chef

Angry Chef Trashes Rock Star's Ferrari Enzo

Jamiroquai frontman Jay Kay's $1.4 million Ferrari Enzo (above) was trashed by an enraged chef at a seaside resort where the rock star had gone for a little R&R earlier this week. Kay had driven the supercar to the 3-star Brudenell Hotel on England's Suffolk Coast and was staying there when his over-the-top attitude angered the hotel's chef, Aaron Billington, the UK AutoTrader reports. Apparently it was Billington's night off, and he and others were socializing with Kay in the hotel's bar. After several rounds of drinks it seems Kay made some derogatory remarks - according to one report he ridiculed the others' lesser vehicles, bragging about the Enzo parked outside - angering Billington.

The chef was later seen throwing rocks at the Enzo, shattering the windscreen and smashing the driver's side window. The damage was estimated at £30,000 or about $42,000. Billington later told the local court he committed the crime in a "moment of madness" after becoming upset by Kay's "offensive" remarks. Asked to comment, Kay, 39, remarked, "It's disappointing. It says something about the British psyche." Kay, who appears on the hit British TV show Top Gear, has an amazing collection of supercars among which the beautiful black Enzo is his prized possession. His fleet includes a Ferrari F40, Ferrari F50, a Rolls-Royce Phantom and a selection of classic cars including a Lamborghini Miura, Mercedes-Benz 300SL roadster and an Aston Martin DB5.

Gallery: Jay Kay's Cars

Tags: Celebrity, Chef, England, Enzo, Ferrari, Ferrari Enzo, FerrariEnzo, Hotel, jamiroquai, Jay Kay, JayKay, Lamborghini Miura, LamborghiniMiura, Rock star, RockStar, Suffolk

Jamie Oliver Puts Restaurant Plans On Hold

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Jamie Oliver becomes the latest British chef to succumb to economic pressure. The television host and cookbook author known as the Naked Chef, has postponed plans to open a fifth branch of the restaurant chain Fifteen at Holbeck Urban Village in Leeds in June. The Fifteen Foundation inspires disadvantaged young people to create careers in the restaurant industry and runs restaurants in Amsterdam, Cornwall, London and Melbourne, Australia.

The charity has said it may revisit its plans in the future when the economy is in better shape. Oliver joins other British television chefs Gordon Ramsay and Antony Worrall Thompson in having to adjust his restaurant empire desires to the whims of the economy.

Gallery: Celebrity Restaurants

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Tags: celebrity chef, CelebrityChef, chef, fifteen foundation, FifteenFoundation, jamie oliver, JamieOliver, naked chef, NakedChef

British Top Chef In Financial Trouble

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

British celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson is the latest to feel the recession pinch. His company AWT Restaurants Ltd. went into administration last Friday. BBC News reports that he has had to shut four restaurants, making 60 employees redundant. He has had to use his personal savings to help hold on to two other restaurants, Windsor Grill and the Kew Grill, and a delicatessen, WIndsor Larder. The company went into receivership after Worrall Thompson failed to raise £200,000 from his bank (he was unwilling to offer his home as a guarantee to the bank). He has appeared on the BBC shows Food And Drink and Ready Steady Cook.

Just last week, we heard reports that chef Gordon Ramsay may also be facing trouble with diminished bookings in his restaurants and a £10million outstanding loan to Gordon Ramsay Holdings with the Royal Bank of Scotland.

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Tags: antony worrall thompson, AntonyWorrallThompson, awt, chef

2009 Vintners Hall of Fame Dinner

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Wine

The 2009 Vintners Hall of Fame inductees have been announced. The hall of fame at the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, California honors those who have contributed to the California wine industry. This year's group includes wine journalist Gerald Asher, Gourmet magazine; Jack and Jamie Davies, founders of Schramsberg Vineyards; Jess Jackson, founder of Kendall-Jackson Estates; U.C. Davis Professor and co-founder of Lagier-Meredith Winery, Carole Meredith; Justin Meyer, co-founder of Silver Oak Cellars; and Warren Winiarski, founder of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars. Also Frederick and Jacob Beringer, who founded Beringer Vineyards, will be inducted as "Pioneers," a category for those those who made a significant contribution to the California wine industry and passed away prior to March, 1989.

You can take part in the day-long Celebration of California Wine and Food that ends with the Vintners Hall of Fame Induction Dinner and Celebrity Chef Walk-Around Reception on March 14 at CIA Greystone. The morning includes a pair of food and wine salons followed by luncheons and tastings held at local wineries including Beringer Vineyards, Cardinale, Hundred Acre, Quixote Winery, Rudd Oakville Estate, Schramsberg and Viader Vineyards. The main event includes the chance to meet guest chefs Michael Chiarello, Todd Humphries, Christopher Kostow and Charlie Palmer at the reception in the CIA Greystone's Teaching Kitchens followed by the Vintners Hall of Fame Induction Dinner. A ticket costs $300 for reception and dinner ($150 is tax-deductible) or the full day package can be purchased for $500.

