BILFPOD - The Art of the Table: Max Tucci on Connection and Legacy

Episode Date: August 21, 2025

New Episode — BILFPod x Max TucciBest-selling author, acclaimed restaurateur, and award-winning producer — Max Tucci is a storyteller who lives with unapologetic passion and presence. His journey embodies resilience, his words carry wisdom, and his energy inspires everyone he encounters.From honoring his family’s legacy at the iconic Delmonico’s to creating new traditions with Tucci New York, Max has become a creative force. In this episode, he shares the lessons, heartbreaks, and triumphs that shaped him into the bold, authentic soul he is today.Inside the episode:• The story behind his best-selling book The Delmonico Way• How loss became a gift that redefined his perspective on life• The art of connection and building community through legacy• Why being seen, heard, and valued is at the heart of human connectionThis conversation is a reminder that legacy isn’t just about what we build — it’s about the love, authenticity, and courage we bring into the world.Get Connected:Follow Max Tucci → @maxtucciFollow Mara Dorne → @maradorneFollow BILFPod → @bilfpod#BILFPod #BossIdLikeToFollow #MaraDorne #MaxTucci #BestSellingAuthor #AcclaimedRestaurateur #AwardWinningProducer #Storyteller #CreativeJourney #BoldVoices #InspirationInAction #LifeLessons #HotMicMoments #UnfilteredAF #ThisOrThatBossEdition #LivingWithPurpose #AuthenticLiving #WisdomShared #BehindTheMic #BusinessLeadership #LegacyBuilding #IconicVoices #Delmonicos #TucciNewYork

My success happened late in life. You know, like I created a book in my 40s. I opened restaurants in my 40s. Before, yeah, I had a successful podcast, but that wasn't like really looking at as like a career. But my success really came in my 40s and I'm loving it. You know, it's not time is not a real, for me, time is an illusion, right? What it really is, it's anticipation and its alignment. And we have to be ready for the gifts and the jobs and the jobs and the.

careers and the lover and the friend when we get them. Welcome back to the Belfod. We're authenticity trumps authority. Now, if you know New York and you know dining, then there is no way that you don't know Delmonico's. I mean, who doesn't know Delmonicos? Who doesn't know that? So today's guest, without further ado, we got Max Tucci on.

He is incredible, so cute, dressed amazing. Welcome. Thank you. I'm so happy to see you. It's a pleasure to be here. Yeah, I'm so excited for our conversation. I know so many people want to know. I always want to know, like, the, you know, the myth, the legend behind the myth and the myth behind the legend.

So we're here on the BILF pod. And the first thing I'm going to ask you is, do you know what a BILF is? A BILF is a boss I would like to follow. Yes, yes. Did I get it right? You did. Oh, my God. Because people say the, some people say the craziest stuff.

I got them out. So, Matt's is a restaurateur. You know, you date back many generations, but also an author. Yeah. Wow. So when do you have time to do all this? In the moment. Live now, right?

In the moment. So take us back. So take us back from the wave beginning. So that's, the takeaway for Demosonicles will start at the top of, you know, that. DeMonikos originated in 1827, which means a couple of things. It's older than the Statue of Liberty. It's older than the Brooklyn Bridge. Fun fact.

Okay. It's older than public running water in New York. It's so old that Abraham Lincoln dined at Delmonicos. Wow. And one of my favorite facts, 420, for those that get the joke, 420, 1868, was the first time that women were allowed to dine unaccompanied by men at D'Amonicos. Now I love Domenacos even more. And it was on 420? A big feast, a big luncheon.

No, but so Domanicos, you know, is New York as much as New York as Domenicos. And at first originated as a bakery and a really cool confectionery. Then there were the great fires in New York in the 1800s. And then they moved to 56 Beaver Street. And we've been there since 1837. And so, yeah, my grandfather, a Tuscan immigrant, came to America in the early 1900s back and forth. They loved coming to New York. And he had a dream that what I call in the book, the Damanicoe, the Sonio Medihano, the American dream.

And he really wanted to be part of New York. My great-grandmother was furious that he wanted to be like in the hospitality industry. Yeah, of course. And so he convinced her by buying the building. And he said, I'm not really in the restaurant industry. You know, I'm a landowner. I'm buying buildings. And so he bought the Domanical building in 1926 and had a speak easy.

And then from there, the two cheese rained. That is insane. So it really is New York history. I mean, that really is New York history. Everywhere you go, like you hear the name everywhere. and anywhere. I don't even think it's in New York. It's nation- The Domenico steak. Yeah, every- Everybody knows.

