For more than 40 years, Glenn Vogt has been obsessed with superior food and wine. He has put that obsession to good use as a peerless restaurant and hospitality professional, bringing his passion and knowledge to some of New York’s most successful and legendary dining ventures.
Even the early years of Glenn’s career are noteworthy. With chef and owner Peter Kelly he opened Xaviar’s Restaurant in Piermont, NY. Nationally acclaimed as one of America’s great dining destinations, Xaviar’s earned critical praise from every quarter, including four stars from the New York Times and the highest-ever Zagat Survey rating of 29/30.
After a lengthy food and wine excursion to Europe and an extended stay in the wine region of Burgundy left Glenn profoundly inspired, he gained a new appreciation for all things wine: the culture, the winemakers, the vineyard landscape and of course the beverage. To nurture his insatiable quest for wine knowledge, he took a position at Manhattan’s Burgundy wine-mecca and New York Times three-star restaurant, Montrachet, where he worked closely with Wine Director Daniel Johnnes and restaurateur Drew Nieporent.
Glenn’s next position was with the venerable Crabtree’s Kittle House. Among many local and national accolades, under his watch as General Manager and Wine Director, the restaurant earned three stars from the New York Times and the coveted Grand Award from Wine Spectator magazine, the top honor given to restaurants that show an uncompromising, passionate devotion to their wine program, superior wine service and exceptional cuisine. There are only 75 Grand Award winners worldwide.
Following his years at the Kittle House, Glenn took on numerous other award-winning restaurant “projects”—including many new ventures, in which he played an integral part of the team responsible for concept, design, and management. He has worn the hats of General Manager or Executive Director of Operations at several notable Manhattan restaurants, including Butterfield 81, Patroon, Allen & Delancey, and the Windows on the World restaurant operation at One World Trade Center.
In the aftermath of September 11th, which claimed the lives of 79 Windows on the World employees, Glenn, who was the General Manager of Windows on the World at the time of the attack, helped conceive Windows of Hope, a charity to assist the families of victims of the 9/11 attacks who worked in the food service and hospitality industries. During the years of its existence, Windows of Hope received and distributed over 30 million dollars of financial assistance to the 110 eligible families.
Giving his passion for wine yet another outlet, Glenn spent four years as the Managing Partner of a start-up fine wine importing and distribution company focusing on wines made by small-production, artisanal wineries practicing organic, sustainable, or biodynamic farming methods. The company sold wine in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
In 2008 Glenn returned to Crabtree’s Kittle House to work once again with the Crabtree family as a Partner and Wine Director. In 2013, Glenn and Partner John Crabtree opened RiverMarket Bar and Kitchen, on the banks of the Hudson River in Tarrytown, New York. RiverMarket’s focus is on local products from the Hudson Valley raised and grown naturally, sustainably and humanely. The restaurant features a large bar, private dining room, and seasonal outdoor dining. RiverMarket is also home to a farmer’s fresh market and a wine and spirits shop focusing on natural, sustainable, and biodynamic wine.
Glenn is on the Board of Directors of Teatown Lake Reservation, a not-for-profit wildlife and land preservation dedicated to environmental education, with a special focus on children, to inspire lifelong environmental stewardship.
Glenn is a lead member of the Chef’s for Clearwater advisory committee, an annual Hudson Valley culinary and music celebration in support of the Sloop Clearwater. The Sloop Clearwater was built by legendary folk singer and social activist Pete Seeger to bring environmental awareness to the need to protect the health of the Hudson River and our watershed. The Sloop’s educational programs have reached over a half million people and played a key role in the passage of The Clean Water Act.
