From Boston he shifted gears and embarked on a journey to develop similar, stellar restaurant concepts in his birth city, New York. And there was certainly a common ground. In 2002 Greenberg opened Capitale, also housed in a historic building, and also catering to an eclectic mix of upper-echelon members of society with a discerning palate and strong sense of how they wanted to spend their time. The Stanford White-designed venue, once the home of The Bowery Savings Bank, is so expansive and so stunning that it currently acts as home to some 60-plus weddings a year. “Capitale really became successful as a catering facility, hosting gorgeous social events on the weekends and high-end corporate and charity dinners during the week. We knew we catered to the downtown market and since a majority of business in New York is based on geography, we jumped at the opportunity to open something in midtown,” explains Greenberg. And jump they did. This time the space was more modern in design. Housed in the Atelier building on 42nd street just off the West Side Highway, espace quickly became a very successful project all its own. And Greenberg credits much of said success to that very address. “We get a lot of events tied to the convention center which is literally located a block away from espace and that clientele would probably never consider an event downtown at Capitale,” describes Greenberg. The space is also really malleable, transforming into the wonderland required by the client. “We attract many of the automotive industry clients as our design allows for a car to drive right into the space through the front doors, which open very wide. You can’t place a car in Capitale.” Different options mean Greenberg is never competing with himself, so he continues developing new concepts in his three key cities: Boston, New York, and most recently, Miami.
When the historic Miami Beach hotel, the Eden Roc, was redone it made all but too much sense for the property to tap Greenberg’s talents to create their signature restaurant. And he was just too happy to participate in the evolution of the space; which happens to stand tall on the stretch of beach, which once acted as his childhood stomping grounds. Walking in through the newly renovated lobby, one’s eye is drawn directly to the corridor leading towards the beach. A wall lined with a Peter Tunney-realized, pop art collage of old photos of the property from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s practically walks you to the restaurant,by the hand. The latest of Greenberg’s projects, 1500 Degrees serves its guests, lobby hanger-outters, and the inhabitants of some 630-guest rooms under the direction of Executive Chef and Hell’s Kitchen runner-up, Paula DaSilva, whose skill on the grill had much to do with the naming of the steakhouse, a fact understandably crucial once one becomes aware that the proper temperature at which to sear a steak is, in fact, a sizzling 1500°. DaSilva is also at the helm of the constantly evolving menu, making sure to change offerings daily and according to season in order to incorporate only the freshest local ingredients. And by fresh, we mean cut from the garden growing just outside the perimeter of the restaurant’s outdoor seating terrace. : “We gave the restaurant a true farm-to-table feeling by utilizing all local fruits, veggies, line-caught fish, grass-fed beef, goat cheese from a farm in plantation- all local purveyors.”
The delicious offerings at 1500 Degrees are only the beginning for Greenberg who has already broken ground on his next project within the Eden Roc space. This time tapping into memories of some 15 summers spent in St. Tropez, Greenberg is creating what has tentatively been named Cabana Beach Club. Passed the pools, bars, and currently in-development Elle Magazine-branded spa, sits what promises to be Miami Beach’s next hot spot. Sitting far back on the beach, above the boardwalk, with breath taking views not otherwise available on Miami Beach, Cabana Beach Club will be the place for visitors to settle in for the long haul. Equipped with fire pits, a retractable roof, and NanaWall transforming doors, the casual dining establishment will be open for lunch and dinner but also well into the evening hours for your enjoyment. The idea: to feel like you’re in the middle of the Mediterranean. Greenberg proudly states that this joint should be open in the next three months or so, and we await its arrival with bated breath; but in the interim, may I suggest dining beneath the Greenberg-dubbed Avatar tree on the terrace of 1500 Degrees. Oh, and try the brussels sprouts.
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