Balthazar impresario Keith McNally's new book, I Regret Almost Everything

I would love to read it but the book wouldn't let me in.

OP, We include reference links in posts such as this. Do better.

I cannot believe we aren't gossiping about this. HE INVENTED NYC DOWNTOWN'S SCENE.

He certainly did not invent "downtown" though he was a figure in its decades long history.

There was an interview with with him either in the NYTs or Wall Street Journal last week, I can't remember which. He's a very entertaining guy. He told a story about Anna Wintour, who is a long-time regular at Bathazar, in which she just left the restaurant. A preteen girl walked up to her and asked her if she was Anna Wintour. Ms. Wintour said no and kept walking. Sounds like her.

How is this book not total DL catnip?

Just ordered it; thanks for the recommendation OP!

I finally got to read the book last week. It was very engaging memoir and Keith was blatantly honest about basically everything, especially his feelings on subjects and people and how he sees himself. It is also a good time capsule into downtown Manhattan from the mid 1970s to present. Highly recommended.

His only place that still has some semblance of its early charm is, funnily enough, uptown —Cafe Luxembourg. Minetta, Balthazar and Pastis are overpriced and trapped with tourists. Odeon is a shadow of what made it great.

r9, he does not own Odeon.

Yes, his ex-wife Lynn got Odeon in the divorce settlement. I would go there as a young-ling in the 1980s late hours after a night at a concert or a club, it had a good atmosphere.

I haven't been to any of his restaurants since before the pandemic lock-down. In the beginning neither Balthazar and Pastis catered to the tourist crowds. I enjoyed going there with friends from time to time. But they have in recent years added different food options that cater more to the tourist palate. I guess when run a big restaurant with a large staff you have to do what you can to pull in customers regularly to keep it successful. Cafe Luxembourg I had only been to once, shortly after it opened, and it was pretty good.

Shorter answer: I haven’t been to any of his restaurants in years, so I’ll just post some words for the hell of it.

Sheesh last time I dined at Cafe Lux I was a gorgeous whippet-thin broke twink on a date.

Which is doing the heaving liftin there? Gorgeous or whippet🤔

Neither are true today. Fond memories though. I had my fun.

Augustine, Balthazar, Cafe Luxembourg, Cherche Midi, Lucky Strike, Minetta Tavern, Morandi, Nell's, The Odeon, Pastis, Pravda, Pulino's,[3] and Schiller's

That's an extremely impressive list - I do think he deserves to say he had a good role in developing downtown restaurant scene. For sure.

Ahhhh. Early 90s memories of Lucky Strike. Good times.