Top Chef Season 2 winner Ilan Hall is looking at opening his own restaurant, Gorbles in downtown Los Angeles.  Hall has been spending a lot of time on the move traveling to Spain, Romania, Israel, Venezuela and England presumably eating and learning.  His father-who taught him to cook- is Scottish and his mother is Israeli, hence…Gorbles.  Gorbles is an area of Scotland his father is from.  The food he will serve he referred to as “Jewish food date-raped by bacon”.  This means matzo balls wrapped in bacon.
According to Hall he has a sous chef, general manager and the all important menu.  Just one …read more

During the Summer, Martha Stewart has had a couple of weeks of new shows with a lot of recipes, crafts and good things to help keep your Summer doldrums in check.
Yesterday one of her staff members shared a recipe for Amish Friendship Bread.  This is basically a chain letter for bakers.  You create a starter, help it “grow” for a few days and then bake with it and share it with some pals.  It was funny watching Martha’s staff try to explain this concept to her.  The whole idea can get a little confusing and I don’t think that her …read more

 Sam Talbot, from Bravo’s Top Chef 2, and his business partners have parted ways.  He was slated to be the executive chef for Spitzer’s Corner.
The European gastropub is set to open in mid-June.  It seems the departure is due to the three being unable to come to terms about the direction of the restaurant.
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Just read an article by Nicole Weston of Slashfood.  She had the opportunity to talk to one of Bravo’s first season Top Chef’s Stephen Asprinio. 
Stephen has a couple of projects on tap for 2007.  In Palm Beach County, FL he is opening a contemporary Tuscan restaurant and in Los Angeles a concept wine boutique geared towards 20-somethings, Tastevin:
The shop will be 1,000-square feet and will offer 40-50 boutique wines, none of which will be over $25 per bottle, on a rotating basis. The major selling point is that every wine they offer will be “on tap,” thanks to a cutting-edge computerized …read more

Bobby Flay is due to open another Mesa Grill Restaurant in the Bahamas. 
The Mesa at the Cove Atlantis is due to open in just 24 hours, or less.  The Mesa Grill at the Cove Atlantis will have the same Southwest menu with a Bahamian flare:  Bahamian Spiced Chicken Skewers with Yogurt Cilantro Sauce, Crispy Squid and Cracked Conch Salad with Orange-Chipotle Vinaigrette, and Bahamian Lobster Tail with Red Chile-Coconut Sauce.
March 28th will be the opening of his first restaurant outside the United States.  Not a bad choice Bobby.

 
The long awaited opening of Season 1’s Top Chef Winner, Harold Dieterle’s restaurant in NYC is close at hand.
Perilla will be opening soon and Harold is in search of his own crop of winners to help in the kitchen.  He is now hiring sous chefs and pastry chefs.  To see if you make the cut, cut and paste your resume in the body of an email (NO ATTACHEMENTS) and send it to Harold@perillanyc.com .

Add yet another eartery to the list of Bobby Flay’s. This one is called Bobby Flay Steak. Hmmm…something tells me this is not for your vegetarians out there. From NorthJersey.com:
Welcome to Bobby Flay Steak, the fifth restaurant opened by the ubiquitous television chef and his first specializing in steak. The 11,000-square-foot dining room is one of three restaurants opened by celebrity chefs in Borgata’s new $200 million expansion.
The article goes on to say that a steak at Steak goes for $44! Yoza!
Flay is just one of a number of chefs who are gambling on Atlantic City. From PacketOnline:
On June 30, …read more

Bobby Flay has opened yet another restaurant.  This time he is in Atlantic City.  The Borgata Hotel, Casino and Spa now is host to Bobby Flay’s fifth restaurant, Bobby Flay Steak. 
Bobby Flay joins Wolfgang Puck and Michael Mina at the Borgata offering upscale cuisine to the masses.  Of course, I do not know how much of the masses can enjoy a $44 Philly Cheese Steak, Bobby Flay’s take on the famous sandwich.
This of course is not a traditional steak house.  Bobby Flay Steak serves up a few variations of traditional steaks as well as chicken and fish.  You can also …read more

Wolfgang Puck, the 80’s chef to the stars and todays gourmet frozen pizza maker (among other things) has opened a new restaurant in Vegas:
NBC’s Las Vegas is the home of famed celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck’s newest restaurant. With great fanfare, the Montecito Resort & Casino prepares for the grand opening of Wolfgang Puck’s seventh Vegas restaurant, Wolfgang Puck at the Montecito. Wolfgang Puck currently owns and operates six distinct restaurants in Las Vegas, including Spago and Chinois (Forum Shops at Caesars), Trattoria del Lupo (Mandalay Bay), Postrio (Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian) and the Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill …read more