Two of the country’s most talented chefs, John Besh and Michael Symon, compete in kitchen stadium, Sunday Night on the Food Network. FN so secretive about it, even I wasn’t able to procure an advance screening. Damn (thanks Lisa!). And I’m going to be at Book Passage in San Francisco, then en route to Seattle flogging the new book (and so far meeting excellent people, thank you St. Louis and Atlanta, and especially Viking kitchen staffs). Can I catch the finale in an airport?
Will it be the man in black?
Or the man in white?
I heard from several Besh supporters here in Atlanta (and no Symon supporters), and Besh getting a lot of national press (deserved). Judging from comments here, Symon has popular appeal. Both are great chefs and business owners, and most importantly here, superlative cooks. Who will it be? And where does Symon get his pants? And who does Besh’s hair? Can’t WAIT to hear comments on Monday!
Shelley Wrote: “(I forget one of the four, but it’s drunk and I’m late.)”
That is:
1. Hilarious
2. My worst nightmare (if taken out of context).
Roger that, Sara! “It’s drunk and I’m late,” is an all-around good excuse for making a mistake (not the reproductive kind, I hope).
I also like to say that 69.7% of all statistics are made up. (Attribute that to Steven Wright, I believe.)
Apparently Dorothy Hamilton thought enough of Cat Cora to interview her on Chef’s Story.
http://www.chefsstory.com/thechefs_catcora.html
Shelley,
I’ll admit that the empty fan club comment made me laugh…As for what I see in him, I think he’s hot. He seems knowledgeable, intelligent, mysterious, and not afraid to speak his opinion. It’s just refreshing to see a guy like him on TV as opposed to all the Ryan Seacrest type airheads.
I was thrilled Michael Symon won, and only cheered louder once yesterday: when Peyton “Whiny Baby” Not-a-Manning threw his SIXTH interception to a San Diego Charger.
I thought either Symon or Besh to be very qualified, from everything I’d seen, and cannot begin to fathom the hateful bashing people here engage in (behind the cloak of anonymity, feh).
Besh is going to continue to be an inspiration: he’s got spine and talent and a great deal of charisma.
Symon’s shows are going to be must-watches for me, because of his sense of humor.
And I’m with the folks who wish Symon and Besh would replace Cat Cora and Bobby Flay.
And now to quote Drew Carey: “CLEVELAND ROCKS!”
It’s true,NIC IS addictive. I’ll be having withdrawal symptoms tomorrow, but look forward to ICA returning Nov. 18th. To the viewer who finally found Meyer lemons, I know EXACTLY how you feel…….last weekend in my local supermarket (Stop & Shop) here in N.Y. I found Key Limes! I was stunned and absolutely over the moon! You’d swear I found gold. I quickly snatched up 6 bags of them and have been making Key Lime Pies since. What else? Never having made one in my life, I was thrilled to find them delicious. Mmmmmmmmmmm.
Why I like IC and its offspring: I learn stuff. Like in the Paris episode, when the chefs were shopping. I heard ingredients named that were unknown to me, but it went by so fast, I couldn’t tell what they were saying. Last night (watching Paris for FOURTH time!) I finally caught the name of one. Cosentino was looking for “burrata.” I looked it up….cheese made from mozzarella and cream. Ahh….for his cheesesteak. Cool.
Well, it’s official – I have completely lost my mind with all this ‘Next Iron Chef’ stuff. How do I know? I just had a dream that I was at some related event and flirting with Breck Boy Knowlton! Dear God! I’d like to blame it on the late consumption of beer and a bagel before bed, but I dunno. (Actually I have to say that Knowlton seems a bit ok to me now, at least on his blog -much less attitude.) Never the less, the superbowl Sunday analogy noted above fits well. I do hope the episode lives up to the hype (and despite the editing fetish of the Food Network, I’m sure it will.) Besh and Symon competing will be a joy to watch; I wish they both could win. My gut says that it will be Besh though.
I’m a little bummed that the show is ending tonight too, but at the same time excited to see new IC battles with the new IC. I’m happy for both Besh and Symon, and I’d be thrilled with whoever wins.
I’m ALSO hoping there will be a NIC2 someday(or next year)….seeing how FN has pimped out this show quite a bit and milked it for all it’s worth, I doubt that FN will let such a huge hit of a show be a one time deal….
Christie, I agree with you 100%. Go, Symon!
Thanks to the poster who posted the URL to Symon’s forthcoming blog. That is indeed GREAT news.
To the poster who said “…..don’t know what I’m gonna do after this show is over, it’s worse than crack.” LOL and very much agreed. For all its faults, FN did a pretty good job with NIC. We all have ideas of how it could have been even better, but on the whole, they captivated many of us with NIC.
