From Manhattan to Manila: The Story of Wolfgang's Steakhouse

New York is arguably the greatest city in the world and one of the biggest reasons is undoubtedly the city’s endless list of must-try eats. The smart money would bet that, on top of that list, you’ll find steak to be one of everyone’s favorites. There’s nothing more irresistible than a delicious platter of beef cooked the New York way. 

For many diners, nobody does it better than world-famous legendary steakhouse Wolfgang’s, which has been delighting steak lovers all over the globe for almost two decades. Wolfgang’s Steakhouse continues to expand its network of branches, but where exactly did its story begin? I sat down with Wolfgang’s Steakhouse president and co-founder Peter Zwiener at the opening of their latest restaurant at City of Dreams Manila last week to find out.

The latest branch of Wolfgang's Steakhouse is at City of Dreams Manila

Photo by Wolfgang's Steakhouse.

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“My father used to work at a famous steakhouse in Brooklyn, Peter Luger, and he worked there even prior to the time I was born,” Zwiener shared about his dad from whom the restaurant takes its name. “He came from Germany and he came from a restaurant background. When he came to the States, he came to start a new life in New York and he started working as a waiter in that restaurant.”

While gaining experience at what would later become one of the city’s most illustrious steakhouses, Wolfgang Zwiener met his wife and they had two kids, Peter being the younger child. One can only wonder if he was named after his dad’s former employer. The senior Zwiener would work at Peter Luger for 40 years. 

Wolfgang's Steakhouse president and co-founder Peter Zwiener

Photo by Wolfgang's Steakhouse.

“As I grew up, I would always eat at that restaurant,” he said. “I loved the restaurant. I loved steak. I always told my dad we’d open up our own restaurant one day. I got into the field of banking so I was doing that for many, many years so it never seemed like the right time to do it and as we got older, that dream of opening a restaurant was always put to the back burner.” 

After a successful 16 years in the banking industry, Zwiener finally decided to retire, take the leap, and start on his dream venture with his father. “My dad at that time said you’re a banker, you know nothing about the restaurant business so we decided to bring in some other partners at that time. He worked with these two other guys that wanted to open their own restaurant. Lydia (D’Amato) and I were friends for many years, she was also from the banking world, and she said, ‘Hey, I want to join you, too.’ Then we found Chef Amiro (Cruz), who happens to be here today, and we formed Wolfgang’s Steakhouse. The first one, what you call the first baby, where it all started from was on 4 Park Avenue and was built in 2004. Feb. 26, 2004 was the birthdate of Wolfgang Steakhouse. It was an instant hit.”

We’ve all heard the hype but what exactly sets Wolfgang’s apart from every other good steakhouse in NYC?

Wolfgang's Steakhouse famous porterhouse steak

Photo by Wolfgang's Steakhouse.

“A lot of fancy steakhouses will try to do all different things and put all different sauces, cooking it in all weird ways but we’re very simple,” Zwiener shared. “It’s all about finding the best beef. We don’t freeze it, we just chill and send it over immediately so when it arrives, we put it in our own aging room, keep it for an average of 28 days, sometimes it goes a little bit longer, and then we cut the beef to certain specifications and then all we do is put a little salt on and throw it in the broiler.”

Of course, only dry-aged USDA Prime Black Angus beef makes the cut to deliver the best melt-in-your-mouth steak served with a sizzle. It was my first time at a Wolfgang’s and I had the best person give us some insider info on what’s good on the menu. “Well, you have to order the porterhouse. That’s our signature but if you like it a bit more fatty, the ribeye is fabulous too and if you don’t want it as fatty, the filet mignon. It’s really about the meat still,” Zwiener recommended.

“We do have great salads, great appetizers, great side dishes, but it’s really the steak,” he added. “That’s why people come here. Everything else is add-ons. In addition to that, everything complements. Our wine cellar is fabulous, our cocktails are fabulous. Great wine, great steak, great side dishes, great appetizers, and great desserts.”

The opening of Wolfgnag's latest branch in Manila was led by (L - R) Chef Amiro Cruz (Wolfgang’s Steakhouse Corporate Executive Chef), Leina Bolinas and Raymund Magdaluyo (Wolfgang’s Steakhouse Philippines Managing Partners), Peter Zwiener (Wolfgang’s Steakhouse President and Co-Founder), Elena Zwiener, Wolfgang Zwiener (Wolfgang’s Steakhouse Founder), Lydia D’Amato (Wolfgang’s Steakhouse VP of Operations and Managing Partner), and Queeny Filart (City of Dreams Manila VP of Casino Marketing)

Photo by Wolfgang's Steakhouse.

As you may also have heard, dining at Wolfgang’s definitely isn’t cheap, but you do get what you pay for. “It’s all about high-quality ingredients and high-quality products. That’s where we don’t compromise,” Zwiener said. “It’s finding the best product and then making a fair profit so that’s why most people will come to our restaurant and be extremely pleased. It’s all about the best that money can buy.

“From day one that we opened the doors, people from all over the world just started coming to our restaurant along with the opportunities of people saying I want to open up this restaurant in other parts of the world,” Zwiener said about their rapidly expanding enterprise which has found its way beyond the U.S. in Asian countries like Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and China as well as Cyprus in Europe. The newly opened City of Dreams Manila location is the fourth in the country following its predecessors in Newport, BGC, and Podium. It is currently the 32nd Wolfgang’s location in the world. Two other restaurants are set to open in the Philippines soon: Gateway 2 Mall at Araneta City and Boracay Newcoast.

Located on the upper ground floor of City of Dreams, Wolfgang's newest restaurant is the first location in the country to have a grill concept with new offerings on the menu exclusive to the restaurant. “You can never become stagnant; you have to remain relevant. We’re always listening and looking at what’s going on, but we also don’t want to change the soul of our restaurant and just follow trends either,” Zwiener said. “If you come to eat at a Wolfgang’s, our main menu is always going to be the same and then we may have some additional items through a special menu or depending on the location that we’re at. We also try to grow in the design of the restaurant, doesn’t stay just the same, we can see that the trends of the design elements do change over time now that we’re close to almost 20 years old.”

The elegant interiors of Wolfgang's Steakhouse in City of Dreams

Photo by Wolfgang's Steakhouse.

Wolfgang’s first restaurant on Park Avenue in New York where it all started still brings in a crowd. “We just renewed the lease again about a year ago for another many years. It’s still packed every night,” said Zwiener.

From Manhattan to Manila, dining at a Wolfgang’s Steakhouse makes for unforgettable memories. “We truly appreciate that we’re so well received here in the Philippines. We love coming here. It’s a beautiful country. We’ll keep providing the best steaks possible as long as you want to keep eating them. We’ll be here to do that.”