LOCALadk Magazine

Spring 2019 LOCALadk Magazine 57 LOCALadk JOHN HEROLD: A career Marriott man, John would be- come Vice President of America's most diverse hotel chain, general manager of the famous Essex House, and project manager for the construction of the pivotal 1,900 room Mar- riott Marquis hotel in New York City. The Marquis was the an- chor for the revitalization of Times Square in the Big Apple. DICK CATTANI: This consummate restaurateur spent his career with Restaurant Associates (R A) — one of the greatest restaurant companies in the countr y. Now a subsidiar y of the Compass Group, R A was the brainchild of some impressive food pioneers (Joe Baum—referred to as the Cecil B. De- Mille of restaurateurs—James Beard, and Julia Child) that held numerous renowned restaurants as part of their port- folio. These included Mama Leone's, The Rainbow Room, the restaurants of Rockefeller Center, Radio City, the United Na- tions, and the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, among dozens of others. Cattani became the Vice President of the company, respon- sible for many of the corporate locations, and as a result, in- fluenced not only the New York restaurant scene, but also much of the political social calendar of the time. He brought a sense of style, finesse, and ser vice to corporate accounts that was unheard of. That level of sophistication became the norm for R A corporate accounts, and it made Restaurant As- sociates the benchmark for others to follow. WALTER GANZI, JR.: The Palm restaurant was begun by Wally's grandfather who came to America to build a reputa- ble Italian restaurant in New York City. John Ganzi and his partner Pio Bozzi named the operation "Parma" (for their home in Italy), but the name was registered as "Palm" be- cause their thick Italian accents were misunderstood. Situated in the heart of the then newspaper district, the Palm attracted writers, publishers, and newspaper cartoon- ists, such as Jolly Bill Steinke and Mac Miller (many artists would exchange a drawing for a nice meal.) The demand for more than pasta drove the operation to steak, and the Palm became the premier steak house in the city, alongside Peter Luger's. Walter Jr. took the reins of the company along with his partner Bruce Bozzi. Together they grew it into a privately owned chain of 26 restaurants in the most significant mar- kets in the U.S. As a result, the Palm became a highly respect- ed restaurant from coast to coast. JON LUTHER: A restaurateur with a different focus, Jon Luther worked for prominent companies that concentrated on a larger audience. He worked for Delaware North out of Buffalo —a prominent sports venue food company—and lat- er moved to Popeye's Chicken and Biscuits. In the twilight of his career he became the head of Dunkin Donuts, diversif y- ing the company and moving toward a larger scope: Dunkin Brands. TIM HOLMES: Tim went to work for one of the countr y's most interesting operators: Richard Melman, of the company Lettuce Entertain You. Melman is known as the restaurateur with the Midas touch. His nearly 60 thematic restaurants, mainly in Chicago, are known for their authentic interpre- tation of ethnic cuisines. His "stor yteller as restaurateur" methodology has won him recognition from organizations such as the National Restaurant Association. Tim worked his way through the company—picking up the methods that made Melman so successful—adding his love of hospitality from his days in college. Eventually, he became a restaurant owner/operator. His operations under the WOW brand include the locally renowned Wheatfield's Restaurant in Saratoga—a true destination in New York State. TIM HARDIMAN: Chef Hardiman has become not just a successful restaurateur, but also a pivotal player in the res- urrection of Utica, New York. His restaurant, The Tailor and the Cook, has received national acclaim—recently noted as one of the top 100 restaurants in America. Farm to table is something that Hardiman brought to cen- tral New York; with his Adirondack approach he has been instrumental in bringing a faltering section of Utica back to life. Two doors down from The Tailor and the Cook, Hardiman opened Utica Bread when he became frustrated with a lack of quality artisan bread in the city. Last year Food and Wine Magazine stated that Utica Bread's Pain au Chocolat was as good as you would find in Paris. Since then, it has been dif- ficult for Hardiman to keep this flaky pastr y on the shelves. JAMIE KEATING: A driven chef, Jamie worked for Hyatt Hotels early in his career. In 2008, he earned a spot on the U.S. Culinar y Olympic Team. After winning an internation- al gold medal he moved to Columbus, Georgia where he opened JK Catering, and, later, the famous Epic Restaurant that has since been awarded many recognitions—including A A A's Four-Diamond status for the highest quality food and ser vice. He and his wife Melissa (also a Paul Smith's graduate) operate a successful business that epitomizes the hospitali- ty attitude that they both developed while studying in the Adirondacks.

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