Chef Plitt brings a distinguished background in luxury dining, operational excellence, and culinary leadership to Delmonico’s Hospitality Group. In his role, he will oversee the culinary vision and operations across the group’s growing portfolio, which includes TUCCI NYC and Boogie Lab Bakery & Bistro and the iconic Delmonico’s, one of America’s most storied dining establishments and the birthplace of several iconic dishes including Eggs Benedict, Lobster Newberg, and the legendary Delmonico Steak.
Earlier in his career, Plitt served as Chef de Cuisine at Le Bernardin, where he played a key leadership role during the period in which the restaurant earned and maintained its Michelin stars. His tenure at the globally acclaimed restaurant helped shape his approach to fine dining, team development, and world-class kitchen operations. He later served as Director of Operations for Ripert Consulting, supporting food and beverage initiatives for Ritz-Carlton properties, before becoming Executive Chef at Morris County Golf Club, where he transformed the culinary program and established the operation as a benchmark for excellence.
Together, the appointment of Chef Plitt and the securing of the new Midtown location underscore Delmonico’s Hospitality Group’s forward-looking vision—investing in exceptional talent and iconic spaces to ensure the enduring relevance of one of the most celebrated names in American dining. Chef Plitt sat down with me to talk about his culinary journey and joining Delmonico’s Hospitality Group.
I knew I wanted to do this from a really young age. For me, it always came down to a love for entertaining and the feeling you get when you make people happy through food. There’s something special about bringing people together around a table. As I got older, that passion turned into a career because of great mentors like Michael Schlow and Eric Ripert. Chef Ripert, especially during my years at Le Bernardin, taught me how to pair strict discipline with a respect for the ingredients. But at the core, the inspiration hasn’t changed since I was a kid. I just love feeding people and creating a great experience for them.
I went to the New England Culinary Institute, which was great because it was incredibly hands on and threw us into real, working kitchens from day one. But my education really started much earlier. I began working in kitchens at a young age, moving through hotels, country clubs, and restaurants to get a true feel for the business as a whole and figure out what I liked. I learned from a lot of different chefs during that time, which gave me a great foundation. After school, spending years at Le Bernardin was the ultimate masterclass. Learning seafood execution and kitchen culture at that level shapes how you cook for the rest of your life.
My path has been about working in some of the most demanding kitchens out there. Early on, I came up under Michael Schlow, who was an incredible mentor and helped me move to NYC to get my foot in the door at Le Bernardin. I started there as a cook with the intent to become a sous chef. From there, I moved up to sous chef, then executive sous chef while also stepping into the role of director of operations for Ripert consulting. In that consulting role, I helped provide guidance and operational support to the restaurants we opened under Chef Ripert at a few Ritz Carlton properties. Ultimately, I earned the role of chef de cuisine at Le Bernardin. After that, I took over as Executive Chef at Morris County Golf Club to elevate their dining program. Now, I’m the Executive Chef for Delmonico’s Hospitality Group, overseeing everything from our landmark Financial District location and our new Midtown expansion to Tucci and our upcoming Boogie Lab Bakery.
Across all our restaurants, the goal is to honor tradition while putting a fresh twist on the classics. Take Delmonico’s, it’s a landmark and the birthplace of the Delmonico Steak and Baked Alaska. We bring new energy to the menu so it never feels stuck in the past. Our beverage program mirrors that exact same philosophy, and I really have to credit our beverage team because they are just awesome at what they do. They have built a truly impressive wine program that spans the entire portfolio. They have curated a list that features highly sought after, incredibly hard to find bottles for collectors, alongside amazing wines at all price points so every guest finds something great. Tucci has a cocktail and wine program to match its upscale Italian style, and our upcoming Boogie Lab Bakery Uptown is going to center entirely around incredible, artisanal baking.
The vibe depends on the concept, but it is always lively, intentional, and deeply tied to New York culture. At Delmonico’s, the energy is historic and powerful. It carries a lot of weight, but our modern touches keep it fresh. Tucci has a totally different feel, it’s trendy, intimate, and upscale. Then Boogie Lab Bakery will bring a warm, neighborhood, artisanal community energy when we open our doors Uptown soon. We want each space to feel distinct but equally welcoming.
Balancing creativity with business really just comes down to organization and structure. For me, they aren’t opposing forces, they actually rely on each other. Having our systems completely streamlined on the operations side is exactly what gives us the freedom to be creative in the kitchen. When you aren’t stuck putting out daily business fires, your mind is completely clear to focus your energy on the food, the menu development, and the guest experience. True culinary innovation can only happen when the foundation under your feet is completely solid.
We handle our margins through a custom, proprietary software program our company is currently writing. By integrating AI directly into our back-of-house operations, it gives us real-time, daily analytics on exactly where we stand with food costs and labor metrics. For pricing, we look closely at historical sales data and current producer costs to stay ahead of market shifts. Having this level of deep data allows us to manage our business overhead with incredible precision, ensuring we maintain healthy margins without ever having to compromise on the quality of our ingredients.
We only work with top tier producers. For example, we use single ranch beef like Brandt Beef because the quality and consistency are unmatched. In this business, your relationships with your purveyors are everything. We lean heavily on them to bring us the absolute best products available, and we are out there looking for more of the best every single day.
The culture in my kitchens is built on respect, continuous learning, and clear communication. I want my teams to feel challenged but fully supported. I believe in mentoring the next generation of chefs the same way my mentors looked after me. When people feel valued and have the right tools, they perform at their best.
As a growing multi-unit group, we are moving toward highly customized tech. While we use standard tools right now for scheduling, the software program our company is currently writing is what will run our operations moving forward. By integrating AI into our data, we can look at historical sales patterns and live metrics. We want our technology to be just as precise as our cooking techniques.
Diner preferences are always evolving, and we definitely pay attention to those shifts. Whether it’s a focus on higher protein, cleaner eating, or functional ingredients, guests today are more conscious than ever about what they put into their bodies. For us, meeting that demand doesn’t mean changing who we are; it just means ensuring our menus have balance. A great menu should naturally accommodate different lifestyles. We focus on sourcing clean, high-quality proteins and wholesome ingredients so that whether someone is looking for a traditional, indulgent experience or something lighter and more functional, they can find a beautifully executed dish on our menu.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that consistency is everything. Anyone can cook a great meal once. Doing it perfectly hundreds of times a night, every single night, is what makes a great restaurant. It takes discipline, thick skin, and a team that takes genuine pride in the smallest details.
