Chef Rich Torrisi’s restaurants with partners Mario Carbone and Jeff Zalaznick—Carbone, Torrisi, the Grill, the swanky private club ZZ’s, and 41 others—may span the globe, but they’re all notoriously difficult to get into. Diners can’t seem to get enough of their maximalist dedication to excess. It’s no accident that their enterprise is called the Major Food Group. As The New York Times food critic Pete Wells wrote in his review of Torrisi in 2023, “This company has never seen a top it couldn’t go over.” But Torrisi, the man, doesn’t seem to be swaggering through life. He is thoughtful and eager to learn new skills beyond the kitchen, expanding his mind and his repertoire. That includes a carefully packed schedule and a deep affection for an ice-cold plunge and gin martini.
MORNING ROUTINE:
I wake up at 6 or 6:15. My 7 A.M. is a training session of either boxing or Brazilian jiu-jitsu. After a tiny break, I play piano for about an hour.
