By Michael Mahle
For Michael Lomonaco, September 2006 will be a time for looking back in remembrance as well as looking forward to a new chapter in his career. Five years ago, Lomonaco was chef at Windows on the World atop the World Trade Center, then the country's highest-grossing restaurant. Sheer luck – in his case, a stop at an eyeglass shop on his way to work – is the only reason he wasn't among the Windows employees who perished on 9/11. Now he is about to open Porter House New York, an American grill in another iconic New York City building, the Time Warner Center. We spoke with Lomonaco about his plans for the new venture and his take on the state of the restaurant industry today.
ZS: What is it about mega-buildings like the World Trade Center and Time Warner Center that attracts you as a chef and restaurateur?
Lomonaco: "Just the idea of being at the World Trade Center was very exciting because it was a recognizable landmark. We were able to serve a very international audience of people who were excited to be in the restaurant. Not to mention [excited by] the spectacular views. The Time Warner Center is at an unbelievable location that really has its finger on the pulse of the city. The rhythm and movement in the area of Central Park South is electric. It's alive."
ZS: You have some famous neighbors at the Time Warner Center – Thomas Keller (per se), Masa Takayama (Masa) and Gray Kunz (Café Gray). In fact, some people have characterized the restaurants at the Time Warner Center as upscale mall dining. Your view?
Lomonaco: "I wouldn't classify it as a mall. It's more like a piazza or public square, similar to the Galleria in Naples, Italy, where many different trades are represented. Having this eclectic group of restaurants and shops enhances the experience simply by the presence of the other businesses."
ZS: There's been something of a steakhouse stampede across the nation lately. How do you hope to make Porter House stand out from the crowd?
Lomonaco: "I'd classify Porter House as an American grill. We will serve a great selection of steaks from a couple of different ranches I've picked myself as well as native North American fish and seafood, from wild salmon to Wellfleet oysters. Veal, Berkshire pork, Colorado lamb, venison and other wild game will be featured regularly on the menu as well. The fact that I'll be in the kitchen every night, and that Porter House is a truly chef-driven restaurant, [also] makes it a little different."
ZS: Year after year, our survey participants rate service as the weakest part of their dining experiences. What's your take on that?
Lomonaco: "The level of service in restaurants has greatly improved over the last decade and that's because people want to be in this business. Waiting on tables, bartending or managing a restaurant and other front-of-house positions are no longer jobs you take because you couldn't find anything else. People are genuinely interested in working in this industry. The recent wave of television shows on the Food Network, Discovery Channel, even Bravo and Fox, as well as the surge of enrollment in culinary schools is proof positive."
"A great restaurant's success is [really based] on how its guests are served. And if something goes wrong, which it inevitably will, how do we make up for that? How mistakes are fixed is what matters."
ZS: You mentioned food-focused television shows. Why are they so popular today?
Lomonaco: "Food has become one of the top five topics of conversation – and it's because it's all about pleasure. Pure pleasure. To cook nice meals for your family or guests as well as going out to eat a nice meal in a restaurant is simply enjoyable."
ZS: Restaurant design has become a very big business – your Time Warner Center neighbor per se reportedly cost about $16 million to design and build. Has this gotten out of hand?
Lomonaco: "The experienced diner has come to see the entertainment value in restaurants and appreciate the production values that go into them. As in any artistic expression, a visionary such as Thomas Keller knows that details express the degree to which true commitment has been made. It's through the details that the transporting experience he envisioned [is realized]."
ZS: How involved were you in the design of Porter House?
Lomonaco: "I was involved from the very beginning; in the pre-planning conceptualization stage, the design and ideation, and all through the construction, spending a great deal of time with the contractors. Porter House expresses a great deal about me and my cooking and what I value in a restaurant: comfortable and informal surroundings, clean and pure lines of natural materials – wood, stone, metal and warmth through color and materials that [create] a convivial and hospitable environment, conducive to fun and conversation."
ZS: You are among the many people who lost close friends and colleagues on 9/11. How are you observing the fifth anniversary?
Lomonaco: "I plan on attending the memorial services at Ground Zero in the morning and using the day as a reflective day and time of remembrance."
ZS: Thirty is the highest score Zagat surveyors can give a restaurant when rating its food, decor and service. Other than your own, tell us which restaurant achieves those scores in your estimation.
Lomonaco: "I remember everything about my first visit to The French Laundry in 1994. The meal, service and decor, even the beautiful herb garden out back was perfect and would get 30s all around. The Herbfarm in Seattle would also get a 30 for food."