Jerry Kleiner and his bud, Michael. Photo credit: Chicago Scene

Chicago restaurant impresario Jerry Kleiner (Marche, Red Light, Opera, Carnivale) makes PT Barnum look like a cheap sideshow hack. Every spot he opens nowadays is a multi-million dollar extravaganza outfitted with his personal design aesthetic, one which I like to characterize as Moulin Rouge on acid. Kleiner’s newest project is Room 21, a glammed up American style bistro. In our podcast we talk about how his future goal is to bring the Kleiner flare to the common man (Kleiner diner anyone), the secrets to being an urban pioneer, and his ultimate dinner party guest list.

If you have Adobe Flash installed, you can play the file right on this site, below, by pressing the play button. If not, download the file and play it on your PC or on an MP3 player here: Jerry Kleiner Interview