pd:

 

Michael Symon one of Next Iron Chef' chefs who'll be breaking a sweat in the kitchen

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Brenda Junkin

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

On Sunday at 9 p.m., the Food Network cranks up the burners in its Kitchen Stadium for "The Next Iron Chef," a reality series that will award one person with the culinary title Iron Chef on Sunday, Nov. 11.

 

Eight chefs from around the country will compete to join the ranks of Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and Masaharu Morimoto. Michael Ruhlman, a Cleveland Heights resident who writes about food, is a judge. The winner will appear for their first culinary battle Sunday, Nov. 18, on "Iron Chef America." -- Brenda Junkin

 

More at cleveland.com

 

YES!  I love this show!!  Although i'm not a great cook.

he was on last night in a head to head w/ the iron chef himself.  never watched the show until last night.  Symon lost but i think he was robbed.  Who are those judges anyways.

yeah if its the one i am thinking of --- he lost once in the past to morimoto.

 

i hope he gets the iron chef nod. having ruhlman, our hometown ringer, in the judges seat will help in case its close. good luck to ms!

 

 

Did anyone catch this?

 

Cleveland's own joins ranks of Iron Chef tonight

Posted by Brenda Junkin October 07, 2007 18:38PM

Categories: Food news

Michael Symon

Tonight at 9 p.m., the Food Network cranks up the burners in its Kitchen Stadium for The Next Iron Chef, a reality series that will award one person with the culinary title Iron Chef on Sunday, Nov. 11. Among the new contestants is Michael Symon, executive chef and co-owner, with wife Liz Symon, of Lola, on Cleveland's E. 4th Street, and Lolita, in the city's Tremont neighborhood.

 

Eight chefs from around the country will compete to join the ranks of Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and Masaharu Morimoto. Michael Ruhlman, a Cleveland Heights resident who writes about food, is a judge. The winner will appear for their first culinary battle Sunday, Nov. 18, on "Iron Chef America."

Crap....I missed it!

I'm totally confused, unless they showed a different one after midnight; he was most definitely NOT on that one! if I missed it then I say crap too!

He was on from 9 to 10 and almost got the boot.  He was selected to move on in the contest though.  Yeah, rough Indians game last night, so I allowed my wife to channel surf.

PD Tipoff:

 

Chef Michael Symon, owner of Lola on East Fourth Street and Lolita in Tremont, barely made it through the first round of "The Next Iron Chef" on Sunday. But buzz is building that he could "reign supreme" - or at least make it pretty far - in the eight-week competition.

 

The Food Network, of course, wants the winner of the series - which was taped months ago - kept secret.

 

But a story in the Toronto Star about a local chef who competed on "Iron Chef America" - the show where the winner of "Next Iron Chef" will be a regular - contains an interesting clue:

 

"The heart-pounding kitchen battle . . . pitted [Guy] Rubino not only against prospective Iron Chef Michael Symon, but against time."

 

The "Iron Chef" episode airs next year. So it could mean Symon is an "Iron Chef." Then again, the story says "prospective." Perhaps an Iron Chef battle is part of the "Next Iron Chef" competition.

 

A Food Network spokeswoman politely acted as if her mouth were full when Tipoff called. She wouldn't talk. And neither can Symon. He signed a pact promising not to spill the beans or it will cost him a million bucks.

 

More at cleveland.com

 

pd:

 

Michael Symon still in the running on "The Next Iron Chef"

Monday, October 22, 2007

Debbi Snook

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

Will Cleveland chef Michael Symon cook his way to the top of the Food Network lineup or be pushed to the side of the TV dinner plate?

 

Status:

 

Not eliminated Sunday. Still a candidate for his own "Iron Chef America" series after three of seven episodes. Marou Ouattara of Washington, D.C., and Gavin Kaysen of San Diego are goners.

 

Best-sounding dish:

 

Symon's grilled quail and onion with blackberries, and polenta with crispy wild mushrooms, both cooked over the heat source of the episode, a barbecue. Judges voted his creations the best of show. "Outta the ballpark," said host Alton Brown.

 

 

More at foodnetwork.com. Check out Symon's participation in cleveland.com/forums/food.

 

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

 

[email protected] or 216-999-4357.

damn.  I keep missing this.

PD:

 

Michael Symon soars in latest test for next 'Iron Chef'

Monday, October 29, 2007

 

Will Cleveland chef Michael Symon cook his way to the top of the Food Network lineup or get pushed to the side of the TV dinner plate?

