The Twilight of Celebrity Chefs

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

Interesting article, though I admit I didn't read many of the comments made on Reddit.
I also found it interesting that a number of these "Celebrity Chefs" did not have any thing to say...

DH and I have only been to ONE of these types of eating establishments:
our very first time in Las Vegas. My husband surprised me; took me to the Mandalay Bay Hotel and we stayed in a beautiful suite!
Downstairs was Wolfgang Puck's Lupo, Italian food, I thought great, DH would like this... it was horrible!
We did not finish our food, just asked for it to be boxed up, walked out into the casino area and DUMPED IT!!!
This was back in 2008 and we swore that we'd never go to another Celebrity Chef restaurant again.
Not too difficult, since we live with cowboys now.
There are herds of these swanky-chef owned-restaurants in Hawaii, but we still like our local Mom&Pop joints.

Oh yeah, and I cook (and shop for it, prep everything, clean it up...)so that helps.

 

[caseydog]

Interesting article, though I admit I didn't read many of the comments made on Reddit.
I also found it interesting that a number of these "Celebrity Chefs" did not have any thing to say...

DH and I have only been to ONE of these types of eating establishments:
our very first time in Las Vegas. My husband surprised me; took me to the Mandalay Bay Hotel and we stayed in a beautiful suite!
Downstairs was Wolfgang Puck's Lupo, Italian food, I thought great, DH would like this... it was horrible!
We did not finish our food, just asked for it to be boxed up, walked out into the casino area and DUMPED IT!!!
This was back in 2008 and we swore that we'd never go to another Celebrity Chef restaurant again.
Not too difficult, since we live with cowboys now.
There are herds of these swanky-chef owned-restaurants in Hawaii, but we still like our local Mom&Pop joints.

Oh yeah, and I cook (and shop for it, prep everything, clean it up...)so that helps.

I have never been to a Wolfgang Puck restaurant. He is clearly passionate about food, but that is no guarantee that his restaurants will be good, especially in Vegas. That city is all about taking money out of tourist's pockets.

Close to me there is a restaurant started by Kent Rathbun, who beat Bobby Flay on an episode of Iron Chef America. I took my parents there for dinner, and it was outstanding. I also went to a MINI event catered by Kent Rathbun, and I expected crappy appetizers, but was blown away by the food. Everything was good. They had this fish-and-chips in a paper cone that was perfect. It was food served at a car dealership, and it was all done amazingly well.

Kent Rathbun at home with his family...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iPuXn8mwAI

CD

 

[Andy M.]

Maybe 10-12 years ago we went to Emeril's restaurant at Universal City in Florida. It was very good. Adults and children alike enjoyed their meals. Granted, one person was grossed out by a bigger piece of oyster mushroom in her dish...

A couple of years ago, there was a Bobby's (Flay) Burger Palace in a nearby mall so we ate there a couple of times when it was convenient to our travels. It was a no frills burger joint and the burgers were perfectly cooked and tasty. Fries were very good. So now it's gone.

 

[Rascal]

I enjoyed the Brad clips, I'll watch more in future, sauerkraut was a great vid, I'll have a go sometime. Easier than I thought. One of the flashest places I've had breakfast at was raffles in Singapore. Flash as. Great brekky.

Russ

 

[caseydog]

I enjoyed the Brad clips, I'll watch more in future, sauerkraut was a great vid, I'll have a go sometime. Easier than I thought. One of the flashest places I've had breakfast at was raffles in Singapore. Flash as. Great brekky.

Russ

The thing that Brad Leone does that I think is great, is that he shows that cooking doesn't have to be some serious, anxiety inducing thing. It can be fun, once you know the basics.

I think a lot of people don't cook because they are intimidated by cooking. I cook as a way to relieve stress. If I had a FoodTV show of my own, my mission would be to make cooking fun. I would want to show people how to buy good ingredients, and enjoy cooking good food.

CD

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

The thing that Brad Leone does that I think is great, is that he shows that cooking doesn't have to be some serious, anxiety inducing thing. It can be fun, once you know the basics.

