Jonathan Eismann: The Man Who Would be Food King!

Posted by Jose Lambiet , October 14, 2012 Print

The charges pending against Jonathan Eismann in the hit-and-run killing of a passerby Wednesday in Miami could provide a stunning exclamation point on the fall-from-grace for a man who once ruled Miami Beach’s restaurant business.

Jonathan Eismann (Special to Gossip Extra)

Eismann is accused of crashing into a pedestrian about 9 a.m. while allegedly driving away from the scene of another crash he was involved with minutes earlier.

In the late 1980s and 1990s, however, Eismann could do no wrong – especially when it came to whipping up good foods in a place where there wasn’t much of it.

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“He became very important with places like Pacific Time,” said Larry Carrino, a restaurant publicist for more than 20 years. “You can call it iconic!”

Said longtime SoBe magazine publisher Jerry Powers: “Jonathan was among those who introduced a more sophisticated cuisine here. For a short time, he was the main man.”

But if Eismann was a great chef, Powers added, he wasn’t the showman that the beach was looking for, and that began his downward slide.

“He’s not a warm-and-fuzzy guy, and that prevented him from going to the next level,” Powers said. “He was a pioneer but he quickly got outsmarted by places like Nobu.”

Besieged by creditors, according to records, Eismann became a realtor earlier this year.

And, until Wednesday, his financial situation started looking up, too.

County records show he was able to stave off foreclosure on his home a month ago.

Miami cops are continuing their investigation in the hit-and-run.

Featured In Depth Miami death, Florida, Food, Gossip Extra, hit-and-run, Jerry Powers, Jonathan Eisman, Jose Lambiet, killed, Larry Carrino, Miami, Pacific Time, pedestrian, restaurant business

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Ron Worsham, 8 months ago Reply

My condolences to the Ruiz family. I’m not saying I believe in Karma, but I do believe in getting paid. When your boss closes in the middle of the night owing you 627.00 in past due tips, and there is no contact, you gotta wonder. This on top of the rumors surrounding his closing of Pacific Time, and the fall out from that… Ron Worsham
voice of reason, 8 months ago Reply

it is a terrible loss of life, and a terrible tragedy for all involved. however, this gossip-mongering serves no good purpose. anyone who knows mr. eismann knows him to be a person who would NEVER flee a scene of an accident, and who will be suffering with the knowledge that his accident had fatal consequences for the rest of his days.
- vilmitavd8, 8 months ago Reply
  
  Voiceofreason, you should definitely change your name, because what you are saying makes no sense at all. You friend Mr Eismann, didn’t care to flee the scene of an accident and leave the person he hit to handle all the damages to themselves, he’s a great person alright! Im sorry but the facts are there, he did what he did to my friend because he fled that scene and got to drive two blocks before he hit and killed my friend, that’s when he had nowhere else to go! You seriously need to keep those ridiculous comments to your self, you are defending a person who did something terribly wrong! Im sure he didn’t mean to kill my friend but the truth of the matter is HE DID! Only because he didn’t want to take responsibility for something as minor as side swiping a car. But don’t worry, you can keep talking all you want, defending your coward friend, because in the end justice will be served. As for him suffering because he killed someone, well imagine what the family of Mr.Ruiz is going through, knowing all of this happened because another individual chose to be irresponsible.
  - Jose Lambiet, 8 months ago Reply
    
    Don’t forget guys, in this great country of ours, someone’s guilty when so deemed by a jur. Eismann hasn’t even been charged yet!
    - vilmitavd8, 8 months ago Reply
      
      Mr Jose Lambiet, you are completely right.
      
      Honestly, i find it really disturbing that a case like this still has charges pending. I really hope that our awesome system doesn’t fail, like it has multiple times in the past.
- Mgonzalez28, 7 months ago Reply
  
  Voice of Reason huh??
  
  I would never want to wish upon you the pain that Jean’s family is dealing with at this moment, nor the difficulty his wife is going through due to your scum bag friends decision to do a hit a run. Seeing Jean in that casket seemed surreal and just unnessary. This was a good human being who would spread love and joy to all his friends around him. His prized possession, his one year old daughter will never ever get to meet her father who adored her so much. This is just not fair. Why hasn’t this killer been arrested???
wow, 8 months ago Reply

@Voice of reason, my friend left a 1 year old orphaned. His wife of 4 years, widowed and all his friends devastated, not to mention his mom, sister, brothers, cousins, aunts, and a slew of other people. I don’t care what he was like in the past, I don’t care what type of relationship you have had. The facts are, he left the scene of an accident, lost control of his car and hit and killed my friend. @Jose Lambiet, he has not been found guilty by a jury, but that does not make him free of responsibility. I hope that he gets what he deserves, it will still be better than what my friend got. I’m sorry for both his daughters, but he just sold his home for three million dollars and they probably will be ok. At last they can still see their dad, what about Jean’s daughter? She will never know her father, thanks to your friend. Please keep your ignorant comments to yourselves and don’t tell us your sad excuses for that poor excuse for a human being. Thank you
Byron
Matos Butros, 8 months ago Reply

*My thoughts and prayers go out to the Ruiz family*
I have known Jonathan for over a decade and i am truly sad to say i am not suprised by this. He has be going through life with mental illness that has never been treated. He is a pothead and a prescribed klonopin user. Those substances and illness combined with FAILURE and debt has lead him on a scary downward spiral that has been made public over the years. And if anyone knows a little bit about Jonathan, he likes fast cars and drives fast all over Miami. Voted most likely to succeed by his peers in ’84.
K, 7 months ago Reply

No matter what kind of person Eismann was in the PAST, TODAY he is a coward who fled the scene of one accident to go on and kill an innocent life who was on his way to work to provide for his wife and daughter. Our friend has been left a widow and his beautiful baby girl left without her daddy! We have had our best friend taken from us.

Justice will be served one way or another.

Matos Butros: Thank you for all the information!