He’s Got Chocolate Covered

Max Brenner’s restaurants, which are spread through the United States, Israel, Australia, Singapore, and the Philippines, serve pieces of theater along with pieces of chocolate. They’re designed to convey a feeling, an atmosphere heavy with the myths that surround chocolate. “Look, Mom, Willy Wonka is alive!” reads a poster on the wall, and it feels true.

His playful dishes include chocolate syringes and chemical beakers of sauce. For Israeli-born Brenner, his restaurants’ whimsical ambiance is a way for him to connect his literary side (originally, he intended to be a novelist) to his livelihood. He’s also written a cookbook, called Chocolate: A Love Story. “Max” Brenner was actually born Oded Brenner; he and a business partner originally melded their names when they founded the first Max Brenner restaurant, and when they ended the partnership, he picked up Max as a nickname. We joined Brenner at his flagship location in New York, just off Union Square, for a chat.