The Man Behind Nobu: Building NYC’s Restaurant Scene with Drew Nieporent

About this episode

Katie Lee Biegel interviews Drew Nieporent about his career in the restaurant industry and his memoir.

Katie talks with legendary restaurateur Drew Nieporent for a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at his remarkable career and his new memoir, I’m Not Trying to Be Difficult: Stories from the Restaurant Trenches. A born-and-raised New Yorker, Drew shares how growing up surrounded by the city’s diverse food scene sparked his passion for restaurants early on—eventually leading him to study at Cornell and even take his first job at McDonald’s, where he learned the power of consistency. From there, he went on to open some of New York City’s most iconic spots, including Tribeca Grill, Tavern on the Green, and the game-changing Nobu, which helped redefine Japanese cuisine in America. He also reflects on the energy of NYC in the ’90s and shares powerful memories of 9/11, including how he and his team supported the community through Tribeca Grill. It’s an engaging, nostalgic, and inspiring conversation you won’t want to miss. Follow @drewnieporent and check out I’m Not Trying to Be Difficult here. https://amzn.to/4u3auQx Hexclad is offering our listeners 10% off for a limited time with our exclusive link. Visit https://hexclad.com/katiele e.  Discover the Boar’s Head craftsmanship…

People in this episode

Host: Katie Lee Biegel

Guest: Drew Nieporent

Topics covered

• restaurant industry
• New York City
• Drew Nieporent
• memoir
• food culture
• 9/11 impact

Keywords

• Drew Nieporent
• Nobu
• restaurant memoir
• New York City restaurants
• food culture
• 9/11

Sponsors

Hexclad

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Nobu, Tribeca Grill, Tavern on the Green, Boar’s Head

Books & works: I’m Not Trying to Be Difficult: Stories from the Restaurant Trenches

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