CLICK HERE: Michael Symon Full Biography
Michael Symon hardly needs an introduction. The chef has been cooking in Cleveland since the early ‘90’s, getting lots of attention and praise for what he puts on the plate. With wife Liz, their partner Doug Petkovic, and an incredible team of accomplished cooks and managers, he now helms a culinary kingdom that includes Lolita in Tremont; the downtown Cleveland hotspot Lola on East 4th Street; Roast, which opened in Detroit in 2008; Bar Symon in Avon Lake which launched in June 2009, and a soon to open burger joint at the Eton Collection in Woodmere called The B Spot. Mini versions of the last two are also debuting at Quicken Loans Arena.
Symon is a well known figure for anyone with a pulse living in this town not only for his culinary skills but also because he’s a diehard civic booster, a generous supporter of countless local causes and organizations, and an easy-to-like guy who’s known for pushing his colleagues and employees into the spotlight. He’s become familiar to a public that goes far beyond northeast Ohio thanks to his appearances on television’s Iron Chef America and his competition win at then end of the 2007 season; a role as host of the Food Network’s popular show Dinner: Impossible last year; and his Best Chef in the Great Lakes Region award from the prestigious James Beard Foundation in May, 2009.
Owning and running multiple restaurants and the 80 hour plus work weeks that come with the job, wasn’t enough to keep him occupied. So the hometown star decided to write a cookbook with longtime friend and author Michael Ruhlman. Michael Symon’s Live to Cook: Recipes and Techniques to Rock Your Kitchen is scheduled for a November 2009 release just in time to get a signed copy at the Fabulous Food Show.
With so much going on in so many places, Symon was hard to track down and it took weeks for him to find time for an interview. But being busy and famous hasn’t gone to his head. Talk to him for five minutes and it’s clear that Michael Symon is still the same friendly, down to earth, straight talking guy he’s always been
Fabulous Food Show: How does it feel to have been named Best Chef in the region by the James Beard Foundation?
Michael Symon: It’s super flattering. Humbling really. I’ve achieved things as a chef that I never dreamed of. Doing it all from my hometown of Cleveland makes it even more rewarding.
FFS: Has your celebrity status changed your life?
MS: Not really. I still spend most of time coming up with new dishes and, cooking in the restaurants. This is what I’m good and what I like to do so I’m never going to give that up. But I’ve got great guys working for me so I don’t have to be on the line every night and the restaurants run very well whether I’m there or not. The best thing about all the attention and notoriety is that it’s kept them busy, even in the down economy and I’m grateful for that.
FFS: Do strangers come up and ask for your autograph now? How does that feel?
MS: Ever since Iron Chef, which has millions of viewers, people do recognize me and want autographs. It’s a little weird. Most of the time, I don’t mind. But if I’m out with family or friends it bothers me. And last year when Liz and I were giving out Halloween candy, adults were cutting off the kids coming to the door and asking me to sign something. That was bad.
FFS: Now you can add author to your resume. Did you like writing the cookbook?
MS: It was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done. The whole thing took over two years. There are thousands of cookbooks out there, so I thought how hard can it be put some recipes together from the restaurant and get them in a form that home cooks can use. I had no idea. Now I have whole new understanding of what it means to be a writer. I also learned so much about myself. The process prompted a lot of reflection on how I think about food.
FFS: Tell us a little bit about what’s in the book.
MS: I’m thrilled with the results. I think it’s a very useable cookbook but it’s filled with stories about my life, my family, and how I got from A to B. The recipes come every stage of my development as a chef, from my childhood and the things my grandmother made to what I’m doing now.
FFS: What’s next for you?
MS: I have no idea. I’m not the type to have a six month plan, a two year plan. I live day to day. Right now I’m super happy and excited about our new places. Whatever comes next will be whatever feels right. A day off would be nice.