I think a lot of people don't cook because they are intimidated by cooking. I cook as a way to relieve stress. If I had a FoodTV show of my own, my mission would be to make cooking fun. I would want to show people how to buy good ingredients, and enjoy cooking good food.

CD

Casey, now there's an interesting thread topic!!
Could you get the ball rolling?
I'd love to chime in on that

 

[Rascal]

The thing that Brad Leone does that I think is great, is that he shows that cooking doesn't have to be some serious, anxiety inducing thing. It can be fun, once you know the basics.

I think a lot of people don't cook because they are intimidated by cooking. I cook as a way to relieve stress. If I had a FoodTV show of my own, my mission would be to make cooking fun. I would want to show people how to buy good ingredients, and enjoy cooking good food.

CD

Ive bookmarked him for later thanks cd. I enjoyed him. I too cook to relax and destress. I'm very lucky my daughter is a very good cook, we cook together at times. If I had a food show, it would be entertaining. I tell a good story. Random things happen to me.

Russ

 

[caseydog]

Casey, now there's an interesting thread topic!!
Could you get the ball rolling?
I'd love to chime in on that

Do we really need a new thread on this topic?

We have a great opportunity on this forum to share the fun and satisfaction of cooking with people who are just dipping their feet in the water.

I get deep satisfaction out of showing friends and family who thought they couldn't cook how to cook something, and how easy it is.

I would love to see a lot more "I can't cook" people join the forum.

CD

 

[caseydog]

Ive bookmarked him for later thanks cd. I enjoyed him. I too cook to relax and destress. I'm very lucky my daughter is a very good cook, we cook together at times. If I had a food show, it would be entertaining. I tell a good story. Random things happen to me.

Russ

That sounds wonderful! Cooking with your kids can be an amazing bonding experience.

CD

 

[Rocklobster]

Do we really need a new thread on this topic?

We have a great opportunity on this forum to share the fun and satisfaction of cooking with people who are just dipping their feet in the water.

I get deep satisfaction out of showing friends and family who thought they couldn't cook how to cook something, and how easy it is.

I would love to see a lot more "I can't cook" people join the forum.

CD

I thought a good show would be how to cook decent meals with one old pan, one pot and maybe a cheap roasting pan..which is what a lot of people own..it can be intimidating for beginners watching these cooks use top quality cook ware sponsored by the big companies. Makes them feel they can't achieve good results unless they have expensive gear. Let's get somebody in there with only a cookie sheet, a half melted spatula and a roll of dollar store tin foil..oh, and don't forget the scratched up non-stick frying pan with a wobbly handle..


I've cooked many a meal with stuff like that

 

[caseydog]

I thought a good show would be how to cook decent meals with one old pan, one pot and maybe a cheap roasting pan..which is what a lot of people own..it can be intimidating for beginners watching these cooks use top quality cook ware sponsored by the big companies. Makes them feel they can't achieve good results unless they have expensive gear. Let's get somebody in there with only a cookie sheet, a half melted spatula and a roll of dollar store tin foil..oh, and don't forget the scratched up non-stick frying pan with a wobbly handle.

I'm not sure I would go that far with it, but I like the concept.

Some of my friends and I cooked some pretty good meals back in college with crappy cookware and cheap ingredients from the local Piggly Wiggly (AKA, the Pig).

Then, we drank beer and jammed in the garage of the rent house... well, until 10PM, when we were well informed by the Denton Police Department that we had to stop.

CD

 

[Just Cooking]

Close to me there is a restaurant started by Kent Rathbun, who beat Bobby Flay on an episode of Iron Chef America. I took my parents there for dinner, and it was outstanding. I also went to a MINI event catered by Kent Rathbun, and I expected crappy appetizers, but was blown away by the food. Everything was good. They had this fish-and-chips in a paper cone that was perfect. It was food served at a car dealership, and it was all done amazingly well.

Kent Rathbun at home with his family...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iPuXn8mwAI

CD

Thank you for this... Interesting guy.. Even pros enjoy simplicity..


Ross