Well, dishes that originated at Damancos, of course, the Domenico steak, baked Alaska, Lobster Newburgh. My grandfather created the wedge salad. So there's definitely an influence on how we eat today. And my grandfather and the Domenico brothers really created the scene and how we dine today. So how did his mom feel when she was, when all of a sudden, you know, it came out and super famous, not only that, but just like New York. How did she feel after that?

After the doubt. Well, my grandfather, I just recently learned in 2019 that my grandfather had seven brothers and sisters. I was only told one. So I have this whole new family in Italy that was like an amazing discovery. And so I learned through ancestors and, you know, asking the question. If we don't ask, we don't know, that my grandfather and his one sister, Fenei were like the black sheep of the family. Feney ended up in Argentina. My grandfather ended up in New York.

and so the ones that stayed in Italy, like, envied them because they had that desire and that passion to break free and live their own life. That's so crazy how it works out. So how my grandmother reacted, you know, my great-grandmother, I'm sure she wasn't thrilled. Yeah. You know, especially Italian grandmothers. Yeah, it never changed. They're going to go with the mad. Even if they're not mad, they're got to go all the way through it.

They still breastfeed at like 80. Right. So what was it like growing up? So here you are, you know, a little kid, you're growing up and now you're literally intertwined with New York City. What was that like for you? So growing up in Delmonico's, like Eloise, right? I'm like Max of Delmonicos. That was my childhood.

You know, all I really knew was the restaurant. We traveled. We have a house in Italy, so we traveled. But the restaurant and growing up was a huge part of it. And what was the most exciting, I think, was when my aunt Mary, who was the iron fist, they called her with the lace glove. And without getting so emotional because she was like my auntie maim, she would really sit down with me and make me watch Turner Classic movies when they mentioned Delmonicos.

Like we're Elizabeth Taylor in life with father. We're going to Delmonicos. And it never made sense to me like, oh, they're saying, I go to Dalmancos every day. And now it wasn't until years later that I'm like, this is the coolest thing. But growing up in Delmonicos and in that industry of hospitality, it opened my eyes up because hospitality for me really means to be gracious. Yes. So we had a very gracious upbringing.

I love that. Of course. That's where it starts. You get to know people and you understand people. I think it starts hospitality for everything. You really learn if you want a good first job, hospitality, and that's a great life lesson. That's where it started for me too in hospitality, believe it or not. And you have to like people if you want to be in the restaurant industry.

Absolutely. Like, like people before you like food. Absolutely. Like, really, it's so true. That's, I mean, why do you think I do the podcast? It has nothing to do with anything other than my interests with people. And you have to, in the restaurant business, especially understand our hospitality in general how people work. It's a psychology lesson 101 first.

For sure, for sure. And, you know, it's interesting because I call it my stage now. And Tucci, which is on Broadway, my mother's like, your name is finally on Broadway. Right. So it's like, these are stages. A restaurant is a stage. You have a new audience every night and you have to cater to that audience. Yeah. We are so similar. Can you, I really want my name to be really big on Broadway one day. Just your name really big. Does it make you feel so good inside? I tell the truth of it. You know, it's surreal. It's surreal. And Delmonicles was always a big name on a building in New York. But to have Tucci for me, It's not really about me. It's about honoring my ancestors. I love that.

So that joy, when I see my father's signature lit up at night, it's a reminder that he's watching over. You're going to make me cry. Me too. I'm not getting because I lost my dad. You know, I lost my dad when I was very young. How old were you? I was six years old. I was eight.

That's real. Oh, my God. But it was through meditation that I learned. You know, once we get over, were you angry that he had died? Was there ever a point? I think it's first, I was six. So at eight, it's a little different. So like six, you're just kind of understanding.

I was convinced he was gone to Italy and was going to come back. I swear to you, I had this conversation with somebody else. I always thought he was coming back too. And then when he didn't later on. We asked questions. Yeah, I think I always kind of was like, he left. He's coming back because that's what I really manifested. I thought he left.

I never really believed it until, I mean, I knew. But you know, like if you're. Well, if we want to really stretch this and take it one step further, physically they left. But they were always with us. And so for me, me was, oh, Babo went to Fiencente, he's coming back. But then when you realize they're not coming back, it's like, I was pissed because I had the

roles now. I was my mother's husband. I was my sister's father. I was my aunt's brother. So there's those roles that I was given that I wasn't prepared for at eight years old. So I was pissed at him, not for dying, but for that. And then years later, I was at an ashram actually in Florida called Kashi Ashram. And there was this old train car there on the property.