So. It’s Superbowl Sunday, and the NIC marathon this afternoon is the pre-game show. I’ll be there for every minute. FN is even running the time clock to air-time. OMG, I’m so damned nervous I’m about to jump out of my skin.
Laying awake last night, I inventoried all the signs that point to a Besh win and the signs that point to a Symon win. In the end, the “evidence” is ambiguous, but one little fact makes me dread that a Besh win is the offing (no offense intended Besh. But the truth is I’m firmly in the Symon camp on ths one).
I can’t stand this tension I’m feeling. I’m gonna go cook. And, either way, I’ll be sad tomorrow when this fun, fun show is over.
Ideally:
Symon and Besh will become Iron Chefs.
Flay and Cora would be removed.
Morimoto and Battali would stay.
Now THAT is a happy ending…
I love them both. Besh is hot though. I’d tune in even if all he did was bite into an apple!
Both are fabulous and will make great Iron Chefs… can’t they both win it???
Oh yeah — I had the honor of seeing Anthony Bourdain a few days ago at a book signing in DC. He’s the coolest.
Who are the judges for this episode? The dude to the right of Donatella doesn’t have enough hair to be Knowlton. Are we bringing in Moe Rocca as a surprise judge?!
So I met my friend for dinner tonight at Sea Salt in Berkeley, one of Haig and Cindy Kirkorian’s several fine establishments in the East Bay, and spent a couple glasses of wine catching up and venting over the Cosco Busan (I believe that is Korean for “my *other* left!”) oil spill clusterf*ck. Afterward I figured I’d stop by the Barnes and Nobel in Emeryville to have another go at finding Ruhlman’s new book.
I scoured the shelves over and over again (how the bloody hell does Robert Irvine have a book out?!) and once again came up empty. I went downstairs to the cash wrap to ask the girl with two Monroe piercings (why did none of her friends stop her?) if they had the book. She screwed up her face at the screen for a bit, then told me yes, there was one copy. Somewhere. In cooking probably. I jutted my jaw and clenched my fists. “Then, it *will* be mine!” I sputtered, and stomped back up the escalator.
After laboriously dissecting the shelves I finally spotted it. Here’s the thing: the book isn’t red like the photo. It’s orange. Oh: with a SILVER spine. So you can’t just scan the shelves and spot it. I vote the book jacket designer be sent to a Tufte information design seminar.
Anyway, just thought I’d post it for the folks who still plan to browse for it in a brick and mortar.
Cheers. Oh yeah: go Symon. I don’t know what I’m gonna do after this show is done, it’s worse than crack.
I’m hoping for Andrew Knowlton to take it in a surprise victory. He’s the best part of that show!
Chef Symon is starting a blog. Leave him your comments here: http://www.symonsays.typepad.com/
I hope the Dinner Impossible guy wins by write-in. That way we can see him and Guy Fellati “rassle” on the floor in a very manly way more often than we already do.
Kay, oh please no. I don’t want to see any more of Guy Fieri (heh, Fellati) than I already do. Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives would be a decent show if it didn’t have a guy pushing 40 acting half his age hosting it. Seriously, when a teenager says, “off the (restraining device)” it’s a teenager being a teenager. When a middle-aged guy says it (in all seriousness), it’s just sad.
But back to real contestants. I’m personally rooting for Michael Symon. I think that they both have intense passion and cook great food, but I like Michael’s bio better. Local sourcing, organic farming and sustainability all need more attention. Not only is it better for the earth, it’s also better for the taste buds. I jumped on the bandwagon after my first ever trip to California this summer. Eating California produce in Florida is an exercise in desperation. In California, it’s sublime. Now, when I go to the local organic food store and see loads of organic vegetables from all over the world but none from the local area, I want to cry. Even local community supported agriculture is having a hard time not because of the lack of subscribers, but because of the lack of farmers.
I absolutely love Symon, and I adore his restaurant Lola. If he wins, we’ll probably never see him in Cleveland again…but oh well. He is definitely Iron Chef material in my book.
I’m thinking it’s gonna be Symon.
Both he and Besh have remarkable cooking skills, personality and elan but Symon “pops”. Now it’s all gonna depend on the judges, how these guys cooked on “the night” and (I suppose ultimately) what the Food Network wants. Michael Symon has that unique combination of skill and persona that translates into his food and presentation.
I’ll put money on it at this point.
They really seem to be trying to paint Symon as the bad guy in the promos. They show all these demure glamour shots of Besh and show Symon making threats and standing there in his “smack-down” pose. Hang on a second while I roll my eyes. Oh shit. I think they are stuck that way now.
December’s Food & Wine has “The big, easy Christmas” with John Besh on p210.
As I’ve stated before I’m a big fan of both Symon and Besh, but I’d prefer to see Symon win. Why?
