Nick plucked his first fresh fig off his Italian grandfather’s fig tree when he was just a wee lad in Yonkers, oh so many moons ago. He hung out with his grandfather, munching on figs and learning how to make wine in the basement of his uncle’s home. And, while the rest of his family went out to eat on a regular basis at their favorite restaurant, Nick opted to stay at home—you see, at that time, he was afraid to dine out—yes, afraid. Which makes all this such an anomaly… for much of Nick’s life has been spent in restaurants (after a devious teenhood spent caddying) where he’s worked every possible position from busboy to grill cook (ask him about single- handedly grilling 600 steaks one Saturday night at the Chart House) to now owner of The Blue Room. He’s the consummate businessman who turned what he loves—food and wine—into his career.
But old habits die hard—for Nick still prefers a quiet night at home cooking with Liz and Lucian over a crazy night out (although a rockin’ Saturday night at The Blue Room always refreshes him). And, thanks to modern technology (which he is madly addicted to) he has now been afforded the opportunity to use his “mobile office” to the hilt and to run his businesses from just about anywhere—he Tweets from the toilet (every man’s “true” office) and he pays the Central Bottle bills in his pj’s. His life has come full circle… now, we are just waiting for the homemade wine in his basement—hey, you just might see it on our shelves one day.