get involved in technology, which which
(16:45):
I love. So that's kind of the future of the business.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
At some point, will you guys start talking a little
bit more about what that process is. I don't know
if it's when the patent becomes confirmed or.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Yeah, we will, that'll come within the next We are
building a state of the art factory in upstate New
York that should be scaled open about a year and
a half. We will partner with certain coal manufacturers here
in the States. We are currently bringing in about two
container loads of bread from overseas. Now we have a
(17:18):
ton of RFPs up for some large business that's going
to be scheduled to happen in the next six state months.
So the business is really doing tremendous.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
So the containers are are are coming over frozen. Yeah,
and the purpose of bringing them over is to actually
serve them now, yes, so we sell.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Them to uh, you know, we we sell them nationally too,
high end restaurants and hotels.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
And when they're sold and served, are they branded as
read from Del Monico's.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
No, it's it's it's the name of the company's Boogie
Lab Bakery, So you know that that'll that's that to
start up our business. But we're evolving into sour del Pasta's,
dry and fresh and blessed frozen obviously they'll be. We're
into the fermenting business. So that's a future of our business.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
Love it, Love to hear more about it. Going back
to the history, how important was Oscar Tucci to Delmonico's
And what does the Tucci family mean or have to
do with Delmonico's today?
Speaker 2 (18:30):
So Max Tucci, brand ambassador of Delmonico's. His family had
run the restaurant for many years, They were the second
family to take over Delmonico's after the Dalmonico family. They
were amazing restaurant tours that provided some of the best
hospitality and they were the next generation. So I would
say the Delmonico's, the first Delmonico's family was really you know,
(18:53):
started the restaurant right and now you have this family.
For this Italian family that took this restaurant really provided
the best high hospitality, amazing food, and there was an
era of superstars, ibagabor Or. You had rock huts in
the building, you had Babe Ruth, you had all these
famous people dining in the restaurant. And then you had
future restaurant tours that had started there, Sirio Maccioni, Hary Pilakis,
(19:18):
you had Tony May. You had all these restauranteurs that
started there and learned the business and became restaurant tours after.
So it's just fascinating. And Max is just an amazing guy.
And he knows so much about the history of the restaurant.
You know, his father and his grandfather, and you know,
he really works well with us and understanding on the
past and in his era, the Delmonica way, the way
(19:41):
they did their Delmonico's and the way you know, of
course his grandfatheraly knew the way the original Aduptord much
closer in time. And then we have you know, the
future of Delmonico's, and you know, we're so proud to
do Delmonico's together. And we have you know, we opened
the restaurant called Toucci, which is after Max's family as well,
(20:02):
so with some of the dishes that were inspired by
his family, which is doing absolutely amazing.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
Where is that exactly in the Bleaker and Broadway? Oh wow,
that's how long has that been there?
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Well, we've been open for about eight nine months. It's
an amazing restaurant. We're extremely busy. The food is absolutely amazing,
the service, hospitality is really top. We kind of, you know,
copy the same style of business that we do at
all Monocos or the customers first, and we do a
great job at it.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
So you know, I'm fairly knowledgeable about the restaurant business,
but I haven't worked in that very high and fine dining.
How difficult is it too? And where do you find
let's talk about the waiters, how do you train them?
Where you find these people that are so amazing and
(20:53):
understand the mentality.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
We have a rock star team that has experienced some
of the best restaurants. Darko Matotia's are our managing partner.
He actually has come from some of the best houses
Maria La, Berna, Dan And it's all about the experience
that you get from those restaurants and how you teach
it to others. He's a great leader and I've seen
(21:18):
people that he started training that really didn't know much
about the business and turned them into rock stars as well.
And I just love seeing people evolve. And you know,
you know, you have a person that comes in and
you know a lot of the times you would say,
this person ain't gonna make it here because they really
need that patience. You know, it's fine dining, fine or dining,
(21:38):
and people need that slow touch the patients with them
and they are spending a lot of money, right and
you know, Darko was really takes them and really teaches
them how to give that type of service. And I'm
super impressed by that. And then we just over you
know a certain amount of time, you build an all
star team. Everybody at the restaurant is my family. Everybody
at all my restaurants are my family.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
So so do you think you've experienced less turnover than
maybe some other places.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
We don't have to turnover at our restaurants. I mean
there's probably a waitingness of people trying to get into
the restaurant. Wow, we're the training center. They make good money.
