Boxerbrand | Recipe for Success

How a sophisticated and upscale Greek restaurant came to revive a burned-out Colonial in Tenafly, N.J. began when Michael Parlamis asked his wife Marguerite, “What’s for dinner?” The longtime principal with the famous restaurant construction firm Parlamis Group, and his wife were stymied one night, years ago, as they debated going to the same ol’ same ol.’ So they decided they, and the town they lived in, were ready for a change in dining destinations! “We were so discouraged when…

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Glancing around the converted 1790s strawberry barn, chef Jamie Knott turned to his business partner David Madison and exclaimed, “This is it!” As light from sconces danced off the rough-hewn pine walls that have withstood hundreds of years, Knott began to reimagine the iconic Saddle River Inn, owned and operated since 1981 by restaurateurs Imelda and Hans Egg, as the place where his dreams of restaurant ownership could come to fruition. “I still remember the night. We’d been privately looking…

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Selling sushi in landlocked Omaha, Neb. wasn’t the easiest restaurant business model to follow. But Charlie Yin and his family embraced the challenge of bringing raw fish to diners in the middle of the nation, converting many patrons to the sublime fine-dining experience at Hiro 88. And for those not yet ready to partake, a broad menu offering Korean, Japanese, Chinese and fusion cuisine paired with a sampling from the most extensive and finest sake selection in Omaha. “When my…

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Anna Maria Santorelli, the feisty female chef who once cooked for celebrities and dignitaries at New York City’s Gracie Mansion before fulfilling the lifelong dream of opening her own restaurant in 2006, knows how to pull culinary delights from a pressure-cooker kitchen. After working 12 years for Gracie Mansion in greater and greater roles, ultimately achieving the title of Executive Chef, the native of Italy continues to strive for and achieve her American dream with each Eggplant Parmesan she prepares,…

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When Fazio’s Restaurant founder and family patriarch Tino Fazio combined his powerhouse personality with his desire to establish a fine dining experience in a region of Ontario previously known as a “mixed drinks” crowd, people said he was crazy. But the immigrant from Sicily, Italy, who grew up poor and at times didn’t have money for shoes, had yet to meet a challenge he couldn’t overcome. Hard work, a charismatic personality, and Sonny Bono good looks drew customers in from…

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It seems only fitting that Charlestown restaurateur John Moore chose yet another historic seaport to establish his second restaurant and head upwind into the choppy waters of New England’s restaurant scene. For despite the rising tide of his flagship restaurant Navy Yard Bistro in Charlestown, Mass., and the promising start of his newest eatery, Fifty Water in Newburyport Mass.’s historic tannery district, Moore will be the first to tell you it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Beginning with that first…

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Mount Nacheesmo, a five-pound platter heaped with all the good stuff—beans, beef, chicken, pork, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, green pepper, sour cream, and more— has been the subject of blog posts and of college lore. And in 2012, the creation hit the big time! Man v. Food host Adam Richman traveled to Tios Mexican Café to take the challenge: downing the five-pound delight in 45 minutes in an episode that aired on the popular show. That’s quite an accomplishment…

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Ever since Red restaurant executive chef and owner Nino Antuzzi planted a flag in downtown Huntington, NY, and claimed it as the new frontier for his upscale, new American eatery, the restaurant has, in the words of Newsday, “battled recessions, resisted ‘trendlets’ and improved dramatically.” Not only has Red survived as a sumptuously upscale hot spot serving cuisine alight with Mediterranean and Italian influences—it has thrived. After opening to rave reviews in 2001, the sophisticated eatery led to the creation…

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