'The Food Network' was just starting in New York, and I was getting lots of attention from Mesa Grill. They had no money, so if you couldn't get there by subway, you couldn't be on. It wasn't like TV was something I really wanted to do - but I knew it would be great publicity for my restaurants.

When I'm on television, I think that I appeal to the everyday guy, 'cause that's who I am. The guys who go to the football games on the weekends are my viewers, for sure.

A grill is just a source of heat. Just like a stove, it is very user-friendly.

Take risks and you'll get the payoffs. Learn from your mistakes until you succeed.

I seem to respond most to places that are more cosmopolitan because of my Manhattan upbringing. Some of the major international cities I've visited, like Madrid, Rome and London, have a lot of similarities and "New York" elements while ... having their own flavor.

I can't be on the cheeseburger diet all the time.

Grilling outside with my parents at the Jersey shore. We would grill lobster and corn in the summer.