Because while Besh is enjoyable to watch, Symon makes me really excited about food. Besh is pleasant while Symon makes his food explode on the screen for me. Symon somehow makes me really interested in whatever dish he’s preparing. He takes more risks and usually succeeds in those endeavors.
But my hunch is that Besh will win. I really think The Food Network wanted Besh all along.
I hope I’m wrong.
Michael,
I hope it’s Symon. It *has* to be Symon. I can’t take any more defeat! Game 7 of the ALCS was just too brutal (although, in some twisted way I feel better knowing we fought the Redsox better than the Rockies did — geez, 4-0??).
Alas, I will not be in my wonderful hometown of Cleveland for the finale; but I will be on the phone with la Cave du Vin the minute Symon wins tomorrow night for a tele-shot of Jameson’s. And of course, I already have my dinner plans for Lolita in the works for Thanksgiving break.
BTW — hope to catch you at Shaker Heights Public Library. Travel safe, and go Cleveland!
When “Iron Chef America” first aired it was like watching Sandra Lee recreate recipes from “Molto Mario”. It was over produced, the ingredients were safe and uninteresting, and the American Iron Chefs lacked the creativity and daring of the originals. Alton and Mario were the show’s saving graces; and, I thought Wolfgang Puck was surprisingly good in the original cook-offs.
All of that is probably still true, though the show has found itself a bit. However, “The Next…” has saved the series for me. In fact, I wonder aloud if Besh or Symon is the next Iron Chef America or the FIRST Iron Chef America.
Whoever wins enters kitchen stadium with kitchen cred and, I’m assuming, a greater appreciation for the title than any of the appointed Iron Chefs.
Looking forward to seeing you in Cincinnati, Michael.
@annie: flay is married to that chick from law and order, so yeah, he in fact does have a beautiful blonde on his lap.
and while i think besh will probably win (as he seems to have more cache in the biz), i’m totally rooting for symon. way more personality, much more fun to watch for an hour during IC.
I don’t think Bobby Flay would rather be hunkered down, reading. I think he’d rather be watching the Jets, with a beautiful blonde on his lap. That’s just the vibe I get.
Well, I think that Besh will win. He just makes what he does look easy and isn’t that what IC is all about? Keeping their cool and presenting these dishes that were made without hesitation. I just think Besh will win this one. My pic from the start was Morou. His restaurant is in Alexandria, Va. Not too far from me. I phoned the other day to see what reservations were like and he is completely booked. I will try his place one day…I am determined.
I was watching FN and saw the NIC commercial and just got the tail end of the advertisement and it said that there was going to be new episodes starting on the 18th. Is this for another NIC series or is new episodes for IC. Does anyone know?
Well, I am anxiousely awaiting the results.
Off topic, but….I found Meyer lemons in the store today!!! I’ve looking for them ever since I noticed it’s often the lemon of choice among iron chefs…next and otherwise. And, for this neophyte cook, another milestone is reached: instead of deciding on a dish and then getting the ingredients, I’ve found an ingredient and will plan a dish around it. Oh, the JOY! I can’t stop smiling about my beautiful Meyer lemons.
I wouldn’t be unhappy if both Symon and Besh could be named Iron Chefs. And, Lisa made a great point…..NIC has captivated us even more than IC because it’s shown us a bit of the chefs’ personalities, more so that IC does. And I, too, hope that FN is paying attention to blogs such as this that clearly show there’s an audience out here yearning for programming that is missing. ‘Til then, a DVD of NIC with lots and lots of extra footage would be welcome.
Hey, Ruhlman, when this is all over, tell Symon to do a poster of him cooking….Yikes, how silly is that??!! I want to hang such a thing in my kitchen (along with one of Keller would be nice) for continued inspiration!
Doodad, glad you like the “grudge match” idea. I thought it was a pretty obvious one, but I hope someone from the FN is paying attention. It seems like many of us (myself included!) have been surprised at how much TNIC has captivated us. I’m completely on edge about the finale, have put all the eps on “protected” status on my DVR and will be very sorry when the show is over.
I’ll also be sorry to see either Besh or Symon lose–they’d both make excellent Iron Chefs. (Dump Flay!) I think TNIC has won over a different breed of fan because the show has NOT given us much personal info about the chefs. As viewers, we have gotten to know them almost exclusively through their professional performance in the challenges, and the judges’ response to their food. That has left us wanting to see more of them–and especially to see them in the real IC arena, Kitchen Stadium.
The greatest benefit for me? The show led me to this blog, and to your writing, Michael. I tore through the first 200+ pages of The Soul of a Chef in one night. Beautiful prose, although I shouldn’t have stayed up til 3am! So excited to have discovered a great writer, and a terrific online community supporting my reenergized excitement about cooking.
The best of all possible outcomes
After a razor thin victory they announce the winner
Then they announce that both Besh and Symon will become Iron Chefs.
This is definitely win-win for me.
