I have known Michael some three years now, having first met him at the Fabulous Food Show in Cleveland back in 2012. Relaxed, humble and completely accessible, if you are fortunate enough to spend any time at all in his presence, or watch him interacting with his family, or sit with him shoes off, feet up, watching a Browns game on a Sunday afternoon, you'd be hard pressed to associate this laid back everyman with the public dynamo we all know as the public 'Chef Michael Symon.' His trademark laugh and smile are always right below the surface waiting to bubble over at a moments notice. When he's back in his beloved Cleveland, friends and family are his focus. But, underneath is a man who is driven. A man who's aware of how lucky he is to have achieved what he has, but not one that takes it for granted. See way back when, he rolled up his sleeves and went to work, first cheffing, then as a restaurateur, then as a beloved TV personality. The accolades now, are the result of years of hard work and dedication. To his craft. To his family. To his employees and to his friends.
I have watched as fans approach him, hoping for a minute of his time, or a smile, or an autograph. I have never seen him not stop to take the time to make someone who approached feel important, even if it's a simple hello, a smile or to request a picture. Onstage, I have watched him capture the audience, making eye contact as if he's talking directly to each and every person there. He makes folks feel like they could easily sit back and grab a beer with him, over conversation about food, or riding his motorcycle, or debating with him over his favorite Cleveland team, The Browns. I've heard folks remark of him, "Wow, he's just like me." Having spent time with him, I can honestly say, "It's real." It's what has launched him to the top of his profession, garnering the title America's Favorite Chef.
I recently caught up with him between shoots of his hit TV show The Chew, which he co-hosts with Daphne Oz, Clinton Kelley and fellow chefs, Carla Hall and Mario Batali. His TV career is varied and lengthy. Since 1998, with appearances on Sara’s Secrets with Sara Moulton, Ready, Set, Cook and Food Nation with Bobby Flay, hosting over 100 episodes of The Melting Pot and his winning season one of The Next Iron Chef on Food Network in 2008, he has been a regular in our homes. He appeared on four Food Network/Cooking Channel shows, hosting Food Feuds and Cook Like an Iron Chef, judging season three of The Next Iron Chef and competing on Iron Chef America. In January 2012, his show Symon’s Suppers, premiered on Cooking Channel and in September 2011, he joined the cast of The Chew as one of the show’s five hosts. Most recently, Michael was a mentor on the first season of Food Network's All-Star Academy.
A successful restaurateur, Michael recently opened his 14th B Spot Burgers, to go along with his other eateries, Lola Bistro, Lolita, Roast, Bar Symon and Mabel's BBQ. With his hectic schedule, I asked him if he misses being in the kitchen, just cheffing. "No," he laughed emphatically, "You know, I think that the misconception of a chef, especially in my capacity as a chef-owner, is that we work the line every week. I'm in the kitchen yes, but not on the line at a particular station. If you work just a station," he expanded, "when it gets busy, you see just that one station. I prefer to work the kitchen. I expedite, I watch the cooks a lot, but I haven't worked a particular station in God knows how long. Now, I do spend time on each station with the cook the first week when we open a restaurant."
Many of you who are fans of the Iron Chef, will be happy to hear that Michael has a new signature line of cutlery coming out with Ergo Chef, LLC., available for delivery beginning in mid July, 2015. About a year in the making, Ergo and Symon will produce five individual knives for the Symon series. The blades will include a 9-inch chef knife; a 6-inch chef knife; a 6-inch serrated utility knife; a 7-inch vegetable cleaver; and a 3.5-inch paring knife. A four-piece steak knife set will also be available. The knives will be ground in the conventional Western-style, rather than with a Japanese beveled edge that is growing in popularity. Michael has opted for a small selection of blades, rather than an extensive collection of knives. “I’m of the belief you don’t need a giant set of knives, just a couple that perform at a high level,” Symon stated. “they have a unique handle that is not only stunning, but also very comfortable and durable.
With Mike, Scott & Randy from Ergo
I asked him, "Why Ergo?" "I love doing business with people that I like being around," he offered. "and yes, they make a beautiful knife and they make it at a super reasonable price. But aside from that, Michael and Scott Staib are just great people. If you're going to work with someone or partner with someone, you want them to have the same beliefs you do and the same morals you do. They are just really good people." I asked Michael what was most important to him in making a decision to put his name on a knife or series of knives. "For me," he responded, "there were a couple of things that were important. First, it had to be a knife that I was very comfortable using in the kitchen myself. Secondly, I wanted it to be a knife that any one of my professional cooks in the kitchens of my restaurants would use and be comfortable with. Lastly, I wanted it to be affordable for the home cook. Chef knives can be crazy," he continued, "I personally have been collecting knives for 25 years and I have knives that are ridiculously expensive. I wanted to get the look and feel of those knives, but in a package that the home cook would be comfortable buying. I also wanted a knife that one of my cooks on the line would be comfortable using every night, on the line, putting up with the wear and tear of putting out 300 meals. It had to be at a very high level for me to put my name on it, from a quality and look stand point, but also something that would be accessible to the home cook." Michael has not been shy in stating in the past that a chef or cook only needs a few good knives and I asked him to expand on that thought process.
