In addition to ranking among New York City’s top dining destinations, Meyer’s restaurants — among them Gramercy Tavern, Union Square Café, Maialino, and The Modern (and until recently Eleven Madison Park) — are also distinguished for their superior hospitality, a guiding principle in his business philosophy as the founder and CEO of Union Square, er, Hospitality Group. Meyer even penned a non-restaurant-specific manual called Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business. Meyer continues to open new places, including Untitled (at the Whitney Museum of American Art) last year and now the North End Grill, overseen by chef Floyd Cardoz, who cooked at his now-closed Indian fusion place, Tabla. Then, of course, there's the Shake Shack effect. Not only has the immensely popular burger mini-empire continued expanding, it has served as a model for other chefs to serve quality food in a low-end context. And now the restaurateur is linking up with Related, a real estate giant that will take his brands worldwide into stadiums, parks, and other properties.

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