On 9/11 Inez Ribustello worked her dream job at Windows on the World at the top of the World Trade Center.  She lost 85 friends and colleagues. Inez talks to me about what it has meant to build a life after such tremendous loss. 

 

Eastern North Carolina native, Inez Ribustello, got her start in the world of food and wine after moving to New York City to pursue a career in cooking. She chose New York’s Institute of Culinary Education to jumpstart her new path, where she began to learn about wine. From there, she worked at Best Cellars, the groundbreaking, mid-priced wine store on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Her wine career took a huge leap forward when she became an Assistant Cellar Master at the renowned World Trade Center restaurant Windows on the World. In a very short time, she was promoted to Beverage Director, putting her in the position as wine buyer for the largest grossing restaurant in North America. 

 

The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 impacted her both personally and professionally.

Having lost friends, colleagues, and her job in the attacks, she had to face her future. She chose

to throw herself into her work and took the position of Beverage Director for Blue Fin Restaurant

in the W Hotel-Times Square. Her work received rave reviews from New York Magazine