And I was there and I was like meditating, doing my thing. And it dawned. I mean, I was like talking to my father. I'm like, you know, I was so pissed. Like, fuck you. Like, how could you have died and left me as a child? And then I left him with all the shit. Exactly. Right. And we're like fatherless children, right? And then in that moment, I literally heard this voice saying, I died because I gave you your life. And I was like, what does that mean? It was a gift. My death was your gift. And I realized that if my father hadn't have died, that I wouldn't have been able to do what I wanted to do. And it was a gift. And it was a gift. And I realized that if my father hadn't have died. That I wouldn't have been able to do what I wanted to do. And explore my journey. So in retrospect, his death was really a gift to my life. I say this all the time. Everybody asked me like the greatest turning point in my life and I, and that's the first thing I say is the death of my father because it made me who I am today. I consult him every day. Yeah. Does he give you the answer? I'm like, just because you died doesn't mean I can't consult you. I'm going to haunt you. I'm not getting away that easy. No, it's not happening. Yeah. So let's talk about Tucci. So you have this, and I heard everybody talks about this. The

buzz is on the street. So let's talk about it a little bit. Talk about it. Is that a homage to your grandfather? You know, Tucci, Tucci was a daydream that turned into a reality, right? And I've always, I believe that if you can see it in your mind, you can create it in your reality. Or it's already created in your reality. You just have to catch up with it. And so when we had reopened Delmonicos in 23, after it was closed for three and a half years, and I'm pausing because I'm like, I just want to make sure that what I'm going to say is like so accurate with my ancestors.

And so I wanted to make them proud. Right? And they paved this yellow brick road for me. And I could have done two things. One is I could have skipped along down that yellow brick road and done nothing. Yeah. Or I could have continued to build it. So I continue to lay the foundation and those yellow bricks to make the path

even longer. And so that was really Delmonicos. And we had talked about Tucci many times. I was going to open a Tucci in Florida. Yeah. And, you know, you forget. I was on a book tour. I had just finished the Delmonico way. I'm now like reopening Delmonicos and reimagining Delmonicos for the future. And then I was in Florida and I say the name not to drop it, but because I have to give the contents of the story. And so I was with Clive Davis and we were in Miami and he had chartered a boat, this big yacht for New Year's. And I went down there. Now, mind you, I just come from like a huge book tour that was almost a year. And then from the book tour, it was Delmonicos.

And all of this was happening simultaneously. And I was burning out. Like, I physically was burning out. For sure. I was exhausted. My mother was worried. And my mother, like, never worries about me. Like, I can go to Afghanistan and she wouldn't hear from me for like three months.

And she'd be like, he's fine, you know. But she looked at me. She's like, you need to rest. And I'm like, whatever. And so I went to Florida, took a break. And on December 28th, of 24, no, 2023, the time is an illusion, 2020, I got a call that said, we found a space for Tucci.

And so I said to Clive, I have to go to New York. And he's like, you're going to miss my big New Year's party. I'm like, Clive, I just need advice. I promise I'll be back. And I said, what's the advice you give me for moving forward and having another restaurant? And he said, if you do not fall in love with the space, don't do it. Yeah. Don't do it.

Makes sense. So 643 Broadway. I walk in and I literally in the moment I walked in that door, it was like my ancestors were there before me. And they welcomed me. And it felt like I was walking into my home in Italy. So I was like, let's do it. Flew back to Florida. Clive's like, so what happened?

I'm like, I can only tell you and no one else bought my mother, we're going to open another restaurant. Nobody knew. And so. Because this is a big deal. This was a huge deal. Right. And there's a lot of pressure too, I imagine. Because you already have the name for Delmonico.

Now Tucci is there. And I can't mess it up. Yeah, now like now this is the Tucci name. This is my name. Yeah, you got one shot at this. Exactly. And so we took over the lease in January. I flew up and I'm all about doing the work.

You know, if you want something done right, be the example. Amen. Right. Be the example. And so flew up, got to work, rolled up my sleep. There were nights when I was sleeping on the banquette at Tucci when we were still like doing the renovations. Can I ask you a question? Yeah.

Like a side note. Like how do you feel about like picking up trash off the floor or or like jackhammering? And I'm only. Right? I feel like if you want to be a real business owner, you have to start there. If there's snobbery, if there's entitlement, if there's any source of I'm better than, then don't do a business. Right. And so for me, it was always the asses you kick on the way up will be the ones you kiss on the way down. Yeah. Right. So I don't mind doing the work.

