Writing & Published Work

01238 Magazine
March/April 2008

Taste
Hill's Country

By Christina Alex

Hill Harper, a star of the television drama CSI: NY, is used to being front and center on TV screens, but lately he’s gone behind the scenes as an investor in restaurants and hotels in Los Angeles and New Orleans. “The hospitality industry isn’t so much different than what I do as an actor—attempting to give people an experience that improves the quality of their lives,” Harper explains.

His frenetic schedule was actually what piqued his interest in the hospitality business. In addition to his steady gig on CSI, he’ll appear in the forthcoming film Mama I Wanna Sing, playing a talent manager. He’s also the author of Letters to a Young Brother and its forthcoming follow-up, Letters to a Young Sister. And he founded the MANifest Your Destiny foundation, which offers mentoring and scholarships to underserved young men. “I’m on the road so much,” says Harper, “it makes a huge difference to me if I walk into a hotel that makes me feel better, makes me feel at home."

Harper’s newest venture, with chef Alberto Lazzarino (late of L.A.’s Piccolo and Cheebo), is Melograno, a high-end Italian eatery on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame that showcases Lazzarino’s Piemontese roots. Harper’s restaurant mantra: "Everybody should feel special; everybody should feel like a regular." By Christina Alex

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