Photo Credit: Nick Garcia
Miami-born-and-raised Seth Greenberg became the King of Boston’s nightlife upon graduating from Boston University. He was credited with bringing glamour to its scene via M-80, a Saint-Tropez-style bottle-popping club that attracted a moneyed, international crowd. Then he transitioned into restauration and hospitality via the Beacon Hotel in 1999, the Ames Hotel and his hit restaurants in Boston, Mistral and Bastille Kitchen. He was behind New York City’s chicest event spaces, Capitale and Espace. Now, he’s taking a deeper dive into the food scene with the opening of his second Serafina in Boston and a Bal Harbour eatery at the Ritz-Carlton. What’s more, the perennial party boy has recently—gasp—settled down at the age of 52 following his 2013 celebrity-studded nuptials to Israeli model Sasha Martynenko, 27. He’s also become a father for the first time to a beaming baby boy named Milan.
HL: And you’re doing another one too?
SG: Yes, our second Serafina will be on Newbury Street, which is Boston’s answer to Madison Avenue. It is the city’s fashion street and we’re excited to be in the same building as Safar Salon; they’ve been arguably the most successful salon on the street for 35 years. We plan to build many more Serafinas in New England.
HL: For years, you embodied the ultimate bachelor lifestyle.
SG: I was at a point in my life where I was ready to welcome the right person. I had met nice girls before, but I was never 100% sure. For the first time in my life, I was sure. As much as I loved being single, traveling and having freedom, I realized there was something else that was more important. Also, I met someone who likes to travel and have as much fun as I do.
HL: How did you meet?
SG: We met in Israel and that is our common bond. I had been going to Israel twice a year for about six years to study and practice Krav Maga, an Isreali martial arts sytem. I go to the Gidon School, where the original founder started the art, and where today all the best fighters in the world go to train. Over time, I developed great relationships with a great group of friends. There were a lot of lovely girls, but for the most part, all of them had great boyfriends or husbands. I met Sasha with this group. I love the lifestyle in Israel, which is a lot like Saint-Tropez was years ago; great beaches, great food and fun places, only much more casual. Israel is also culturally interesting and relevant and important to me. We started dating when she became single and moved to New York for modeling… and that was pretty much it. Our lives just blended together.
HL: You also had a child. Why now?
SG: Yes. This is hard to talk about, but my dad passed almost two years ago now, and he had Alzheimer’s. My whole life, we had had this amazing relationship—he never really treated me like a son, he treated me more like a brother. We were really close, so I think it became a legacy issue for me.
HL: What got you to recently move back to Miami?
SG: I’ve had a home in Miami for 10 years. When Milan was 2 months old, and it started to be winter in New York, Sasha wasn’t enjoying taking walks with him in the snow. I said, “Let’s just go stay in Miami.” I grew up here and had a fantastic childhood growing up on North Bay Road on the water. I had a boat, I played tennis, it was an amazing lifestyle and I want that for him. We’ll be back in the Hamptons for the summer, and I still have my place in the city, but mostly, I’m between Miami and Boston now.
HL: Do you have any business in Miami?
SG: I have a forthcoming project at the Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour. I signed a man- agement contract with them that began in June, and we plan to open a brand-new restaurant there in November. It will be called Artisan Beach House and will feature Paula DaSilva (of 1500° at the Eden Roc). Paula is a great chef and a lot of people loved her food there—I’m very excited to be working with her on this beautiful project that will be an important part of Bal Harbour’s resurgance.