For once, I don’t have an opinion. No snarky comments. No backhanded compliments. I’d be very happy to see either of these guys win. Besh is polished, smooth, quiet confidence with sudden glimpses of humour.
Symon is an on the edge maniac who nevertheless has the right stuff.
True, Symon would put on a more interesting show, but both chefs would do us proud.
Can’t wait to see the finale. I do hope, as another poster said, that the chefs eliminated get a grudge match.
Not everyone in ATL supports the southerner Besh! He seems to be very disingenuous in what he says and does… like his consommé embellishment. I’m sure many of us ATL based Symon fans were at work and couldn’t make it through our infamous rush hour traffic to make it to your appearance on time. Like me. I was planning on taking the afternoon off to show up in my Browns throwback jacket so you could see there are Cleveland natives everywhere. But, a last minute engineering meeting ruined that idea.
Thank you for another very good series… and your books… and this blog.
- TH
Not everyone in ATL supports the southerner Besh! He seems to be very disingenuous in what he says and does… like his consommé embellishment. I’m sure many of us ATL based Symon fans were at work and couldn’t make it through our infamous rush hour traffic to make it to your appearance on time. Like me. I was planning on taking the afternoon off to show up in my Browns throwback jacket so you could see there are Cleveland natives everywhere. But, a last minute engineering meeting ruined that idea.
Thank you for another very good series… and your books… and this blog.
- TH
Thanks for a great demo in Atlanta Michael–I had a great evening! NIC shows you as a kind of a food snob and a little bit snippy–but you are a truly nice guy and I loved watching you cook and hearing about your passion!As far as IC goes, I had predicted from the beginning who would be eliminated in what order. So far I’ve been right. I am a Besh supporter and truly hopes he wins–but, that being said, I would rather Michael Symon beat him than any other competitor. Who knew reality TV get me so nervous!?
I heard that in the final, they found a hair in one of the dishes, and it took the entire episode of deliberation to figure out if it was Ruhlmans and Knowltons, and they ran out of time before they chose the winner.
I think I read that in the Washington post or something….
Honestly, I’d be happy with either Besh or Symon winning. Each seems like a good guy and a hell of a chef.
It’s just too bad that one of them has to lose. It would be really cool if they could both become an Iron Chef.
I’ve been a Symon fan since his Caxton Cafe days. He’s a very sound and creative chef. And I always root for the hometown boy. I do wish he’d bring some of the influence of his Greek background into his menus. Greek cuisine is so underrated. BTW, loved seeing you and Cleveland on No Reservations. Is that pate recipe in the new cookbook or in the book on charcuterie?
I’m not sure I can say why, but I’m leaning toward Symon. Besh does something that is more like the sort of cooking I have enjoyed doing over the years, but Symon is a more attractive and charming person. That laugh!
I would kill to have a meal prepared by either of these gentlemen (and I’ve wanted to eat at Jardinière and Incanto for ages). But I really want Symon to win; Besh is cute as get out, but Symon has…well, the Iron Chef pizzazz. He has the sort of larger than life finesse that Batali brings, and that Flay can have when he doesn’t trip on his own personality (Flay sometimes seems like, for all that he’s a celebrity chef, he’d really like to be hunkering down and reading, so his attempts to be a ‘personality’ are forced). Cora is intense, which makes up for her lack of flamboyancy. Besh seems to be the better technical chef, but it’s the flashes of genius that we see from Symon that are needed on ICA.
But then, I was for Cosentino from the start, so either of these winners is ok, just not what I wanted. I wanted the punk chef from California!
I worked for Besh. His signature dish’s sauce was powdered fish fumet from a can. Is this Iron Chef material???
Thanks for posting the photos, BTW. They’re awesome.
Besh is obviously talanted, and his sense of humor is not lost on me. He’s got the food thing going for him too. But…I think Symon has all that AND that dynamic, larger-than-life personality that defines an iron chef. He’s just a powerhouse of goodness.
I know a girl that worked for Besh at August, had nothing but great things to say about him. I like Symon too–Ruhlman’s right, his personality is infectious. I don’t have a personal fav. going in (I was rooting for Gavin), but I think that ICA wins no matter who wins the battle. Both guys deserve it and have legitimate shots.
This waiting for the finale is killing me….I’m so damned nervous! I had read about Symon in “Soul.” But having seen both Besh and Symon in IC competions previously, before NIC started I fully expected that Besh would be my favorite. I was wrong. Symon has won me over fully and completely. My opinion is based on everything except the food, of course, so the judges and I may have different opinions. But Symon’s personality and passion appeals to me a lot, and I’ll be one unhappy viewer if he’s not the NIC (no disrespect to Besh intended–who probably has equal passion, but whose reserved personality keeps it under wraps). Symon, you’re the man– and the NIC, I hope!