James O'Brien

James O’Brien is the co-founder/owner and general manager of Popina, the Brooklyn restaurant on Columbia Street Waterfront that he opened with chef Chris McDade after both worked at Maialino. He oversees the wine program and helped build the restaurant’s wine-focused neighborhood identity. In 2024, reporting indicated O’Brien was taking the lead at Popina after a split in ownership/operations with McDade, while Popina continued under his direction.