The Secrets
What really happens behind the doors of America's first restaurant: the service, the pressure, and the decisions guests never see.
A Forbes Books title · Coming soon
Life at Steak
Secrets, Loyalties, and One Man's Code That Keeps America's First Restaurant Alive
by Dennis Turcinovic
Get Release News
The Story Behind the Doors at 56 Beaver Street
Every legendary room has a back door, and Dennis has spent his working life on the other side of it. Life at Steak is what he learned there: about people, about loyalty, and about what it really takes to keep an American icon open for another night. For the long view, start with Dennis's path from Astoria to Beaver Street.
What the Book Is About
The Loyalties
To the staff who show up every night, to the regulars, to the partners, and to a city that keeps coming back. What loyalty costs, and why it's worth it.
The Code
The principles one operator lives by after a lifetime in restaurants: people first, consistency over flash, and the discipline to stay present when everything is moving at once.
About the Author
Dennis Turcinovic is the Owner and Executive Culinary Partner of Delmonico's Hospitality Group. Raised in a Croatian immigrant family in Queens, he has spent more than 25 years at Delmonico's and co-leads new ventures including TUCCI and Boogie Lab USA.
Be First to Know When It's Released
Release date, preorder links, and early excerpts, straight to your inbox.
Questions About Life at Steak
When is Life at Steak coming out?
Life at Steak is forthcoming from Forbes Books. Sign up for release news at dennisturcinovic.com/life-at-steak to be notified when preorders open.
Who publishes Life at Steak?
Life at Steak by Dennis Turcinovic is published by Forbes Books.
Why is Delmonico's called America's first restaurant?
Delmonico's began as a confectionery opened by the Delmonico brothers in New York in 1827 and opened as a full restaurant at 56 Beaver Street in 1837. It is widely described as America's first fine dining restaurant and is often credited as among the first in the country to serve diners à la carte. It is not the oldest restaurant in the United States (older taverns still operate), but it is credited with defining American fine dining, and its kitchen is associated with dishes such as the Delmonico steak, Lobster Newburg, and Baked Alaska.