Feature

The Eighteen-Year, Nine-Restaurant Road to a Cookbook

The Bromberg brothers of Blue Ribbon late-night and raw-bar fame publish their first cookbook next month. What took so long? They’ve been busy.

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By Robin Raisfeld & Rob Patronite
Published Mar 21, 2010

(Photo: Steve Hill/Courtesy of Blue Ribbon)

November 1992
Jersey natives Bruce and Eric Bromberg open Blue Ribbon Brasserie in Soho, debuting marrow bones, pupu platters, and—shockingly— no reservations.

1995
Amateur musicians both, the brothers open a midtown recording studio, Blue Ribbon Sound, to record some of their more talented employees, among others.

(Photo: Steve Hill/Courtesy of Blue Ribbon)

1995
The brothers open the subterranean Blue Ribbon Sushi with a talented chef plucked from near obscurity (or, at least, Murray Hill). Toshi Ueki’s Blue Ribbon roll (lobster, shiso, caviar) becomes an instant classic.

(Photo: Hannah Whitaker/New York Magazine)

1998
At Blue Ribbon Bakery, the brothers excavate a 150-year-old coal oven and build a small-plate-centric restaurant concept around it.

1998
’ino opens down the block from the bakery, where it sources its ciabatta and Pullman loaves, instigating the panini craze.

2001
Blue Ribbon Brooklyn opens on Park Slope’s emerging restaurant row, Fifth Avenue, luring passersby with the familiar oysters sign.

2003
The Kings County empire expands next door with Blue Ribbon Sushi Brooklyn, also overseen by sushi master Ueki.

(Photo: Dieter Spears/Getty Images)

2004
Avid cyclists, the brothers sponsor the “elite amateur” Blue Ribbon Cycling team.

(Photo: Steve Hill/Courtesy of Blue Ribbon)

2005
A dedicated showcase for their brick-oven bread, Blue Ribbon Bakery Market in the South Village specializes in Poilâne-inspired toasts with toppings, from Stilton to salmon.

(Photo: Hannah Whitaker/New York Magazine)

2005
The restaurant group makes a pioneering move to stock So Clear spring water from Maine, served in reusable glass bottles.

(Photo: Steve Hill/Courtesy of Blue Ribbon)

2005
The Brombergs launch Blue Ribbon 100% Raw Mexican Honey, sourced from the beekeeping family of one of their Mexican cooks, and sell it at the Market.

(Photo: Jamie Chung)

2007
At Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill, the Brombergs combine East and West for their first hotel project, Six Columbus, and dress up their signature fried chicken with wasabi honey.

2007
Downing Street Bar opens, in part to relieve bakery overflow, in part as a cozy spot to linger over wine flights, cocktails, and refined snacks.

(Photo: Hannah Whitaker/New York Magazine)

2007
Grilled, unbreaded Blue Ribbon Naked Nuggets debut in a Chicago Costco, and are now targeted to kids (and health-minded parents) nationwide.

(Photo: Getty Images)

2009
The menu for the multipurpose Brooklyn Bowl is a stoner-bowler’s fantasy, with baskets of wings, boozy shakes, and—most genius of all—half a dozen French-bread pizzas.

(Photo: Hannah Whitaker/New York Magazine)

2010
The recipes collected in Bromberg Bros. Blue Ribbon Cookbook (Clarkson Potter; $35) are a little French, a little Jewish, a little Asian, and very New York.