It's a great environment to work in. It's like one
big family. I mean, you're spending eight nine hours a
day there. You want to be in a place where
you feel good. I'm a big mental health guy because
I've had I've broken down many times of being in
(22:27):
this business. And so you know, if you can't create
a good environment for people, why would they stay. Some
people come to our restaurants that can work in better restaurants,
making more money or different field and come there like
this is such an amazing environment.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
So it's kind of you know, yeah, I've heard you
talk about mental health before. You mentioned a little bit.
I don't know how deep you're willing to go into it,
but you know, at what point in your life did
you experience some trouble with mental health and what what
do you think the trigger was and what could people
(23:03):
in this business who were coming up look out for?
Speaker 2 (23:07):
You know, in this business, I don't. I wouldn't say
I'd call it people pleasing. But you know a lot
of the times you're putting others in front of you,
and you're taking care of so many people, you forget
to take care of yourself. And what happens is is
you're stuck in this pattern and without proper meditation and
without some time and some self love, you break down.
(23:29):
So alcohol became a medicine. You know, I struggled a lot,
and you know I've affected other people in my circle
just because of you know, my energy. There's a lot
that's happened to me. I mean, you know, I twelve
fourteen hours a day in the restaurant business, drinking a night,
(23:49):
waking up early, getting up, taking the kids to school.
All these things that have happened in my life. You know,
all these struggles. I would sit there and be like,
how do I do this? For a bit? Just you
just keep doing it right, churning it out to survive,
to make money. Also because you kind of like, you know,
to start to like it. It's like this this this
high that you get and then after a while, you
(24:11):
you gain a lot of weight. Your You're you're constantly pain,
you're you're you're unhappy, and at the same time you
have to be happy because you're in a environment people
coming and spend money in your place. So you know,
I've I've taken to the like I've taken liking to
Joe Despenza, which is like my mentor. And you know,
I meditate for about an hour a day. I jump
on a treadmilk forty five minutes a day. I'm still
(24:32):
heavier than I heavier than you know, let me both. Yeah,
but you know, at the same time, I am healthier.
I do put myself first, which is.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Really important, and I'm trying to do that.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
I'm a mentor to others, and you know, it starts
with it starts with being present, being in peace. I
don't judge anybody. I love very strong. I care a lot,
but I care for myself first.
Speaker 1 (24:59):
That's great. My wife and I are into this. She's
a school psychologist and she's a partner in my bread company,
and we have very different personalities, but she's taught me
a lot about mindfulness. I listen to podcasts about secular Buddhism,
which is very related to mindfulness, and I love it.
(25:22):
And I'm getting more and more into it, and I'm
back at the gym, trying to take care of myself first.
You know, I have the issue of and kind of
always had. I wake up with these things on my
mind that I'm actually kind of excited to do. But
I think it's also I'm feeling anxious that I have
(25:44):
to do it. And I would put that stuff before
going to the gym and anything else. And I do,
and traditionally over the years, especially in the TV business,
which is another business where you work long hours, you
work hard, and you know, the relief was drinking. You know,
(26:04):
I haven't, I don't. I don't drink like that now,
but I can occasionally, but I don't do it regularly.
But I can see how that could happen.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
Well, you know, we can drink, and I don't ever
tell myself I'm never going to drink. I don't. I
don't give myself and I don't know how to explain this,
but you know, when you're present and you're still, you
can enjoy a good cocktail, You can enjoy anything. When
you're out of your mind and running in these crazy patterns,
it just just like you're really not you know, you
(26:36):
can't even eat food. You know when the last time
you actually sat there and ate something, it said, Wow,
this is absolutely amazing, without devouring three other dishes and
ten desserts and just sitting there with one meal really
understanding and you know, there's so many more notes you have.
I've become so much more understanding of how food tastes
and why people would like it. You know, I want
(26:57):
to go back to something. I don't need to kill
myself find it right away. That's you know, And that's
that's the part of the struggle. The struggle is overeating,
over drinking, overthinking, which is the biggest, the biggest problem.
You know, that one comes everything else. And I've learned
to stole my mind down and be a lot more patient,
and that's what's what's helping a lot. And you know,
and our meditation should be very simple after three months
(27:21):
and becomes addicting because.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
It seems like a lot of things, like I can't
imagine myself yet giving myself an hour to do that.