As a matter of fact, it's the work that gets me the most invigorated. Yes. Right. And so we did the work and we opened March 13th of 23rd. 24. Incredible. And no press. Nothing. At the beginning, we all kept quiet because I was like, this is going to be bigger than us. It's going to be bigger than us. And, you know, the Tucci name is going to be 100 years in hospitality next year. So this year we're celebrating 99 years of hospitality in New York. And really, it's respect and honoring for me, the ancestors who did the work. And then just being cool and real. You know, it's like, I'm a New Yorker through and through.

A true New Yorker is cool and real. All this like hyper bullshit. that people come in with the chip on their shoulder. It's like, come on. At the end of the day, I said this recently, you know, Anne Burrell died. And I just was speaking to my friend Melbourne this morning. I'm like, girl, we're all just walking each other home. Yeah.

So it's like, let's just have a good time when we're here. But you, I mean, that is totally your vibe. And so down to earth, just real. Like, you can feel it, the authenticity in there. I mean, just in general, the rest. So I'm just like trying to like imagine this whole thing. So lips are sealed. Now you have all this pressure because you already have, you know,

an A1 restaurant, a plus, plus, plus, plus restaurant. 14,000 square feet. That's insane. So now Tucci comes out. Yeah. What was the, how long did it take for the buzz to get out? One day. Of course.

We opened and it was like Florence Fabricant from the New York Times. She had, we had given her the okay to kind of drop that we were doing it. Yeah. And then Steve Kuzo from the New York Post wrote move over Carbon. There's a new Italian restaurant in town with the best meatballs. The headline, huge one page review. The headline was mind your business. And so I had emailed Mario from Carbon.

I was like, there's room for everybody's meatballs in New York. So don't think, like, I had nothing to do with that article. And yes, I love Steve for writing that. And then Cardi B came for Mother's Day. And then it was just like organically, we can't, to this day, we've been a year in business, a year and a couple of months. To this day, when I sit at Tomonikos, I sit downstairs, table 38 in the wine cellar. there's a picture of my grandfather, my father at our villa in Italy.

And I sit there and I question how the success happens so quickly. I was at dinner again the other night with Clive and he goes, do you pinch yourself every day? But you know why it happened, no? Yeah. Why? Because it was supposed to. It was supposed to. It's privately I honor my ancestors every day.

Every morning I ask for their guidance. I have my three-Os every morning. I'm like, the offers options and opportunities, I ask them, present them to me for the highest good of my life. And then when I stand in that place, I'm like, this really has nothing to do. Yes, I did the work. But this is all of their work that just mirrored and gave me permission to continue. You have a purpose that's greater than you. And you're right.

I love what you said. You know, you already held Demonico. That's fine. It was already there. You could have easily been like, you know what? I'm going to do another book tour. The book was bigger than all of this. The book was bigger than all of this.

This is your why? Well, because the book, I was turned down by. numerous. When I say numerous, it's more than 10 publishers. And I entertained them at Delmonicos. We had dinners at Dalmonicos. And I was trying to sell them this book. I had like a top grade agent. And I couldn't get a book deal. 15 years I worked on getting this book done. And finally, I was at Dalmonicos. I threw a party for a friend. And she had written a book called The Unqualified Hostess. I do it my way so you could do it yours. And the publisher was Rosoli and were in Delmonic. mind you, in the building that has the, my all of the ancestral energy woven through the space.

And the editor, the head of Rizoli came over to me. He's like, Max, why don't you have a book? And I'm like, in all due respect. You see? It's true. You see? For those that are the UCs, it's just thundered here in New York. And it's major. But yeah, and so I said the reason I had this ancestral post. I push. I said, the reason why I don't have a book is because you haven't published it. And I'll take a meeting with you next week. And he took the meeting.

I gave him my manuscript. Mind you, this is after 15 years. And he goes, I want to see DeLonicos through your eyes. As a child. I want to see your experience there. And I'll give you a deal. Incredible. I went back, you know, like those greeting cards with like the lady with all the

curlers in the hair, the mug, and the cigarettes. And for like one week, I sat there, redoing the manuscript, turned it over and I got a book deal. That's incredible. And so the book deal. And when I was doing the book tour, the Monocos was closed. So people were asking me, are you going to reopen Delmonicles? And so I would say to them, look, I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.

