Montenapo's Jozef Juck

Photo: Courtesy of the restaurant

In 1967, when he was just 18 years old, restaurateur Jozef Juck and his best friend Henry Kallan (founder of the HK Hotel group) narrowly escaped communist Czechoslovakia. The duo then followed the road to freedom, and opportunity, to New York, where Juck landed a job as a busboy at Brasserie. Since then, his résumé has included management stints at the Plaza Hotel, Luchow’s, The Princeton Club and Bice, among many others. Now, with Kallan, he’s opened Montenapo, an Italian restaurant in the splashy New York Times building. Was he intimidated by such a large undertaking in this economic environment? Nope. Nothing daunts this former gymnast.

Zagat Buzz: When you arrived in New York and landed the job as a busboy, did you know at that moment you would stay in the restaurant business?

Jozef Juck: I was so happy to have that job, you have no idea, even though it was the hardest shift, from 10 PM–6 AM. I was studying English at Hunter College, and after I completed my studies, Restaurant Associates, who owned Brasserie, offered me a management training position at the Tower Suite restaurant. It was in the Time-Life Building on the 48th floor, a beautiful place. I learned so much during that time.

ZB: From your experience, what makes for good hospitality in a restaurant?

JJ: The personal involvement of every member of the staff is essential. To have the right attitude. To know the product. To know the menu descriptions. To know the drinks. To know the wines. To be in-house to take care of guests like they were guests in your home. Adding that personal touch makes the difference.

ZB: There is no shortage of Italian restaurants in New York, and the competition is stiff. How does Montenapo stand apart, then, from other upscale Italian spots?

JJ: We use the choicest ingredients on the market. We use the best extra virgin olive oil. Normally, in Italy in order to be considered extra virgin, the olive oil should not exceed 1% in acidity. Ours has 0.7%. Our prosciutto di Parma is aged for a minimum of 24 months, and cured only with sea salt, with no preservatives, no additives. We use Parmesan Reggiano, which is minimum-aged for 24 months. We use organic produce, free-range poultry, grass-fed meat and wild-caught fish, and we prepare all the pastas in-house with durum and semolina and no preservatives or additives. We bake our own bread and make our own pastries. We don’t use tons of butter, and we don’t use heavy creams or fats except extra virgin olive oil. We even make our own ice creams and sorbets. I think all of this combined puts us in the same class as restaurants like Alto and Del Posto.

ZB: All those high-quality ingredients, plus the fact that you are in a high-profile skyscraper, must be very costly, especially in this economic environment.

JJ: Well, we made a commitment to quality, and we know that in order to survive in this market you need to be a little creative and go the extra step to give people the reason to come to you. The healthy aspect of our restaurant is a real draw. I was a gymnast originally in Czechoslovakia, so I was very regimented, and diet was very important. I think the healthy way of preparing food is demanded by an upscale clientele, which is who we cater to. And that’s what I think sets us apart.

– Kathleen Squires