It may be an unusual choice for a woman to be quite so loyal to a steakhouse, but there is something irresistible about an atmosphere that makes you feel instantly at home. For nearly a decade, that place for me has been Smith & Wollensky.

And then came the small-world moment that somehow made the whole experience even more personal. One of the Irish bartenders happened to have grown up right next door to my boss in Ireland — more than 30 years ago. Of all the places in the world, what are the chances? It was the kind of coincidence that makes you smile and wonder whether some places are simply meant to become part of your story.

Smith & Wollensky is a fascinating case study in how genuine loyalty is created. I’ve spent years watching how they treat their regulars — remembering faces, knowing preferences, creating that feeling that you’re not simply another customer walking through the door, but someone they’re genuinely pleased to see. There is a warmth and familiarity to it that is increasingly rare, and honestly, there is nowhere quite like it.

At the heart of this institution is Operating Partner, Roger Morlock. He tell us what makes Smith & Wollensky such an enduring destination — and why, after all these years, I keep coming back.

Smith & Wollensky has been serving guests for decades. What do you think has remained unchanged since the beginning, despite the restaurant industry constantly evolving?

Continuity has always been one of our greatest strengths. Restaurants are constantly reinventing themselves — menus change, teams change, dining rooms change — but Smith & Wollensky has been remarkably consistent in the experience we provide.

We’ve been incredibly fortunate to retain so many members of our team for decades. Of our roughly 170 employees, 50 have been here for more than 25 years, 25 have been here for at least 30 years, and five have been with us for more than 40 years. If you compared our 1977 menu to the menu today, about 85% of the items would still be the same.

That kind of continuity is rare anywhere in the restaurant industry, but especially in New York City. We’ve evolved where it makes sense, while protecting the things that have made Smith & Wollensky special from the beginning.

Many famous steakhouses have disappeared or reinvented themselves. Why do you think Smith & Wollensky has remained relevant across generations?

At our core, very little has changed since day one. We believe in serving an excellent meal, creating an even better experience, and making sure guests feel they received real value for what they spent.

Our steaks are USDA Prime, dry-aged and butchered in-house. Our team is engaging, funny and genuinely committed to showing people a great time. The goal is simple: we want every guest to leave with a bigger smile than when they arrived — and probably enough leftovers for another meal.

Generosity and legacy are two of our most important principles. We celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, promotions and all kinds of life milestones with our guests. We believe that when the value of an experience exceeds its price, you leave a lasting impression. People have a great time here, and then they bring the next generation with them. In that sense, the tradition keeps getting passed along.

What separates genuine hospitality from simply providing good service?

Good service is executing the fundamentals well. Genuine hospitality is making someone feel known.

We acknowledge first-time diners and remember returning guests. We want people to feel that they aren’t simply eating at a restaurant, but dining at a legacy institution.

Sometimes that means honoring a longtime guest with a brass plaque on the wall. Sometimes it’s recreating the same corner table for a couple who celebrated their engagement here decades earlier, or having an entire dining room join in to sing happy birthday. It’s about recognizing that what may be another dinner service for us can be a meaningful moment in someone else’s life — and treating it accordingly.

As Managing Partner, what is the culture you try to create for your team every day?

The culture starts with focusing on the fundamentals and building from there. When my team and I are prepared, organized and focused going into each shift, we create the space to spend meaningful time with our guests.

We never want to rest on our reputation. Instead, we constantly remind ourselves of the core responsibilities and standards that earned that reputation in the first place. Continuing the Smith & Wollensky legacy means showing up every day and earning it again.

What makes New York special to you and what are your favourite spots in the city?

There’s a magical quality to New York that is difficult to find anywhere else in the world. A few cities may come close, but there’s something uniquely special about the convergence of finance, culture, art, food, entertainment and people from every imaginable background all in one place.

At almost any hour of the day or night, you can find something extraordinary to do — and no matter how long you’ve lived here, there’s always somewhere new to discover.

Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, through Central Park or along the Hudson River never gets old. Win or lose, a Yankees game in the Bronx or a Mets game in Queens is always a great New York experience. And I still love wandering the cobblestone streets of Lower Manhattan and discovering small restaurants in the East and West Villages. The city constantly gives you reasons to fall in love with it again.

What’s your favourite table in the restaurant, and why?

Table 36. It’s slightly tucked away, but you still have a great view of the energy and buzz at the center of the dining room, along with a glimpse of the Chef’s Table. It gives you the best of both worlds — a little privacy while still feeling very much a part of the action.

There’s also a photograph on the pillar beside it of my great-grandfather’s butcher shop from the late 1920s, which gives the table a particularly personal significance for me.

What makes Smith & Wollensky addictive to regulars?

There have been a lot of theories about this over the years. Some people say Smith & Wollensky is the real-life version of Cheers — a place where everybody knows your name. Others call it a country club without the golf course: a community where people come together, celebrate life and feel special without any sense of pretension.

Some guests love the familiarity of returning to the same place, while also knowing that no two nights here are ever exactly alike. Others describe it as a place where time stands still — you stop in for one drink, look at your watch, and somehow four hours have passed.

I think the answer is that Smith & Wollensky means something slightly different to everyone. But the common thread is a sense of community and dependability. Great food, great laughs, great camaraderie and, most importantly, a place that never lets you down.