You. And I said, and if it's meant to be, it will happen. Yeah, but everything you're saying, it's crazy what you're saying, because you easily could have been like, I already have a great restaurant. And then you took something, a purpose greater than yours, the greater than yourself. You know, you did it for your, and you keep saying it for my ancestors. So you have a bigger why. Honoring. to honor the name you know and look I know many people don't have great relationships with their family

um we a lot of people love to hate their family more than they do love their family but at the end of the day you know it's like our family does what they know of course there's a lot of patterns and pathologies that need to be disrupted and once we can observe that they've been disrupted we can then honor them right and so we forgive them too of course for whatever you did who it doesn't in the scheme of life it doesn't even matter it doesn't matter doesn't come with a book of directions i say this all the time parenting everybody does what they think they know now by no means am i trying to minimize anyone's experience with their family absolutely um because you know we do we go through trauma we hold it our body has cells that holds onto it once you let it go and you start to forgive in honor you breathe easier yes

every yes you take the brunt the weight this on this undying weight that you hold on your shoulders and once you understand like people only do what they're subject to do or what's powerful down. They don't know. And then when you finally realize it, but I just love it how you, because I'm very family-oriented. I love my family. And to be able to honor my dad and my family's name, it means everything to me. And then for my kids to watch it means everything. Yeah. And hopefully they'll do the same. You know, I have a niece and a nephew. And it's like, my dream for them is that they might not have to do the business, but that they know who did the business. And that they can then say their name. You know, there's a great proverb that says every time we say their names,

surrounds us. You know, and how do we translate that into business? Simply. Once I think you honor your ancestors and when you know where you're coming from, you can then express your love and passion for an industry more because you know your purpose. And then you know where you're going. Yeah. So the demonic way, it's not just a book title, it's the philosophy. Can you sum that up? Give me one good sentence. One, just like anything that you can think of that coming to top of you sentence minimizes the book because the whole book is really the demonical way is living a life full of grace, respect, honor, and enjoyment. That's what the demonic way is. It's enjoying life, but in grace and in peace and in honoring. You know, it's fun to be wild and dramatic. We've all been

through that stage of our life. But then there comes a point to realize like, life is so much better when it's lived via grace rather than drama. And around the table, because Jews are like Italians. Yeah, of course. I mean, we do everything. Yeah, we will. We definitely well. But we like to come around the table because that's where like every, like it's like

vomit. Everything comes out. Everything comes out on the table. Then it's done. It's over. It's single session therapy. Yeah. Dinners at like Jewish families and Italians, dinner's sessions are single session

therapy. It's so true. It's in each food shut up and get over it. But then you, but it's the best times. The most, the most memorable times I could ever think of are around the dinner table. And you created that over and over and over, not just for your family, but for all families in New York City and people that come to the restaurant. So now, listen, good food is paired with great cocktails. I definitely could.

We should get cocktails. So tell me, okay, so tell me a little bit I heard on the street that there's a little cocktail. The streets are spilling the cocktail. They're just telling all the tea over here. You know, I, look, my mother always said never let them see you drink in public, which is the irony. And then she has a great quote that says, Domonicas has served over 100 million cocktails since it started, which is a true fact.

And so when I did the Delmonical way, yes, we have a cocktail. My grandfather had a speakeasy, right? So we had a cocktail section in the book. And then it expanded to like another daydream. And then it was like, oh, do I do cocktails now? And so the book that I'm working on is going to cover cocktails from the Gilded Age, so 1800s to the age of greed 1980s. And so it's cocktail.

really throughout the decades, but also what I love about the book is, yes, there's cocktails. I mean, who needs another cocktail book? But who needs a cocktail book, another cocktail book, what I love is the toast? So what is toasting mean? Yeah. Which I think is the new drinking.

When we're at a table, we forget to toast our friends. Yes. You know, chin chin. Why do we cling? Why do we clink glasses? Right? Because if there's poison in one, you're going to get it too. Yeah.

Right. And so we forget to like be in that moment. again, of honoring. So what is toasting mean? And I think that's really more important than what the recipes and the cocktails are. It's like the Emily Post etiquette to a bar book. Right? Remember your friends.

And I do it often. I love standing up at a table when there's a group of people and like what they think is embarrassing at the moment, but we all love to be, you know, publicly honored. Right? And so to stand up with a glass and tell your friends why you love them at the table. And I think that's really important, you know. And so it's going to be history, of course, and how cocktails were made and why they were made and then the history of toasting. I love that. I mean, you are like, I feel like you're

like a male version of me. I love to stand up as a team. What's your birthday? October. Okay. How about your, you? You're February. Yeah, I'm a Libra. Aquarius. Yeah, but everything like, you know, you wear your heart in your sleeve as a Libra. Yeah. So, but, but, yeah, that's exactly me. You know, it's honoring right in that moment. I wish I lived more in the moment. I think that's a big thing that society misses in general, but the key, and this is in business too, the key to being in the moment is that where we are right now is exactly where we're supposed to be. Yeah. And that could be through a trial. That could be through a tribulation. That could be through a celebration or a joy. That could be in traffic. If we're in traffic, be still in that moment. And remember that where you are right now is exactly where we're supposed to be.

