Which Celebrity Should Be the Next to Open a Restaurant in Phoenix?
Welcome to Chow Bella's Bites & Dishes, where Valley chefs and restaurateurs respond to a question New Times food critic Laura Hahnefeld has on her mind. Have a question you'd like to ask? E-mail laura.hahnefeld@newtimes.com.
Movie stars and musicians opening their own restaurants is nothing new -- even legendary rocker (and Phoenix resident) Alice Cooper knows that.
The Travel Channel Man v. Food host Adam Richman with Alice at Cooper'stown.
See also: What's Your Cold Remedy? and Does Promising a Higher Tip Mean Better Service?
So when the next big name comes along, and it will, who do Valley chefs and restaurateurs hope it will be? I asked a few and this is what they had to say.
Michael Monti,
Owner, Monti's La Casa Vieja
Ah, I just love it when multimillionaires trivialize our hardworking profession by dabbling in it for mere ego gratification and chump change. So let's go big if we're going to do this at all: The entire cast of Breaking Dawn should open a place that specializes in handcrafted blood sausage and organ meats from locally raised heirloom animals.
Silvana Salcido Esparza,
Chef and Owner, Barrio Cafe and Barrio Queen
I'm starting to get tired of "out of town" celebrity anything(s) opening up restaurants here and then not even knowing their way around town. But, hey, it's been proven people like that sort of thing. I say, buy local!
Romeo Taus,
Chef and Owner, Romeo's Euro Cafe
Joe Arpaio. Some of the best chefs in town get stopped every once in a while.
Joe Johnston, Owner, Joe's Real BBQ, Joe's Fresh Farm Grill, Liberty Market, Agritopia
Hugh Laurie should open a variation on the modern British gastropub using local ingredients and fusing it with jazz. The man is so talented and as Gregory House (House MD), he has proven mastery of the American culture down to the smallest detail. His talent as a jazz musician is unquestioned, as well. Plus, if you got sick at his restaurant, he would the ideal to diagnose your problem. Perhaps he should open near the Mayo Clinic.
Chef Kurt Jacobsen,
Hidden Meadow Ranch, Greer
Gwyneth Paltrow. She writes cook books, is outspoken, and may just draw a crowd.
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