 

Status:

 

Not eliminated Sunday in Munich. Still a candidate to join the "Iron Chef America" series after four of seven episodes. Aaron Sanchez gone. Three remain, heading to Paris for next week's show. "I love when my back is against the wall," says Symon.

 

Best-sounding dish:

 

In a challenge to make first-class in-flight food, a roasted salmon over creamed leeks and chanterelle mushrooms. Symon seared it before it was chilled and airborne, finished roasting it in flight. The technique helped him win the episode challenge - again.

 

More at foodnetwork.com. Check out Symon's participation in cleveland.com/forums/food.

 

- Debbi Snook

Number of times he was bleeped:

 

Three. But Chris Cosantino had four. Sanchez had one.

 

Comeon, Symon!  Keep up!  Cleveland is counting on you.

I think he is going to pull it off.

This is F***ing excellent!!!

 

He is the only chef to have won more then one challenge (3).

 

There is a wiki set up for the show here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Next_Iron_Chef

 

And an excellent blog by local writer (and one of the judges) Michael Ruhlman. http://blog.ruhlman.com/

Here is his latest post.

 

November 03, 2007

Next Iron Chef in Paris

 

MONDAY UPDATE, ANSWERING COMMENTS:

 

This was indeed best challenge because we truly got to know the chefs--and they all cooked to their level.  Briefly, Besh's stew with the coxcomb was the best dish of the night--very deep complex soulful flavors, beautiful dish.  Coxcomb is more about texture than flavor and i was glad he got it in there.  I think over all even Symon would agree that if there had to be a choice of a winner, it would have gone to Besh.

 

That said, Symon's two forcemeat preps were impressive, delicious and smart choices.  Sausage was delicious, but too much bread so this very special creation was kind of a lost dog.

 

The guy to my left of Tour d'Argent was young and opinionated, that's all.  I loved hearing all comments from the French--especially the residence chef next to Andrew.  They enjoyed the food and were unfazed by donatella's decolleté (unlike Americans, the French have a healthy understanding of sexuality).

 

Most interesting was the response to Symon's float.  They winced and shook their heads, but then started smiling till the last slurp.  They'd never encountered a carbonated ice cream drink, it seemed.  That was cool.  And the dessert was delicious.

 

More at http://blog.ruhlman.com/

I thought you guys might like to know that Ruhlman is out promoting his new book, The Elements of Cooking (modeled after Strunk & White's Elements of Style, but about food/cooking).

 

Next Friday (11/16) he is conducting a cooking class at Viking store at Legacy, I think it's $70, and then on Saturday and Sunday he's doing book signings.  Saturday is at the borders in cle hts and sunday at the shaker hts library.

 

I went to his last book signing here and it was really sparsely attended, which was a little embarrassing since he gets much bigger crowds out of town and this is his hometown.  However, it afforded the few of us that came a great opportunity to talk with him for a couple of hours in a small group setting, which was awesome.  Just passing this info along in case any of you are interested.  I'll be at the Saturday signing.

 

 

Was at Lolita last night watching NIC (standing room only).  Symon and Ruhlman were at the restaurant smiling at their own on-camera antics.  The crowd was very lively, with cheering at the judges kind comments and booing at any critiques of Symon's food.  A very surreal restaurant experience - like a sporting event!  I love Cleveland.

pd:

 

'Iron Chef' shows world what Michael Symon is made of

Cooking mettle

Friday, November 09, 2007

Douglas Trattner

Special to The Plain Dealer

 

New York - Fit tingly, it all comes down to a one-on-one in Kitchen Stadium.

 

The Next Iron Chef will be chosen not for his ability to start a charcoal fire or pre pare an in-flight meal for high rollers. No, he will have to battle for the title the old-fashioned way: one secret ingredient, 60 minutes on the clock, and a panel of discriminating judges.

 

That's not to say there won't be a few twists along the way.

 

While the Indians were struggling to win a pennant, another Cleveland competitor was breezing straight for a different kind of World Series. Michael Symon, our hometown celebrity chef, is just one win away from securing a national championship. By 10 p.m. Sunday, Cleveland could very well be home to an Iron Chef, an exclusive group that currently numbers four.

 

Sunday's "Next Iron Chef" finale, which airs at 9 p.m. on the Food Network, caps a grueling six-week competition that pitted chef against chef in a series of unique culinary challenges. One by one, the starting roster of eight chefs has been whittled down to two finalists: Symon, of Lola and Lolita restaurants, and John Besh, owner of Restaurant August and Besh Steak in New Orleans.