And in that moment is where we find like that exhale. Yes. Or you can breathe. Right? Where you can just the intake is beautiful. But when you exhale and you can exhale, remembering that you're like at peace, it can turn any argument in the work field into like peace. That's so good. So we are the creators of our reality. I'm like exhaling as you're speaking and like, you're like making me feel like very at peace right now. So let me. So I know you have a huge handle in, you know, in the restaurants.

And sometimes there are way too many cooks in the kitchen. So how do you kind of like navigate through that? The navigation, and this isn't just cooks in the kitchen. This is. In life. Everyone. This is the kitchen. This is the office.

This is at home. All of us, no matter who, where's the camera? My camera's here. There you go. No matter who we are, we all want one thing. Do you hear me? Do you see me? And do I matter?

I love that. So when there's too many cooks in the kitchen, there's no such thing because together we rise, right? And we just want validation. So when there's that chaos, it's because someone's not being validated. They're doing their work and we're not noticing it. So how do we calm the storm? by validating them.

I see you. I see your hard work. Yes, it's hot in this kitchen. Yes, we're all busting our ass. But I want you to know, thank you. And so in that thankful moment is when everyone, you bring the peace. You bring that exhale. Yes.

And that relates to anybody. Yeah. You know, no matter if you're the CEO, no matter if you're the sous chef, the executive chef, the bus boy, the owner, do you hear me? Do you see me? Do I matter? People just want to know that they matter. And they're not just another person.

And their work matters. Yes. And what they're doing. So for me, I have a question for you. Oh, sorry. So what's really important to me in my organization, I have tons and tons of agents, insurance agents. But I want to know everybody's name. That's really important to me.

So how important is it for you when you walk into the restaurant knowing everybody's name from, you know, the bus boy to the runner to, I mean, how important is that? Not only is important, but it also is that validation. I know you. Yeah. I know you. There's a movie that just came out called Straw. It's a Tyler Perry from. I just saw.

I downloaded it. No, I downloaded it. It's my plane. It's on for the point back. I'm not going to give it up for those who haven't seen it. Get like, bring yourself some Kleenex. But there's a moment Sherri Shepherd's character who says to Taraji P. Hanson, I know you.

And in that moment when you're saying someone's name, I know you. Right. And here's where I like to take it one step further. Because that's also the demonic way. It's taking it what's some further is how's your family? I always ask them, how's your family? Can you explain why that's important? I talk, are you like a leadership trainer too?

Because this is crazy, like, how do you know all these things? I grew up in the streets of New York. It's hospitality. You have to know. You can't just know about them. You have to know about their spouse, their family. You have to. Their kids, everything.

Well, again, when you're asking someone, how's your family? You're acknowledging them for more than just an employee. I see you. Yeah. They're your family too. Look, I get to sit here and be on the show and be like, oh, you know, let's drink from these fancy mugs and have a wonderful, you know, environment and a great space. Meanwhile, they're the ones there right. now, prepping, getting things ready, you know, they're prepping my stage. So I want to honor them.

I want to respect them. I want to know genuinely about them. And it's selfless. And it's so easy to be selfless, right? When you just ask someone, how are you? How is your day? How's your family? You know, it's the simple things where we could like, life is really beautiful. La Bella Vita, right? La Vita Bella. However you want to say it, it's, it really is, but we just have to take those moments to acknowledge. Yeah, because we get so caught up in the hustle and bustle, but if you just take a moment and people, that's it. It doesn't cost money. It doesn't cost money to ask how you're doing to even give a hug or just let them know that you're there. And the hustle and bustle isn't real. Yeah. That's all the facade. That's an energy that's created because you're not acknowledging.