I do understand the value, but I'm just like, and
it's so funny because like I'm probably at this point
in my life, in these months of my life, I
am sure I am not as busy as you.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
And think about that, right. So when you can control
your mind and you can sit there for an hour
with no matter what's going on outside in that world,
and you give yourself that time to sit there and
you're in full control, without that phone ringing, without that
person yelling or screaming or hearing those complaints and noises
and sounds. You're in full control. And when you realize
(28:06):
that you have control, everything else starts, you know, it
starts to calm, right. So for me, it's it's it's
my medicine. You know, people that would know me, you
know from years and years and years of my life,
they knew Dennis. They used to say, your ADHD is
affecting my life, And yes, do I have some am
I a little bit more hyper And that's okay, that's
(28:28):
my personality, right, But I'm a lot more patient as
a person. And what happens is when you wake up
in the morning and you don't have to pick up
that telephone and and and go through your you know,
take your brain waves and just make them go crazy
and figure out what's going on for the day, where
you just get up, you go to your place, you
get into that zone and you're in full control, everything
(28:50):
else comes easier for the rest of the day. And
that's what I've learned has created my success of my
hospitality group.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
So that's how you structure your day. I assume you
work late.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
I don't sleep much, but that's I believe that's a
genetic thing. I don't like to sleep. Unfortunately, I don't
take a liking to it. So I'm like my father.
I sleep four hours. If I get five hours, it's hardcore,
but it's person to person. I'm you know, it's.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
Not because your mind is going crazy in the morning
saying I got to do all this today.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
Who knows. It could have been some epigenetics or some
past life that I was a part of that really
didn't require much sleep. But my father's a seventy five
year old man that sleeps four hours a day. He's
still working in the business, and he's healthy, he's strong,
his mind is sharp, and you know, for me, it's
the quality of sleep. You know, people say, oh, you know,
I slept eight hours. Yeah, I was you tossing and
(29:44):
turning for seven hours. When you get four solid hours
of sleep, you know, there's a big difference. So you know,
kind of okay, play's that way, so.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
Help me structure my day. Do you think it's best
to start with the meditation so that it kind of
stays with you during the day and sets you up correctly.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
So I meditate two three times a day. But that's
because that has become my medicine. And in the morning
if I do miss my meditation, which does happen. I'm
no superstar. There's no there's no race here, there's no
better or worse, and there's no wrong way to meditate.
So I don't judge people for the way they meditated
what they do. As long as you're getting better as
(30:25):
a person and you see the results from your meditations,
that's when you know it's working yourself, and others will
also tell you, wow, you've changed. What happened to you?
Where's Dennis? Why? So? Calm is everything? Okay? So you
start by morning meditation. You start with some induction which
gets you to that to that point of you know
(30:47):
or ready to get into just that you know you're
you're you're you're in a place where you're aware that
you're actually meditating and you're actually controlling what you're thinking
about rather than your brain. Just spinning out control and saying, well,
I got to think about all these different things, and
you control what you want to think about. So in
my in my meditations, I can think about I leave
(31:07):
my body. I'm not talking about real stuff. I'm talking
about just my meditation in my mind, my thoughts. Sure,
I leave my body, leave the room, and I'm watching
myself as I walk out the door. And now I
have control of what I'm doing. And a part of
what meditation is is to really be in control of
your mind, pulling your mind out of your body. Your
body is always trying to react to something. But when
(31:30):
your mind can control all that, you can heal yourself.
You can manifest so much. You know, who would think
that I would get into the restaurant, who own my
own place and have a bunch of restaurants and all
these different things that have happening. Is because I've put
myself in that position. I've accepted that's cool and what
I am and what I deserve. So gratitude is a
big part of it as well.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
I love it. That's great, man. I appreciate you sharing
all that.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
Yeah, and that's a big that's a big part of
you know, of life. If you know, like I'm a
mentor to a few a few people, and I really
help them. I don't judge them. Some take a long time,
you know. And sometime I always say like stillness speaks.
That's my thing, and that's where you start. That's the foundation.
(32:17):
And don't ever be afraid of the unknown?
Speaker 1 (32:20):
Right, Yeah?
Speaker 2 (32:21):
And of course I grew up in a Catholic family.
My mom is probably right now wanting to strangle herself
and saying it is that. But you know, I do believe.
I believe in all religions. I believe in all faiths.
And the most important thing to me is really too,
don't be afraid because as you're present, as you're you're
(32:42):
in the now, only good things are happening.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Right, I love it now a complete one eighty Yeah,
get into branding and social media? Which do you guys
use it for branding? And and I'm interested in branding
outside externally of the restaurant. Is that important? Do you
guys use it?
Speaker 2 (33:06):
There's different ways to brand. The best type of branding
I call it the It's the it's the frequency of
the brand. It's that energy. It's people knowing who you are,
what you do, and what you bring to the table.
You can do as much advertising as you want, doesn't
mean people are going to come in. If that energy
(33:27):
is there, the business is going to come in. So
it may sound crazy right now, but you need to
develop that vibration. So like Delmonico's is a really cool spot.
I mean, I have the restaurant. I'm a forty six
year old man. I have twenty five year olds and
I have seventy five year olds that come to my restaurant.