 

More at cleveland.com

we'll know for sure by 10pm sunday but....well i mean i dont wanna jinx anything, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to read between the lines here and guess the final results...!  :wink:

I'm guessing his restaurants are booked solid for the evenings, eh?

Congrats to Michael Symon on being named the next Iron Chef!!!

 

(After the Buckeyes and Browns both lost, I was worried that Mike would make it a trifecta tonight - the judges comments seemed skewed in favor of the other guy, but his personality was pretty meh in comparison to Symon's style.)

Very very cool for him and Cleveland. well deserved. Lolita is probably my fave resturant. I would love him to bring some of the more daring food to his restaurants here although I hear most Clevelanders can't handle the weird stuff so we may not see/taste  what he is fully capable of creating. 

^Something tells me with the cache associated with winning Iron Chef, he'll be able to put the daring stuff on the menu. I do wonder how many people will make a special trip to Cleveland to try Lola or Lolita - foodies are a devoted bunch, after all.

Cleveland's Michael Symon wins Iron Chef

Posted by Michael Heaton November 11, 2007 21:31PM

Categories: Breaking News

 

Cleveland chef and restaurant owner Michael Symon won the Food Network's six-week "Next Iron Chef" competition Sunday night, defeating finalist John Besh from New Orleans, four votes to two.

 

Two hundred plus family, fans, friends and customers of Michael Symon went crazy Sunday night when the episode showing Symon winning the ultimate challenge Sunday night was aired.

 

Symon was typically low-key throughout the evening causing doubts for those gathered to celebrate at Lolita in Tremont, the original space of Symon's first restaurant.

 

Symon's wife Liz said "It had more impact this time than actually being there. I shed a tear this time, all our friends were here that was so much bigger. A win on Cleveland soil is so huge."

 

The secret ingredient in the final cook-off was swordfish, not a Symon specialty, and the show's twist was that three current Iron Chefs -- Masaharu Morimoto, Cat Cora and Bobby Flay -- were brought in as judges. The new judges saved Symon's victory as all three voted for him while only one of the other three judges, Cleveland author Michael Ruhlman, voted for Symon.

 

"I'm flattered that the Iron Chefs voted for me because they actually know how difficult it is to perform in these circumstances, where not all the other judges have that experience," said Symon. "They know food as well as anyone on the planet."

 

More at cleveland.com

YAY!

Go Symon -- it was nice to see a Clevelander win.  Lola and Lolita are my consistent favorites.

 

I was on my way down to Lolita tonight to watch the show and was told by a friend that it was so full that they were turning people away at the door.  I heard Lago, across the street, was also full with fans.

^Something tells me with the cache associated with winning Iron Chef, he'll be able to put the daring stuff on the menu. I do wonder how many people will make a special trip to Cleveland to try Lola or Lolita - foodies are a devoted bunch, after all.

from looking at his blog comments (on the Lola website and elsewhere) I think people will. some enterprising person should put together a weekend package with dinner at each restaurant. The original Lolita menu had some pretty innovative stuff on it. Maybe he can have special nights where he can pull out the offal, raw things etc,  and go all out.

It was so great to see this.  Yay, Michael!

^Something tells me with the cache associated with winning Iron Chef, he'll be able to put the daring stuff on the menu. I do wonder how many people will make a special trip to Cleveland to try Lola or Lolita - foodies are a devoted bunch, after all.

 

^ exactly -- i thought the same thing. he had complained a bit that he couldn't do some of the things he did at PAREA in ny on the cleveland menu, but i bet now he will and more.

 

also, the foodies are flocking -- check out a post i saw this morning in the cleveland.com food and wine forum:

 

15993. Rock Star - Symon

by esk2, 11/12/07 9:27 ET

 

We were at Lola Saturday night for dinner. It was more like a concert scene. We were sitting next to a couple from Kansas City. The only reason they came to Cleveland was to see Mike. He's a rock star now.

 

the final battle episode was very exciting to watch too (esp after watching the browns tire out and fall apart that afternoon).

yes the original menu of Lolita had all manner of octupus, raw things and innards. every bite was exquisite and is good as any resto in the US (possibly better in fact). Now it is more homey bistro food -which is extremely well done, but there was nothing in Cleve like the original Lolita. here's hoping....

^ peabody my 'dream' is he'll open a third smaller place to do that kind of more out there innovative stuff!

