As owners and managers, the Lahey family has shaped their own style of dining in
this growing downtown Toledo locale and has what they call a “New York-inspired”
menu.
Zach is the second oldest of seven children, having graduated from St. Francis de Sales
and Ohio Northern University where he pursued musical theater. He did quite well
through high school and college becoming an accomplished singer, dancer and actor.
He has appeared in an array of productions and held lead roles in West Side Story, JC
Superstar, Hello Dolly, Guys & Dolls, and Forever Plaid to name a few. So, in 2000 he
moved to New York to pursue his acting career. As most folks who have also followed
this path know, that dream turned into one waiter’s position after another! While on
this track he met Mike, a native New Yorker. The guys decided to work together to
make ends meet. However, in the aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy, they ran into rough
times. They packed their possessions and hobbled back home to Toledo with every
intention of earning enough cash to return to New York within six months.
Call it Divine Providence or call it fate, things have a way of taking their own course.
While working here the guys were introduced to the idea of opening their own
restaurant, especially since Mike had chef training. Enter Zach’s dad, Marty. His first
reaction was to advise the guys that this was a bad idea and they should stay focused
on their original game plan of returning to NY. But soon, even he began to see the
inherent charm and potential of the venue here at 1516 Adams.
The trio began working slowly in the spring of 2002. Things really got cooking that
summer with the dust flying on the inside and the paint flowing on the outside! Enter
Zach’s mom, Barbara whom they snookered into painting the NY skyline mural (which
mushroomed into a sundry of other odd jobs and continues to this day!). After a brutal
autumn Manhattan’s opened its doors in December. Having never gotten used to living
without subways, Mike eventually moved back east. Zach has found his footlights as
General Manager while also performing on local stages. Marty has discovered that
owning a restaurant is not exactly a gentlemanly pastime, but is thrilled to achieve his
lifelong dream of running a family business.