Stephen Starr The Man Behind The Restaurants

 A good restauranteur is hard to find. A very good one is a unicorn. Yet Stephen Starr is that culinary unicorn. He is the man who brought back the classic eatery Pastis and turned Philadelphia into a foodie must stop. He is the driving force behind where and what America eats.

New contributor Christine Speer Lejeune wrote about this amazing force in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section. Stephen Star is responsible for some of the best and most popular eateries, in New York City, his home town of Philly and Nashville. He is reviving the scandal stained Babbo in Manhattan, a restaurant that was once Mario Battali's before Battali's sex scandal ruined his career and business.He has  done some wonders with reviving the legendary place Pastis and is now expanding to to Nashville. In one year alone he has amassed around four hundred million in revenues,a pretty amazing feat in this depressed economy however he is responsible for a whopping forty-three restaurants.He has a true instinct for what diners want and he attracts a huge array of fans. The Bidens were just at his Philadelphia trattoria Borrmini,, Mick Jagger and Oprah were fans of his Asian fusion eatery Buddakan. He has worked with such chefs as Kevin McNally to name a few.

Surprisingly enough Mr.  Starr didn't start out in the food or hospitality business.He started spinning records for local radions in his native Philadelphia. (in fact he runs his eateries like record companies and often used musical and album restaurants along with dressing laid back record producer in his black tee shirt and jeans) . At twenty-one he changed course when a former girlfriend dumped him for being broke. He resolved not to be broke again and started a succession of  show business ventures in the Philadelphia area. However  a lightbulb went off when he visited New York City's Global 33 a martini bar. He loved the feel and the crowd, a bar filled of sexy, young good looking people. He could brink that to Philly. He opened up the Continemtal Martini Bar in 1996 around the time when the martini culture movie "Swingers came out." The place was an instant hit. It was the jolt that set the foodie scene there afire. He opened up the pricey yet successful Buddakan which brought celebrities toa city mostly known for scrapple and cheese steaks along with Colonial history. Even Robert Di Niro visited. Now Starr is all over his city  and Manhattan.

Stephen Star is bringing fun dining and good food to two of the East Coast's most important cities. He has brought Asian  at Buddakan food to the forefront and revived classic restaurants. It's will be amazing when he expands to other cities like Nashville.