THE RESTAURATEUR: DANNY MEYER Documentary Now on DVD

“THE RESTAURATEUR,”
THE DEFINITIVE DOCUMENTARY ABOUT DANNY MEYER,
NOW AVAILABLE ON DVD

Acclaimed documentarian Roger Sherman gains full, inside access
to the world of Danny Meyer as he launches Eleven Madison Park and Tabla

This intimate documentary follows Danny Meyer, one of America’s preeminent restaurant owners, over a 12 year span as he struggles to open not one but two ambitious restaurants next to New York’s Madison Square Park.  Tabla and Eleven Madison Park, if successful, will join Union Square Café and Gramercy Tavern as the jewels in Meyer’s crown.

We follow the restaurateur and his team as they experience gut-wrenching construction delays, missed deadlines, and the firing of a chef.  We visit Tabla’s chef Floyd Cardoz in his tiny home kitchen where he creates his now classic watermelon curry.  We’re there as chef Kerry Heffernan takes over Eleven Madison Park just weeks before opening, and then later, after a nationwide search, when Daniel Humm is hired, leading to a coveted four star review from The New York Times, one of only six restaurants to be so honored.

The Restaurateur – Danny Meyer from First Run Features on Vimeo.

Danny Meyer bares all in this portrait.  Watching him and his inner circle, we witness first-hand how difficult it is to create a world-class restaurant. THE RESTAURATEUR is nothing like reality TV.  This is real.

THE RESTAURATEUR is now available on DVD.

About Roger Sherman

Roger Sherman’s documentaries have been honored with a Peabody Award, an Emmy Award, two Academy Award® nominations, and many other prizes.  He founded Florentine Films with esteemed filmmakers Ken Burns and Buddy Squires. The diverse subject matter of Sherman’s body of work includes art and history, science and social issues, music and the environment. He is a director, cinematographer and still photographer. Among his many films, Richard Rodgers: The Sweetest Sounds, was called “An extraordinary film biography, perhaps the best ever produced in the American Masters series” by The Wall Street Journal.  Sherman’s film Alexander Calder was pronounced “an American masterpiece” by Charlie Rose.

Sherman’s other films include Medal of Honor, The O.J. Simpson Trial: Beyond Black & White and Don’t Divorce the Children.  As a photographer, Sherman’s work has appeared in Saveur, Garden Design, Town & Country, Budget Travel, MetHome, Newsweek and other magazines and books.  His book Ready, Steady Shoot: The Pocket Posh Guide to Great Home Video (Andrews McMeel) will be released this fall.

More Foodie Films from First Run Features

In GUY MARTIN: PORTRAIT OF A GRAND CHEF we are given an intimate and privileged look into the philosophy and inspirations of one of the most acclaimed and unique chefs in Europe, whose Parisian restaurant Le Grand Véfour, boasting three Michelin, ranks as a culinary Mecca for foodies from around the world. Now available on DVD.

Also available now on DVD fresh off its hit theatrical release of over 100 nationwide play dates is KINGS OF PASTRY, the fantastical foray into the world of French pastry by D A Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus. One of the most critically-acclaimed documentaries of 2010, KINGS OF PASTRY will enjoy a national broadcast this spring on the PBS series POV.