 

 

while I do not want to see him spread too thin, that would be awesome! Maybe an iron chef test kitchen.  I will be his guinea pig ...although that may be on the menu (resurrecting the Cuy thread). ...ok maybe not even I am quite ready. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Roast_Guinea_Pig.jpg

All right!  Glad to see a Clevelander win.

"It was hard at first, but then I thought about the million-dollar contract I signed to keep quiet," he said. "Then it wasn't so hard."

 

Wow, What a contract!  $1 million to just not say anything?!

 

---------------------------------------------------

 

EDIT:  ^^ I wish I hadn't said this... ^^

 

I whole-heartedly promise I will think before I post from now on.

^He would have had to pay $1,000,000 if he said anything.  He didn't get $1,000,000 for keeping his mouth shut.

Here's an article from CNN Money that features comments from Symon.  Looks like he was blogging about the show for Fortune Small Business.

 

Michael Symon: Iron Chef!

FSB's correspondent triumphs in Kitchen Stadium.

By Joanne Chen

November 12 2007: 6:01 PM EST

 

Michael Symon: Iron Chef!

And the next Iron Chef is ... Michael Symon! The mission for last night's grand finale of The Next Iron Chef: "Attain Greatness."

 

Finalists Symon and John Besh went head-to-head in an Iron Chef cook-off in Kitchen Stadium, a challenge that, as all fans know, requires speed, creativity, skill, and fearlessness.

 

The secret ingredient, swordfish, was not for the faint-hearted. The goal: to create five courses highlighting this ingredient. The two chefs hauled the heavy, glistening whole fish back to their work stations with both bare arms. At one point Symon even whipped out a saw to cut the flesh.

 

For the home audience, the competition could have gone either way. Both Symon and Besh churned out five dishes that looked and sounded fabulous. But only great taste can bring home the prize. With the reigning Iron Chefs - Bobby Flay, Cat Cora, and Masaharu Morimoto - paying a special visit to do the judging, our competitors were fiercely determined to outdo themselves. Their pride - as chefs and owners - was at stake ...

 

Of all the challenges, this was the most real - it was all about the cooking and at the end of the hour, one guy wins and the other goes home because of his food. But when they announced swordfish, I wasn't thrilled. It's not something I work with on a daily basis. We tend to work with meat, but hey, you gotta go with it.

 

We had no warning that we were going to cook for the Iron Chefs instead of the three judges we had the entire time: [restaurateur Donatella Arpala, food writer Michael Ruhlman, and Bon Appetit restaurant editor Andrew Knowlton] But when I heard that, I was ecstatic. Chefs love being judged by other chefs.

 

More at cnn.com

and hopefully new permanent residents as well!

The Convention and Visitors Bureau website is capitalizing on Michael Symon's victory with a section on promoting food destinations in the Cleveland area:

 

Culinary Experience+

 

http://www.positivelycleveland.com/food

 

Congratulations to Cleveland's Michael Symon, the new Iron Chef

on Food Network's popular show!

Watch the competitions online and learn more here.

 

Positively Yummy

 

Tour the West Side Market, take a seat at Table 45, sip on some of our Great Lakes brews, sample the Fabulous Food Show and explore our neighborhoods--just for starters.

 

Cleveland is for food lovers.  Don't believe us?  Check out this article by Linda Griffith or read Insider Tips on dining in Cleveland.

 

CHEFS

I guess you could say we are striking while the "Iron Chef" is hot. Cleveland's Chef Michael Symon is a contestant on the popular reality program. He's not the only chef in Cleveland with notoriety, though. Here are Symon and just a few others to check out:

 

MICHAEL SYMON, Lola 

Michael and his future wife, Liz Shanahan, created a 60-seat restaurant opened in 1997 that opened to glowing reviews. Symon was named a national "rising star" for 1997 by Restaurant Hospitality, "Best Restaurant and Chef in Northeast Ohio" by Northern Ohio Live and one of the "Ten Best New Chefs in America" by Food & Wine magazine in 1998. Since then, Symon has gone on to even better things and he was nominated for the 2007 Beard Foundation Award. In addition to Lolita, a new restaurant, Lola, opened on East Fourth Street in September 2006.

 

ROCCO WHALEN, Fahrenheit

Rocco Whalen has manned the stoves at some of the country's hottest restaurants and now he's cranking up the heat at Fahrenheit. Esquire's John Mariani put Rocco on his list of "Chefs to Keep Your Eye On," while Gourmet magazine upped the ante by listing Fahrenheit in its Guide to America's Best Restaurants (2002).In 2004, Restaurant Hospitality named Rocco a "Rising Star."

