Three Big-Name Chefs With Big Plans
Robert Irvine’s stupidity is turning out to be Michael Symon’s gain. Symon, the Cleveland chef who beat out the competition to become the newest member of “Iron Chef America” on the Food Network, will take over Irvine’s hosting duties on the network’s “Dinner: Impossible” series, according to the Associated Press.
Let’s just say, it’s never a good idea to fib on your resume. And it’s really, really not a good idea to make up such doozeys as being knighted, being a former White House chef, and being best buds with Prince Charles. Uh, yeah, right…
Irvine hosted “Dinner: Impossible” for four seasons before his wild exaggerations came to light. Symon, chef of Lola and Lolita restaurants in Cleveland, began taping episodes last week. Those will begin airing this summer.
Chef Michael Mina, will open a new concept this summer next to his eponymous high-end restaurant in the Westin St. Francis hotel in San Francisco’s Union Square. Clock Bar, in the hotel’s lobby, will be his first cocktail lounge. It’ll feature creative, handcrafted cocktails and food pairings of small plates to share.
Back in the day, “Meet me at the clock” was a familiar phrase for San Franciscans who gathered at the hotel’s landmark grandfather clock. Mina is hoping to revive that timeless tradition.
British sensation Gordon Ramsay will open his first West Coast restaurant in June. Sorry, it won’t be in the Bay Area, but in Los Angeles. Nestled in the Hollywood Hills, Gordon Ramsay at the London West Hollywood will be a sister restaurant to Gordon Ramsay at the London in New York.
It will feature market specials, a three-course lunch menu, and a six-course tasting menu for dinner. Dishes will include California spiny lobster with white port sauce, Pacific yellowfin tuna with pickled daikon and crab beignets, and Artic char poached in dashi with pickled Japanese mushrooms.
When Ramsay debuted his New York restaurant, critics there found the food played a bit too safe. It’ll be interesting to see if he takes a more daring approach with Los Angeleans.
Despite his lying ways, Irvine made a great host for Dinner Impossible – his narrations were humorous and entertaining. And perhaps it was the editing, but we never saw him lose his temper or cuss anyone out like we see Gordon Ramsey doing all the time.
Speaking of Ramsey, one of the Brit newspapers reports that he acquired a fancy for in-n-out burgers:
http://tinyurl.com/4rg72o
“In-N-Out burgers were extraordinary. I was so bad, I sat in the restaurant, had my double cheeseburger then minutes later I drove back round and got the same thing again to take away.”
Welcome to California, Mr Ramsey!
In-N-Out definitely has many big-name fans. Thomas Keller of the French Laundry loves them. Keller also has quite a fondness for Krispy Kreme donuts.
Hello i am so delighted I found your blog, I really found you by mistake, while I was searching Yahoo for something else, Anyway I am here now and would just like to say thanks for a tremendous blog posting and a all round interesting blog (I also love the theme/design). I do not have time to read it all at the moment but I have bookmarked it and also added your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read more,
I do not normally comment on peoples websites however I had to say thankyou for such a great read.