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Tags: chef, cia, culinary institute of america, CulinaryInstituteOfAmerica, wine

Blancpain's Big Watch, Sponsors 2009 Bocuse d'Or Cooking Competition

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Events

Is Blancpain going overboard with the big watch craze? This image points to yes, but this is actually part of a trophy that Blancpain gave out. If you aren't a serious foodie you might have never heard of the Bocuse d'Or, one of the world's most coveted cooking competitions and awards. The 2009 winner was Geir Skeie, a chef at the restaurant Mathuset Solvold, in Sandefjord, Norway. I can't pronounce the chef's name, the name of the restaurant, or even the city in Norway, but what I do know is that I covet the watch part of the award.

Swiss watch maker Blancpain co-sponsored the event and awarded a Blancpain Flyback Chronograph Grande Date watch to the winner of Bocuse d"Or this year. With incentives like that I might join the competition myself next year! This year's Bocuse d'Or was the 21st occurrence of the event, and unsurprisingly, was held in Lyon, France.

Watch makers and chefs have had a long positive history. Not only does cooking require careful and often overlapping timing, but chefs, like watch makers, are detail oriented and focused on perfection. Blancpain chose wisely in participating with the Bocuse d'Or, and I have to admit the styling of the Blancpain Flyback Chronograph watch fits well with the culinary theme.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: blancpain, bocuse dor, BocuseDor, chef, chronograph, flyback, grande date, GrandeDate, timepiece, watch

Ombre Zucca Jacquard Chef Bag, Handbag of the Day

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Handbags

Add a little shimmer to your day by carrying this silver-with-a-pinkish-hue Ombre Zucca Jacquard Chef bag by Fendi. Iridescent zucca jacquard leather with ombre effect paired with a pouchy shape make this bag what it is, along with accents like gold hardware, rolled leather handles, and an oversized metal pull etched with the Fendi logo. It also has a fabric-lined interior with a zip pocket and a nameplate. It's a great way to carry a pretty much neutral bag without feeling dull or dreary. $1,810

Gallery: Fendi Ombre Zucca Jacquard Chef Bag

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Tags: bag, bags, chef, fendi, handbag, handbag of the day, HandbagOfTheDay, handbags

Celebrity Chef Runs Afoul Of Suppliers

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

One of London's top celebrity chefs has gone belly up leaving his suppliers scrambling for money. The Telegraph gives us the tale of Tom Aikens, shown at right with wife, Amber Nuttall. Aikens is one of London's handsome and temperamental Michelin starred chefs. His Chelsea restaurant, Tom Aikens, has won 22 awards since opening in 2003. But last week it was announced that the companies running the restaurants had been placed into administration and now a whole host of suppliers, reportedly 160 businesses, are waiting to get paid.

The Telegraph reports you can still book a table and Aikens and his chefs are still cooking. Tom's Kitchen and the Tom Aikens restaurant were acquired by TA Holdco Ltd, allowing Aikens and his business to continue. Some suppliers are continuing to supply the restaurant in the hopes they will be able to get at least some money out of the situation. Others are angry that the business continued to buy from them as it slid into trouble. Some suppliers have had to lay off workers as a result of the money loss. The status of Aikens's personal wealth is not known at this time.

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Tags: chef, london, restaurant, tom aikens, TomAikens

Tyler Florence To Open His First Restaurant

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Celebrity Shopping

Celebrity chef Tyler Florence is opening his first restaurant. San Francisco boutique hotel company Personality Hotels has signed a deal with the Food Network chef to open a restaurant in Hotel Vertigo (currently the York Hotel). The 97-room York Hotel is currently undergoing a $5 million renovation and will be renamed Hotel Vertigo this summer, after Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 classic thriller staring James Stewart and Kim Novak (Novak's character lived in the York Hotel during the last half of the film). Florence's restaurant will also open this summer.

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Tags: chef, personality hotels, restaurant, san francisco, tyler florence, TylerFlorence

The Best First Class Meals for When You Fly

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Wings

There are many people in the world who fly frequently and as such are often subject to airline food, despite it's nasty reputation of being nothing but reheated cardboard. Some airlines, however, are seeking to change that in a major way for their first class passengers -- even to the extent for some of having a chef on board (Gulf Airlines) and serving exotic gourmet dishes.

Among others Singapore Airlines offers a choice of Dom Perignon or Krug champagne, several airlines serve caviar as appetizer, and Malaysia Airlines serves their meals on fine china. Would you (or do you) choose your airline based on the first class meal options?

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Tags: airline, airlines, cathay pacific, CathayPacific, caviar, chef, chefs, dining, dom perignon, DomPerignon, first class, FirstClass, food, gourmet, gulf air, GulfAir, jet airways, JetAirways, Korean Air, KoreanAir, krug, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, MalaysiaAirlines, Qantas Airlines, QantasAirlines, Qatar Airways, QatarAirways, singapore airlines, SingaporeAirlines, Swiss

Second Kitchens A Hot Trend In Luxury Homes

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Think about it....who really has a second kitchen? A full second kitchen? They're rare indeed, but the new trend in luxury housing is to start changing that.