 

DANTE BOCCUZZI, Dante

Dante Boccuzzi has come home to Cleveland after 16 years of working in some of the best restaurants.  Most recently, he was Executive Chef at Charlie Palmer's flagship restaurant, Aureole, in New York City.  His impressive resume also includes restaurants in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, France, England, Taiwan, China and Italy. Dante received back-to-back nominations for the James Beard Rising Star Chef of the Year and was named one of New York's top 10 chefs.   

 

CHEF JOE ELLIOT, The Leopard

The Leopard Restaurant offers an award-winning menu that Chef de Cuisine Joe Elliott describes as "eclectic": a diverse selection of dishes, that combines the unique tastes and ingredients of America, France and Japan. Chef Elliott also brings a talent for "low-country" cooking. Recently the Leopard was awarded its fifth consecutive 4-Diamond award.

 

SERGIO ABRAMOF, Sarava 

A native of Brazil, Sergio moved to the US at the age of 10. His recipes have been published in Chefs of Cleveland, The Dinah Shore Cookbook, The Joy of Grilling, Dining in Cleveland and The Best of the Midwest. His two restaurants, Sergio's and Saravá, are family-run independents. His wife, Susan, is involved in all creative elements of the restaurants and their son, Julian, created the children's menus. Sergio is one of the founders and past president of Cleveland Independents, a group that promotes and supports local independent restaurants.

 

ZACH BRUELL, Table 45

Bruell's restaurant experience includes Z Contemporary Cuisine, 20th Street Café,  Michael's Santa Monica, California, Ken Stewart's and Parallax Restaurant and Lounge. His work has earned him praise in publications like The New York Times, USA Today, Food & Wine, Art Culinaire and Nation's Restaurant News. Most recently, Bruell reinvented The InterContinental Hotels' restaurant (formerly Classics) as Table 45.

 

PAUL MINNILLO, Baricelli Inn

Paul Minnillo represents the third generation in a family of restaurateurs. In 1985 he opened the family's crowning endeavor, The Baricelli Inn. Paul is active in area hunger centers and food pantries, and serves on the boards of several charitable culinary organizations around the country.

 

DOUGLAS KATZ, fire food & drink

www.firefoodanddrink.com/chef.htm

 

JONATHON BENNETT, Moxie

http://www.moxietherestaurant.com/

 

There are other sections on local restaurants rated highly by Zagat, casual restaurants, local food producers, markets, area food trivia, and more...

 

 

people on the cle food forum said the momocho and boulevard blue chefs should be added to that list. i've been to momocho and would agree.

Any recommendations about Momocho?  My cousins are in town from Iowa this week for Thanksgiving, and we're trying to decide where to dine - Momocho is on the short list, although I would like to hit La Tortilla Feliz one more time before they close.  This summer we went to Sarava and it was excellent - we must have tried ten different dishes with no disappointments.

Michael's first episode as an Iron Chef is actually on in about 15 minutes.  The episode will be repeated pretty much endlessly over the coming year, but in the near-term it's on again at midnight tonight, Wed at 9 pm & 12, Sat at 7 & 11 pm, and Sun at 2 am.  Apparently they already have 2 more episodes taped.

Any recommendations about Momocho?  My cousins are in town from Iowa this week for Thanksgiving, and we're trying to decide where to dine - Momocho is on the short list, although I would like to hit La Tortilla Feliz one more time before they close.  This summer we went to Sarava and it was excellent - we must have tried ten different dishes with no disappointments.

 

Momocho's good.  Chef used to be at Lopez in Cle Hts, but the food at Momocho is better.  Great Margaritas and Guacamoles.  Sit downstairs in the bar area if you can - it's much cooler. 

 

La Tortilla Feliz is closing?!?! That's really too bad, they had a different approach than any of the other Latin-American restaurants...

 

Sarava and it was excellent - we must have tried ten different dishes with no disappointments.

 

You hit it on the head with Sarava - been there many times, and there have been no disappointments, but no real standouts either (except maybe the Feijoada).  Pretty much always a "B". 

 

 

I posted info about La Tortilla Feliz closing in the Cleveland Restaurant thread...

 

TOPIC:  I tried Open Table for reservations at Lola for the Saturday before Christmas when I will have other foodie family members in town again, and it's already booked except for 10 pm or 5 pm  :-(  Anyone been there for lunch?  There are tables for lunch the day after Thanksgiving - maybe I'll try then.

