For viewers of Food Network, Katie Lee Biegel is best known for co-hosting “The Kitchen,” and sharing recipes and cooking techniques in such series as “Beach Bites with Katie Lee Biegel.”
However, her latest project isn’t a new cooking show, but an emotional documentary tied to the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.
‘Top of the World’
In addition to being a popular Food Network personality, Biegel and husband Ryan Biegel also run their own production company, Montalto Pictures.
As Deadline reported, Montalto is among the producers on a new CNN documentary, “Top of the World.”
“‘Top of the World’ tells the story of Windows on the World, the legendary restaurant atop the World Trade Center that became both a symbol of New York City’s resurgence in the 1970s and one of the most celebrated restaurants in America,” reads CNN’s description of the documentary.
“Its story came to a devastating end on September 11, 2001, when the terrorist attacks claimed the lives of all 79 Windows employees working that morning, along with 91 guests,” adds CNN.
‘Intimate Firsthand Accounts’
CNN“Through intimate firsthand accounts from the former staff who made Windows on the World extraordinary, ‘Top of the World’ recreates the magical world that existed 107 stories above Manhattan, where fine dining, hospitality and the American dream converged,” CNN’s description continues.
“Anchored by interviews with acclaimed chef Michael Lomonaco, longtime Cellar Master Kevin Zraly, hostess Nathalie Tolentino, and prep cook Sekou Siby, the film reveals how a restaurant became a gateway to opportunity for generations of immigrants and an enduring symbol of New York City itself. Food writer Ruth Reichl and former WNBC anchor Carol Jenkins bring perspective on Windows and on New York City during the restaurant’s 25-year history,” the description adds.
Actor and comedian Denis Leary provides the voice of Joe Baum, the legendary New York restaurateur who served as the visionary behind Windows on the World. “Drawing from Baum’s own words preserved in decades of archival recordings, Leary gives voice to the restaurateur whose ambition and imagination helped shape the restaurant into a defining New York institution,” notes CNN.
‘Incredibly Proud’ of the Film
In a statement to Variety, the Food Network host explained how she and her husband came to be involved in the project via their production company.
“Ryan and I read Tom Roston’s ‘The Most Spectacular Restaurant in the World’ when it was released in 2019, and from that moment on, we were determined to bring this remarkable story to the screen,” she said.
“Windows on the World represented so much of New York City’s spirit, and the history of Windows, in many ways, mirrored that of the city itself,” Biegel added. “The stories featured in this documentary are emotional and inspiring … We are incredibly proud to be partnering with CNN on this project.”
The film’s directors, Betsy West and Julie Cohen, also sharing their thoughts on “Top of the World” and the legacy of the lost restaurant it honors.
“Windows had so many elements of what makes New York beautiful: the glamour and spectacle of the high end food and fine wine world, and a talented staff of immigrants from around the globe who brought their diverse experiences to the job every day,” the co-directors shared. “We’re so excited to tell this rich, multi-faceted story.”
“Top of the World” debuts Monday, September 7 on CNN.