It's absolutely true. That's, of course, it's just, because how many times do you get, I'm busy all the time, constantly, but how hard is it to shoot a text or just turn around and say something endearing. It's not hard. It doesn't cost anything, does it? It's so easy. It's easy. It's profound. It's humanity. That's insane. My next question, you already answered it, though. I was going to ask you, but you already answered it. It's like your voice resonates above the kitchen. Like, it resonates with, like, when did you finally, well, I know you grew up like that, but when did you realize these small things? I mean so much. And you know what? It makes, I'm sure that's why the family legacy has gone as long as it's gone. I'm telling you it has to, because you take a piece of home with you,

every time you walk out of the house. And all these little things is what's helped you. I mean, not only develop another amazing restaurant, but to continue the legacy of your ancestors. So when did you realize, like, this is really your calling? It goes back to, I think, when I first said mama. Yeah. When my mother acknowledged me as a child, when I called out for her and she was there. That's when my voice was heard first. At first cry that we have of welcome to life. Yeah. And now what's the purpose? And what's the meaning?

And what do we have to do in order to make this whole thing called life work? And so I think when my voice was first heard, it was when I called out for my mother and my father. Yeah. And they answered. Then you realize you have to see. I'm here. I might not have known it as a child or as a baby for sure. I didn't know it.

I think there is a turning point. But I'm here. I think as a child, I think I always knew that my purpose was greater than who I am. And I had a purpose. And maybe it is because I lost my. My dad's so early on in life. And I never used it as a crutch. I wasn't allowed.

Never. No, I got, yeah, that was not even allowed in my house. Like, it happened. I'm sorry that it happened to you, but we're moving forward. Yeah. And then later on, I think it served as like a big, like you said, like it was a, I hate to say that was terrible. It was a gift. It's a gift.

It's a gift. Yeah. You know, and it's like we're all there. We're all energy that's just processing itself. Yeah. And I want to die empty. I want to do everything that I came here to do. Yeah.

but fulfilled at the same time. Empty but fulfilled. If not fulfilled, I'll come back and do it again. There you go. I love it. I say if anyone's walking, if anyone's resurrecting, you know, but now I have competition. We have to resurrect together. This is a resurrection together.

We were somewhere in another life doing something together. This has to be. Because everything you're saying is I live by this. I 100% believe in all the things that the little things matter and just it doesn't matter your status. It doesn't matter. That doesn't matter. matters is your authenticity. The status goes back to that quote that I had from my nanny. The asses

you kick on the way up will be the ones you kiss on the way down. All of the glitz and glamour is cute. It's fun. It's part of the show. Life is a show. But at the end of the day, we all get undressed. We all get in bed. We all have our prayers. We all have our meditations. And if we don't, the thoughts, call them what you want. Thoughts, prayers, meditation, whatever. And to be able to at the end of the night, just like sleep well. Yeah. No. You know, I sleep really well because I know that what I do, I'm out there like I want to help people.

Yeah. I don't want to live a better life for myself, you know? And I think that when we, when I have that process and understanding of, I'm here to have a good time. Not here for a long time. And Big Angie's to say that all the time. She used to call me Max, I'm not here for a good. We've seen him pompino all the time at Houston.

I'm not here for a good time. I'm not here for a long time. But yeah, and we're just here to celebrate life. Yeah. You know, and it's like, yes, all these honors and awards and all this stuff, they're fun. They don't define me. They don't define the work. What they do is they acknowledge the work because the work I would have done regardless

of the award. Yeah. I just won this international book award and they sent me this beautiful, yeah. Lots of awards. Don't downplay. You probably have like a whole trophy thing going on. I do. I took a picture this morning.

I posted. I'm like, there's one of a little. clown holding a balloon and I think that's like a lit award for the book and I was like that's my favorite because it takes like a joke at all of this stuff and it's like I just want to be a little clown dressed up with a balloon at the end of the day and float away. I love that. I love that. So last question for you. Then I have a cool little game for you. Okay. So last question. Okay. You get to set the table right now. All right. And you can invite one special guest. It could be past or present, but you only get one guest, who would it be?

One guest, the creator. The creator. Of all that is, because then everything will be there. Ooh, that is very profound. Wow. It's easy to say my grandfather. Yeah. Or your dad, yeah.

But to say the creator, the creator brings with them, everyone with them. You're absolutely right. And then you don't miss out on anybody. Anybody. And then they're all there because they say it's all. Shit, I just gave myself to. Jeez. That was a good answer.

That was off the cuff, too, huh? Because I didn't read you these questions. No. That was insane. That was so crazy. And I was going to first say my grandfather, and I'm like, but there's something so much bigger than all of us. Yeah.

So the creator. Yeah. Then you get to see it all. Yeah. Well, I have one when you can have it all. The abundance. The cornucopia of all. I love it.

All right. So I have a game for you. Are you ready to play? Yeah. All right. So we have two flags. A green, you know, you know, following and unfollowing. So I'm going to ask you question.

