Beef cake
H-Town billionaire shakes up steakhouse scene in Manhattan with a star-studded grand opening
Tilman Fertitta just doesn't do anything in a small way. Consider his most recent landmark event — opening of Mastro's Steakhouse in New York City. More than 1,000 guests, sports and media stars among them, crowded into the bi-level restaurant to party party.
Landry's Inc., of which Fertitta is CEO, purchased the 11-steakhouse empire in 2013. The Manhattan spot becomes the 12th and the first on the East Coast.
The glam new eatery on Avenue of the Americas across from Radio City Music Hall was the place to be on this night when executive chef Aaron Albrecht and his team pulled out the stops creating an amazing, vast ice bar that featured lobster, shrimp, crab, oysters and more.
Orange Is the New Black stars Jackie Cruz and Lea DeLaria, comedian Joe Piscopo and actor Ice-T with his Ice Loves Coco wifey Coco Austin were among the headliners as were New York Giants Daniel Fells, Jameel McClain and Quintin Dempsey.
Earlier in the day, before welcoming the heady coterie of guests, Fertitta appeared on CNBC’s Street Signs with Brian Sullivan followed by an interview on Bloomberg News regarding his fast growing empire. Sullivan was among the biz media personalities in the mix. These included the host of CNBC's Fast MoneyMelissa Lee; Street Signs cohost Amanda “Mandy” Drury, Bloomberg News's Caleb Melby and Brandon Kochkodin, MSNBC's Eric Salzman and many more.
The party crowd also included Mastro’s Restaurants president and COO Mark Levy; Jeffries Group chairman of the board and CEO Rich Handler;Real Housewives of New York star Romana Singer;Mistresses actress Rochelle Ayte; New York Jets players Demario Davis, Jaiquawn Jarrett and Leger Douzable; and New York Knicks players J.R. Smith and Travis Wear.
The Landry's Inc. move into Manhattan continues with the opening in just a few weeks of a Morton's Grille in Union Square.