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.