People with money to spend want kitchens for both themselves and for their personal chefs and caterers, and they don't want to be bumping around together in the same space. But it's not just about whether or not you can afford it, as the building has to be approved and depending on the rules and regulations in the area an additional full kitchen may or may not be allowed. But in the areas where it does work houses generally run in the $5 million range and higher when they include 2 kitchens.

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Tags: chef, cooking, home, homes, housing, kitchen, kitchens, real estate, RealEstate

The World's Most Expensive Tasting Menus

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Tasting menu's don't come cheap, but the range of flavors and the chance to experience more of the chef's repertoire is worth it for many. Some of the best restaurants in the world have gone to serving nothing but tasting menus, Charlie Trotter's in Chicago for example, and others simply offer them as a luxury for those who can afford it and want something a little different. So where to go if you're really looking to drop some cash and enjoy the great tastes of the best tasting menus? Well the single most expensive tasting menu in the world belongs to L'Arpege in Paris and runs $466, with the second and third most expensive also going to restaurants in Paris: Alain Ducasse Plaza Athenee ($437), and Guy Savoy ($402). Masa, in NYC, comes in at 4th with their tasting menu priced at $400 for 25 courses.

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Tags: Alain Ducasse, AlainDucasse, Charlie Trotters, CharlieTrotters, chef, dine, dining, food, gourmet, Guy Savoy, GuySavoy, l'arpege, masa, menu, menus, most expensive, MostExpensive, paris, Plaza Athenee, PlazaAthenee, restaurant, restaurants, tasting, tasting menu, tasting menus, TastingMenu, TastingMenus

Dream Picnic Ideas from the World's Top Chefs

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels

When you think of a picnic you probably picture simple food like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with a basket of fruit in a park somewhere, but that's not what comes to mind when you ask some of the world's top chefs. From locations as normal as a park in Brooklyn to as fun as a hot air balloon miles above the world, and food tastes covering everything from fried chicken to oysters, you can find it all on this list of top chef's dream picnics.

What's your dream picnic? Reading this list I don't think I could choose!

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Tags: chef, chefs, dream, dreams, food, picnic

Dining is an Adventure with 'Dinner In The Sky'

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels

Now here's a concept that takes the idea of "a unique dining experience" to a whole new level, literally. Created from an idea by Belgian chef Quentin Jadoul, Dinner in the Sky is one of those things that is exactly what it sounds like: it's a large dining table that seats about 20 people and gets hoisted high up into the sky on a crane -- there's even room in the middle for the waiters to come along! And surprisingly, even though it's based in Belgium the table is mobile and travels around Europe for different events and occasions, and the menu can be adjusted to accommodate tastes for pretty much anything.

For somewhere around $20,000 you can have your own "Dinner in the Sky" party, just pray for good weather and hold onto your napkin!

Via Wine Spectator

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Tags: belgian, belgium, chef, dining, dinner, dinner in the sky, DinnerInTheSky, europe, Jadoul, Quentin Jadoul, QuentinJadoul, restaurant

Chefs Compete For Honor, Fancy Watch

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Timepieces / Watches, Events

Cooking competitions are very popular these days but the Bocuse d'Or is in a class by itself. It is part of the International Hotel Catering and Food Trade Exhibition in Lyons France taking place now through January 24 which also includes the World Pastry Cup. The contest, which is on January 23, is judged by 24 chefs and 24 chefs have the opportunity to compete on three different themes in a timed contest. In addition to the accolades of the crowd, the winner receives a Blancpain hand-engraved Léman GMT Alarm watch worth 14,000 euros. Other events include the International Cheese Competition, which has already crowned a winner, France and the cheeses of Rodolphe le Meunier.

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Tags: blancpain, cheese, chef, cooking, food, france, lyons, sirha

Charlie Palmer's Vegas Hotel

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Estates, Luxury Travel & Hotels

Chef Charlie Palmer already owns a hotel in Healdsburg, a city in the northern California wine country, but he is planning to take his celebrity chef status to a new level in Las Vegas by opening a hotel/condo complex that will bear his name. This venture is a step apart from other chefs, who have contented themselves with lending their names (and occasionally their actual cooking) to restaurants in hotel-casinos up to this point. Palmer's project will be built on the site of the casino known as the "Golden Palm." Instead of the 6-story building that now sits there, Palmer's complex will be 33-stories high, have 400 hotel/condo units and three restaurants on site, including a sushi bar. In total, construction should cost $400 million and Palmers expects it to be completed by 2008.

Palmer's new digs will not have a casino on the premises, but with one celebrity chef carving a new and glamorous niche in Vegas, how long can it be before other chefs follow suit and expand upon the idea? Ducasse Towers? Emeril's Kicked Up Casino?

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Tags: casino, celebrity chefs, charlie palmer, chef, hotel, las vegas

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