AI Summary
5 min readKeith McNally on Restaurants, Luck, and the Spirit of a Room
Keith McNally doesn't mince words. Asked what he loves about restaurants, he answers flatly: "Nothing." Then he adds the qualification that matters: restaurants bring life to people, especially now, "when everybody seems to be online." That tension—between loving the institution and hating the daily grind of it—runs through the entire conversation.
McNally opened the Odeon in 1980 with his ex-wife Lynn, in a part of downtown New York that "barely existed." The restaurant was the first in the city to put a lobster and a burger on the same menu, a gesture that seemed wild at the time but now feels like the DNA of New York dining. Balthazar, Pastis, and Minetta Tavern followed, each becoming an instant institution. In 2016, McNally suffered a stroke that impaired his speech and motor skills. He wrote about the experience in his book I Regret Almost Everything, and he's currently rewriting half of it because he wasn't satisfied with the first version.
The Spirit of a Restaurant Cannot Be Replicated
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:00) **Episode Introduction** - Host Emily Sundberg introduces Keith McNally as the restaurateur who "created downtown New York" and changed how the city eats.
- 2 (01:09) **What McNally Loves (and Hates) About Restaurants** - McNally says he loves "nothing" about restaurants, then clarifies they bring life to people in an increasingly online world.
- 3 (01:56) **Dealing with Failure and Success** - McNally states he hasn't had a restaurant failure since 2010, except for Pulino's, which he attributes to a "cursed" corner.
- 4 (02:36) **British Roots and Paris Influence** - McNally explains why he never opened a British restaurant, citing his time in Paris and love for French cafes.
- 5 (05:22) **Expanding Beyond New York** - McNally discusses his negative experiences opening restaurants outside New York, including a partnership where he owned 25% but "never saw a penny."
- 6 (09:08) **The Unrepeatable Magic of Balthazar** - The host notes that McNally could open Balthazar in Dubai or Doha but never would, which is why it remains special.
- 7 (10:19) **Lucky Strike and Lost Concepts** - The host laments the closure of Lucky Strike, calling for its return, but McNally says you can't bring back a restaurant—"it lives on in your memory."
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Show Notes
It’s the season one finale of Expense Account!
This week, J Lee spoke Keith McNally, the legendary restaurateur behind Balthazar, The Odeon, Pastis, Minetta Tavern, Lucky Strike and more. He is also the author of “I Regret Almost Everything.” Topics discussed include:
* The ideal order for two people at Balthazar
* Keith’s love/hate relationship with social media
* Creating the perfect restaurant playlist
* and why restaurants are one of the last places you can achieve the American dream
If you’re interested in working with us on the next season of Expense Account, have an idea for a guest, or want to host us at your countryside farm in France, email [email protected]
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