And you're going to, if you want to follow, like a boss, because this is boss, I'd like to follow. I got you. So if you want to follow, whatever it is I'm saying, you're going to hold up the green flag. Unfollow red flags. Okay. Okay. And they are, Janese, going to give you the flags. All right.

All right. You ready for the ones. If there's more red flags than green flags, it's not because I don't like you. It's just because I put up a boundary and I create space in my life. All right. So question number one. Go. A diner requesting A1 steak sauce.

Are you following them? Are you unfollowing? them. I'll follow them. Okay. Because that's authentic to them. Yeah. I love that. So no judgment. So it doesn't matter, right? Who cares? Okay. It's a diner. It's fun. Someone who's never heard of the Delmonical way. Are you following them? Following them when you learn teach. Mm. My Angelo. Who are, like, who are you? All right. People that don't believe in setting the table, they just like using paper plates. Following or unfollowing them. again when you learn teach.

I mean, I like paper plates too. Sometimes it's easy. Look, you know what? If we don't follow them, how will they know? Yeah. You know, I wrote a book to teach people about how to do things that they want to go away. And you can do both. Like, I like to set my table.

And it would be boring. Like, I would unfollow them if they already knew. Yeah. Or if like they had, or if they had settings all the time. Do you want to be in someone's house and have table settings all the time? It's just so extravagant. My table set all the time.

It really is. But some, I wouldn't do it. I don't do it. But I appreciate those. It is always that, but I do like good stuff. But listen, sometimes I don't want to do it. I don't want to do the dishes. So I take out the paper.

Oh, and I have kids. I don't want to do it. No, I love going to get sushi at a little supermarket and throwing that plastic plate away. Life makes life easy. All right. Someone who calls mozzarella, mozzarella or mozzarella. Are you following that? Yeah.

I draw a line. You got it, right? I mean, yes, I can go with the when you learn to teach thing, but there are way too many things online to already teach you about it. to say Mozilla. You're so funny. You sound like my Greek friend, Yanni. He hates when I say gyro. He's like, that's not a thing, Mara. It's not Mara. It's Yidos. I'm like, all right, all right, all right, Yanni. But I get it. I love that. Just keep it real. You have to be authentic. And we've got to draw the line somewhere. Max, I fell in love with you today. I really do you are such an inspiration. I mean, you're not just a name. You're like a whole

being. You're a whole, you're like a whole, you're like the whole shabang over here. You are everything that you have in life. You truly, I've met so many people. on a daily basis. And some people, you know, they, I think we're all deserving, but you truly, really deserve everything that you have. And this is just the beginning. I feel like you're just scratching the surface. This is just, this is going to go way farther. I think you're going to open up a restaurant in Florida. I mean, I'm going to manifest it. Look, you know, again, I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds in. You. And I think you can do anything. I think you really are unstoppable. I'm the story. Like, my success happened late in life. Yeah. You know, like I created a

book in my 40s. I opened restaurants in my 40s. Before, yeah, I had a successful podcast, but that wasn't like really looking at as like a career. But my success really came in my 40s. And I'm loving it. I love that. And I think I love it even more in my 40s. Because it's the new 20s. But also because I'm ready. I wasn't, you know, it's not time is not a real, for me, time is an illusion, right? What it really is, it's anticipation. And, it's alignment. And we have to be ready for the gifts and the jobs and the careers and the lover and the friend when we get them. Yes. So if we're not ready to do the work and we're not ready to receive what it is for us, we're not ready. Yeah, it's not aligned. So the book was ready when it was

ready. Where we are and I was respect, exactly what we're supposed to be. I agree. I say this all the time. We're in this very moment at this very place, in these very chairs and this very studio. It's not a coincidence. You were ready. I was ready. I showed up. And show up. And show up. show up always show up every morning we wake up show up yeah absolutely i love it i think you ended it great just show up that's it show up and you will receive you just have to be open to receiving that's right you're amazing thank you i love it love it love you and me you i think everybody knows where to find you i like i feel so corny asking you but if anybody that doesn't know where to find you where would they find you six four three broadway and 56 peter street or at

Max Tucci on Instagram. What is it on Instagram? Tell me your Instagram. At Max Tucci. There you go. There we have it. Like Gucci, but with a Tucci. Tucci.

And no, I'm not related to Stanley Tucci for the record. Clarification. All right. But I'll take him as an uncle. There you. Oh my God. That was great. That was amazing.

Thank you. You were amazing.