Any recommendations about Momocho?  My cousins are in town from Iowa this week for Thanksgiving, and we're trying to decide where to dine - Momocho is on the short list, although I would like to hit La Tortilla Feliz one more time before they close.  This summer we went to Sarava and it was excellent - we must have tried ten different dishes with no disappointments.

 

Great place.  You should definitely go.  I've never been disappointed by anything on the menu.

Michael's first episode as an Iron Chef is actually on in about 15 minutes.  The episode will be repeated pretty much endlessly over the coming year, but in the near-term it's on again at midnight tonight, Wed at 9 pm & 12, Sat at 7 & 11 pm, and Sun at 2 am.  Apparently they already have 2 more episodes taped.

 

He won!  51 to 43. 

I posted info about La Tortilla Feliz closing in the Cleveland Restaurant thread...

 

TOPIC:  I tried Open Table for reservations at Lola for the Saturday before Christmas when I will have other foodie family members in town again, and it's already booked except for 10 pm or 5 pm  :-(  Anyone been there for lunch?  There are tables for lunch the day after Thanksgiving - maybe I'll try then.

 

I go for lunch a couple of times a month, it's very good.  The only thing I wouldn't recommend, unfortunately, is the burger, which I've gotten twice and it's never cooked to proper temp (once over, once under) and is always overly salty, as if it has a seasoning salt on it.  But the homemade bologna sandwich with fried egg is to die for good, as is the pork schnitzel.  If I got the schnitzel again, I would ask for a side of Lola fries because it says it comes with roasted fingerlings, but i think it was only one or maybe 2 of those small potatoes.

Michael's first episode as an Iron Chef is actually on in about 15 minutes.  The episode will be repeated pretty much endlessly over the coming year, but in the near-term it's on again at midnight tonight, Wed at 9 pm & 12, Sat at 7 & 11 pm, and Sun at 2 am.  Apparently they already have 2 more episodes taped.

 

He won!  51 to 43. 

 

He appeared more nervous on this episode then he did in the the NIC. But he did loosen up a bit toward the end.

^ I thought so too. Until the judging I was even wondering if he would win, esp since he has been so quiet on the food forum.  What's funny is he is hilariously sloppy (spilling grapa on the stuffing, dropping the duck egg about to be plated on the floor), but unflappable in the kitchen.

 

 

Don't know if it's been mentioned, but Michael Symon is going to be on The View on Friday.

 

http://abc.go.com/daytime/theview/schedule

 

 

Friday, Nov. 23

 

Musical guest Celine Dion; Michael Symon (The Next Iron Chef)

 

IRONWILLED WINNER

CLEVELAND CHEF SAVORS TASTE OF CELEBRITY AFTER INTENSE COMPETITION

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

By Robin Davis | The Columbus Dispatch

 

Michael Symon could well become a household name, thanks to the Food Network. In November, the Cleveland resident won the "Next Iron Chef " title on the Food Network show of the same name, joining the company of celebrity chefs Mario Batali and Bobby Flay.

 

The show — something of a cross between Top Chef and Dinner: Impossible — pitted well-pedigreed chefs such as Traci Des Jardins of San Francisco and John Besh of southern Louisiana against one another in grueling tasks, from cooking without a kitchen to creating the ultimate three-course, firstclass airline meal. The intense competition makes the title a noteworthy honor.

 

With Symon appearing on new episodes of Iron Chef America (9 p.m. Sundays on the Food Network), he has been reflecting on what the exposure means for him and his two Cleveland restaurants, Lola and Lolita.

 

The 39-year-old chef — with his quick, burly laugh and trademark soul patch grown into a scruffy beard — sat down with The Dispatch at Lola recently to share his thoughts.

 

More at http://www.dispatchkitchen.com/?story=dispatch/2008/01/16/20080116-E1-00.html

 

 

Michael Symon has just inked his first post-Iron Chef restaurant deal. The chef has committed to a consultancy deal with Starwood Hotels to open a restaurant in Detroit's Westin Book-Cadillac, a 1924 gem currently undergoing a $180 million renovation. The 120-seat restaurant is expected to open next fall. "It's an American brasserie themed around heritage meats," Symon explained. The highest quality beef, pork, lamb, bison, boar and other meats will be spit-roasted, wood-grilled, smoked, braised and cured.

 

More at http://www.freetimes.com/stories/15/39/bites