Max Tucci is a #1 bestselling author, restaurateur, media personality, third-generation partner of Delmonico’s, and founder of TUCCI New York. In this episode, Max shares the remarkable story of Delmonico’s, the New York institution that predates the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, and public running water – and is widely regarded as America’s first fine-dining restaurant.

He traces its history from the Italian-Swiss immigrant brothers who introduced European-style service and sophistication to New York in 1827 to his grandfather, Tuscan immigrant Oscar Tucci, who rescued the abandoned Delmonico’s building during Prohibition, preserved its name, recipes, and archives, and revived it for a new generation. Max also reflects on how Delmonico’s helped shape New York’s restaurant industry, fostered generations of hospitality talent, and became part of his own extraordinary upbringing inside one of the city’s most storied dining rooms.

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0:00 – Intro

0:30 – Delmonico’s | America’s First Fine Dining Steakhouse

8:00 – Max’s experience in the restaurant business

15:50 – Max’s role at Delmonico’s and Tucci

22:14 – What does Max look for when out at other restaurants?

24:20 – Mentorship in the restaurant industry

34:00 – How to be your best self professionally

39:50 – The state of NYC restaurant industry

50:00 – The importance of immigrants in NYC restaurants

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