Book-Ends Steakhouse a truly New York-style high end steak Restaurant

“Book-Ends Steakhouse is truly a New York-style high end steak Restaurant, like Peter Luger or Smith & Wollensky, but much better, because of Michele’s passion for excellence” says Mr. Book.

“It all began with a New York Jets t-shirt, the American football team. I was wearing it one evening when Bob was dining at our seafood trattoria on the harbor”. Bob is Robert H. Book, an American entrepreneur, and serial superyacht owner, while the shirt was worn by Michele Giunta, a Tuscan globetrotter who, in 2009, opened a restaurant with his family on the marina of Viareggio, the Santa Monica—that evening marked the birth of the partnership that led to the opening of the first authentic steakhouse on the Tuscan coast and a sincere friendship destined to endure.

Proceeding in order, Mr Book is a visionary investor and a passionate Jets supporter. That evening, while enjoying a seafood dish at Santa Monica, he noticed Michele’s t-shirt and struck up a conversation. The two discovered they shared common passions, including a love for a good steak. “Bob mentioned us in an article published in Yachting, the oldest US yachting magazine,” recalls Giunta. “We kept in touch, and the idea of ​​opening a steakhouse began to take shape.” Last year, a commercial space next to the seafood trattoria became available, and it was decided to bring the initiative to life. So, in December 2023, Book Ends opened its doors, named after Mr Book’s boat, an exquisite Heesen yacht, and it was an immediate success. “I must say that for some time, our customers, mostly seafaring people and many crews of large yachts, had been asking us for meat,” explains Michele. “Now they can find the perfect T-bone (by far the bestseller) cooked over olive wood embers.” The meat enjoyed at Book Ends comes from specialized selectors and is of the highest quality. Giunta lived in Spain for ten years and chose his main supplier there, Miguel Vergara from Valladolid. But the Viareggio restaurant also serves German Alpine cuts, some cuts of Chianina beef, and, for true connoisseurs, an Irish prime beef that comes from more mature animals and offers a more intense flavor. All meats are dry-aged in-house for an average of thirty days: “We always buy whole animals,” specifies Michele. The Viareggio restaurant has 66 seats and is set in an environment with soft lighting, dark ceilings and wood, and a large open grill.

It is the prototype of a format because the two partners are already considering future openings: Milan, Miami, Toronto, and Tel Aviv. Mr Book pays great attention to detail. “He often comes to Viareggio,” Michele recounts, “and every time he has some new idea.” Nothing is ever left to chance. “Once I was at his house in Fort Lauderdale, we were sitting in the living room, he looked up at two paintings of his yacht and said to me, ‘Those would look good in the restaurant,’ and before you knew it, they were hanging in the dining room in Viareggio.” Of course, the vision of the American entrepreneur is not limited to the gastronomic proposal; the commitment is to maximize the brand. The brand has been registered, a dedicated clothing line has been launched, and plates and knives have even been branded with the acquisition of a textile company. The logo was designed by a famous architect who is active in the United States.

But who are the customers of the steakhouse? “Surprisingly, we are seeing more and more women getting into meat,” reveals Giunta. “Once upon a time, men would order steak and their companions a ‘nice salad.’ Not anymore. We have also seen many elderly people preferring meat over raw fish.” And Mr Book? “He loves the prime beef tomahawk, very well done.” Accompanied by a good Tuscan red wine – Brunello, Bolgheri, or Chianti Classico – or by an Iberian label, in memory of Michele’s years in Spain. On the other hand, Giunta’s specialty is a beautiful spaghetti with clams and bottarga.

Written by Fernanda Roggero