The immigrant's American dream: how to open a steak house in New York and feed Donald Trump himself

He has large masculine hands, with which he manages to make exquisite desserts, and a stern gaze, in which every now and then a note of thoughtfulness slips through. Nikola Vulaj is an emigrant from Montenegro who managed to conquer New York and grab the notorious American dream by the tail. He started his own restaurant business from scratch and cooks such delicious steaks that guests come to him from all over the state. Among the fans of his indescribably juicy steak are actor Bill Murray, writer James Patterson, singer Vanessa Williams and even the President of the United States Donald Trump himself.

Nikola Vulaj. Photo: flamessteakhouse.com

Without meat, food is not food

“My mother’s principle is that if there is no meat on the table, then there is no food,” laughs Nikola Vulaj, talking about her childhood in her native Montenegro. “Like most Europeans, I grew up eating meat and potatoes – these are our traditional products.” This, he believes, is where his passion for steak came from. For 40 years now he has been creating culinary masterpieces in the kitchen. Nikola came to the United States from Montenegro in 1972 as a teenager and quickly worked his way up from a butcher to a chef in the best restaurants in America alongside chefs from Italy and France.

Having learned from the masters, Nikola himself became a chef, and then, together with his partners, opened a restaurant in Manhattan. Culinary critics greeted the new establishment with a bang, and the business quickly became profitable. After this experience, Nicola Woolaj decided to open his own steakhouse in Westchester. This was in 1992, and the chef himself remembers this place with warmth - at one time he put his soul into it. “This steakhouse has become very successful. Many magazines and newspapers wrote about him, all the reviews were positive. I think my main difference from my competitors has always been that I didn’t see my restaurant just as an opportunity to make money, for me it was always a place where I can make my customers happy,” says Nicola.

Dinner for the president

Nikola has made the current US President happy more than once. Donald Trump regularly stopped by his restaurant in Westchester for steak, both with his family and alone.

“He was delighted with our steaks. I am very proud of this, and not because he is now president, but simply because I know that we have truly excellent quality, at the highest level. When he was my guest, we spoke with him more than once, I could not imagine then that he would become president, but this is America - anything can happen here,” shares Nikola.

He talks about the president's preferences: they say that Trump loved Porterhouse steak (a large piece of meat from the lumbar region - author's note), shrimp cocktail, potatoes and vegetables most of all. “He always drank mineral water. Never drank alcoholic beverages. He always praised my steak and said it was the best steak he had ever tasted in the whole country. We talked about business, sometimes politics, the golf courses he was building nearby, family and family values, which were very important to him,” recalls Nicola.

flamessteakhouse.com

In addition to Trump, writer James Patterson, singer Vanessa Williams, actor Bill Murray, George Pataki, who was governor of New York at that time, and New York politician Janine Pirro also frequently visited his restaurant.

However, due to illness, Nicholas had to retire from time to time and close his brainchild. However, at the first opportunity he returned to his beloved work. Recently in the town of Elmsford, not far from New York, he opened his new restaurant Flames steak house.

“I wanted people to come to the restaurant as if they were coming to my home. We always greet guests with a wide smile, ask how their day was, talk to them - this is very important,” assures Nikola.

flamessteakhouse.com

Restaurant critics have already noted that the success of the new restaurant is that Nicola has returned to the restaurant business with new forces and now all of them are investing in the new steak house. The chef himself says: I wanted to create such a steakhouse in which everyone can feel at home, and at the same time try a steak that you can never cook at home.

Photo: flamessteakhouse.com

The secret of the magic steak

And the steak at Nikola’s restaurant is truly special. The whole secret is in the quality of the meat. Only the highest grade, only prime meat. Surprisingly, in the USA, where you can buy literally everything, there are problems with this - only 2% of all meat qualifies as prime. “We only buy this kind of meat - that's why our steaks are different from the steaks in most restaurants. Well, plus we have our own technology - we take the best beef and “age” it in one piece in special refrigerators for about 5-6 weeks,” says Nikola.

According to him, dry aged technology is expensive for a restaurant, but it is what makes it possible to give meat a unique taste. During this “dry aging” process, excess moisture evaporates from the beef, and natural processes break down the connective tissue of the muscles, making the marbled meat much more tender. Moreover, only the best varieties of beef can withstand such a procedure - since one of the most important conditions for this is high “marbling” of the meat.

Photo: flamessteakhouse.com

“A lot of people who come here can’t understand why the steaks are so juicy. They are juicy because this is premium meat - it has a little fat, and it gives juice, people often make steaks from meat with no fat at all - then they turn out dry, says the restaurant owner. “Many other steakhouses age their meat for 21 days, but our method is better. We age it longer - it’s more expensive for the restaurant, but better for customers.”

Not a single meat

Extreme demands on the quality of products is the traditional approach at Nikola’s restaurant. Everything is only the freshest and highest quality - they know how to maintain a brand here. “Seafood is delivered to us by plane from New England, fish from the Mediterranean basin. We actually have the best seafood possible, we spend a lot of money on it, but it’s something I don’t have to worry about at all because I’m confident in the quality,” shares Nicola.

Photo: flamessteakhouse.com

Photo: flamessteakhouse.com

He sees this as the key to the success of his business. Whatever the demanding client chooses - steak, fish, seafood, burger, pasta, chops, veal medallions or vegetarian dishes - the restaurant will prepare everything to the highest standard.

Photo: flamessteakhouse.com

Photo: flamessteakhouse.com

“We care very much about the opinions of our customers and are attentive to the smallest details. We have two main principles: we purchase only the highest quality products and we employ top-class chefs who make culinary masterpieces from these products. We like to offer customers something different from what they see in other restaurants. It makes me proud and happy,” Nicola smiles.

Photo: flamessteakhouse.com

Tips for new immigrants

Nikola is ready to share his secret of success in the USA. “There are many reasons why I was able to succeed in the restaurant business. I had determination and was willing to work hard. I became convinced that you should always buy only the best quality products,” he says.

According to the owner of the steakhouse, immigrants are no more difficult to succeed than people born in the United States. The only obstacle is the language barrier, but it is completely surmountable. For the rest, according to Nikola, the Europeans are even more eager for success than the Americans.

“My advice to an immigrant starting out here in the US is that they should not be afraid to work because it pays off in the long run. Do the best you can and always try to make it the best you can. Don't be afraid to try new things. You have to be very open to do this. Anything you invest in your education and training will pay off - especially in this country. You have more opportunities to achieve your goals, just believe in yourself!”

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