They love it. Both love it equally, okay, And we
create that environment for them and that energy in there.
(33:49):
And you know that's so when we speak about branding, yes,
we do really cool ads. We have a great marketing team,
we have a great public relations team, but it really
starts from with it, and everything starts from within because
you can't tell them a story and bring them into
a restaurant without making them feel that when they do
come there, they feel good after they leave, because then
(34:09):
they'll come back. I always used to tell people, I
love it when people leave the restaurant and they make
another reservation. That means we did a really good job.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
Absolutely. I love what you're saying. I do think. I
think when I started my small little bread company on
the side. It was about what was coming from within.
And I think lately, four or five years later, I've
lost some of that and I'm falling into the just advertising,
and I feel the difference. I don't feel as much
(34:39):
of a connection.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
You know. I'm great so also the little things that
we do. And I'm so grateful to have folks around
me but have a ton of experience. I love to
surround myself by I call them wizards and people that
are like wickedly smart about what they do right. And
I love like a dear friend of mine cloth Terra
(35:03):
Pie created Reptilian marketing, you know, and he always tells
me about the stories of when he made Folgers coffee
famous and when you you know, put that vacuum in
the coffee, and when you smell, when you smell coffee,
the code for coffee is home. Nobody likes the taste
of coffee, but it's what it's what it does to
(35:25):
your to your mind, to tell your mind. So you
start with the tribe, right, You start with like Delmonico's
there's a story. Become a part of my tribe, Become
a part of what we do. Become a part for
a moment, and and you know, you learned that a
lot of this reptilian that you have in your and
when people come in, everything they've they've eaten or had
or did between the ages of like let's say three
(35:49):
and seven, is what they're gonna love, like understand or
make them feel a certain way. So we try to
channel some of that stuff in our businesses.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
It's amazing and so it's.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
Not always done with advertising. It's done with you know,
just a perfect example. You know, look at these popular croissants,
and look at these popular cakes, the birthday cake, or
the cinnamon toast crunch, or the frosted flakes, rice crispy treats.
These are all a part of someone's past that have
just group roll ups and all these different these childhood
(36:24):
foods that they've eaten and now have evolved again. Music
that has come again. Sometimes I listen to stuff as
known this for so long, Why it's so popular now.
So things are constantly evolving. You know, it's like the
parents in producing to the kids. The kids have heard
it from the past, their parents, So a lot of
that stuff plays a role. It makes them feel like
they're they're familiar with something. Oh wow, what is that
(36:46):
that tastes? What do you taste that? What does it
taste sounded like? And that's something that we try to
really focus on and that's why we're successful. Whether it's
our clubs, our restaurants, or anything that we're involved with.
We're always trying to understand people love that.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
We're gonna wrap it up soon. But you guys are
famous for you meatballs at g Yes. Could you tell
me a little bit about the secret. Let me ask
you this way. Are they fried?
Speaker 2 (37:15):
Our meatballs are fried?
Speaker 1 (37:19):
They are okay slightly. I think I grew up eating
fried meatballs, and I know a lot of people don't
do it.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
So there's different ways to fry okay, different guts. So
you know, some people can drop them in a deep fires,
some people can just quickly crisp them up. There's different
ways to the fry products to fry meatball. But it's
the meat ball. It's the consistency, it's the perspect the
amount of heat that goes into the sauce. You need
(37:47):
just a touch of heat, and it's not the heat
that hits you here, it's the heat heat that hits
you back here. The sauce. I mean, our chefs do
an amazing job, led by our chef Eddie. They really
do it, and we taste, you know, I always taste.
I'm constantly tasting. I mean, if I wasn't doing the tasting,
I'd be about forty pounds later. And if if I
(38:09):
don't like it, what makes anybody else think that? You know,
anybody else would like it? You know. So that's uh,
that's what that's and it made us popular. You know,
it's amazing kind of thing.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
I've read about them. I haven't tried them in person,
but I plan to do it for sure.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
I'm really be my guest anytime. Give me a qull.
Speaker 1 (38:30):
I would love that, So listen. It's been great getting
to know you a little bit.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
Uh, great getting to know you as well.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
I love I love this conversation because I truly am
and have been working on myself. I work real hard
on my business and uh, I'm just a lone wolf
out there. But I love hearing a story and your
stories because I think I learned from it, which is
why I started and wanted to do this podcast. And
(38:57):
I think my listeners also get something out of that.
So take care of appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
Take care of that wolf.
Speaker 1 (39:03):
Yeah, man, I want I want to be surrounded by
experts that help me. I don't want to do this alone.
So we'll see where we go.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate you.
Have a great day.
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