"I don't think you need every knife in the set in order to get everything done, We have 2 chef' knives, both a 9' and 6 inch, a good serrated knife, a pairing knife and a vegetable cleaver because I do love using a vegetable cleaver. Then, we also have our steak knives." I mentioned to him that some have remarked that even at the reasonable price, it's still a bit expensive. He answered, "Obviously life is about what you can afford. That said, to be able to get a knife for $69-$79 that will last you a lifetime, as opposed to a knife you can get for $20 that you have to replace in a year, it just seems like a pretty easy decision to me." You can purchase Michael's Knives here: Michael Symon Cutlery
Our conversation then turned to his new hit show, The Chew. Winner of the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host along with his co-hosts, I asked him if when he first started this journey with the show back in 2011, he had any idea it would be the juggernaut hit that it has become. "I think with anything in life you hope for the best and plan for the worst," he offered, "Obviously I knew when we started that I already had a long term relationship with Mario, so I knew that was going to work. The other three hosts I had not met before. To end up being paired up with 4 other people who all have ended up being best friends, God I mean, you couldn't ask for more than that. We all just immediately got along and it's only gotten better from there." He added, "All of us cherish it and don't take for granted for a second how lucky we have it."
I pressed him for a behind the scenes anecdote that I could share with you all and he immediately spoke to Clinton being the cast's practical joker. "We're like a family," he explained, "so there's definitely a lot of razzing, kinda like you get between brothers and sisters. Every one definitely can give a joke and take a joke. This past week for instance, Clinton got me a couple times really good, so I had the person in charge of wardrobe order all his pants two sizes two small. When he was getting ready he kept saying, 'You know these are cut really weird, these are not fitting correctly.' He laughed, "It happens all the time and we really do have a good time with each other."
Michael makes his Grandma's Risotto on The Chew
We then moved the conversation to a bit of the person behind the persona side of these interviews, discussing his relationship with his wife, Lizzie and his home life. "We met in the restaurant business back in 1990 and we opened Lola about 17 years ago. My favorite thing I ever do is cooking dinner for Lizzie and my family and friends, just making a meal at home. There's nothing more enjoyable than that." I asked about his hectic schedule and how the two of them balance it and their personal life. "It's like anything else, you get used to it. It's all about the people around me. I am fortunate to have folks around me that I've been working with some 20+ years now. Liz is with me
at all times, no matter where we are. We go back to Cleveland every weekend. We shoot Tuesday through Thursday then we head back to Cleveland.
I asked him to describe a typical day off for America's Favorite Chef. "I'm an early riser," he offered, "so I'm up usually by 5:30am. I head out and putz around the garden for about two hours or so, then I'll head out on the Harley to the gym, get a quick workout in and hopefully sneak in 18 holes of golf. After that I head back home about 1 or 2 o'clock and see what Lizzie wants for dinner and we hang out the rest of the day, me, Lizzie, Kyle and the dogs. I asked him "What's usually for dinner?" and he said "Well Lizzie is a vegetarian so oddly enough, being the meat chef, and I do eat a ton of meat, a lot of days I'll cook a vegetarian meal for both of us. The good thing is that with Lizzie being vegetarian, it always keeps me balanced."
I then asked Michael for the most important advice he would give to someone looking to make cheffing a career. "Be humble," he answered immediately, "learn something new everyday and don't be afraid of hard work because if there is one profession that truly rewards the hardest worker, it's this one." I followed up asking his advice to young culinary students. "I went to culinary school to be a chef and only a chef and maybe someday, own my own restaurant. If you're going to culinary school to be a chef , be a chef. Forget being on TV," he warned. "If you're angle is to be on TV, then you should go to school for the arts and learn to cook along the way" He also offered some advice to the aspiring home cook who wants to up their game in the kitchen. "Learn the techniques, not the particular recipes. If you learn the techniques, then you can make any recipe and make it your own."
I then turned the questions to a subject we both have in common; Our love. respect and admiration for Chef Jacques Pepin. Michael's has been quoted as saying that Jacques has been the most influential TV chef of all time. I asked him to expound on that a bit. "The thing that I love about Jacques is every time you watch him on TV, you learn something. From that, he has still made it entertaining and fun. More so than all those things, he is one of the most humble, caring people you'll ever come across." I can attest to this. A few years ago, after sitting with Jacques and casually discussing food and cheffing over coffee, he suddenly invited me to spend the day with him and have lunch at the International Culinary Center in New York City. Little ol me! Truly a bucket list moment for me. I asked Michael if he had a personal anecdote about he and Jacques that impacted his life.
"I was really lucky." he stated, "I was the executive chef of a restaurant called Giovanni's in Cleveland. I was 24. Jacques was in town and I got a call from his culinary producer, Susie Heller, whom I knew, and she told me she was bringing Jacques and Julia (Child) in for dinner." He laughed, "Lou, I was literally a trembling mess. I went out after the meal to say hello and he said, 'I loved the meal. I loved it because it was so simple.' I'll always remember that and it's always how I've tried to cook. Clean and simple. I remember he had a veal chop with morel mushrooms" It was immediately obvious in that statement that this was a special moment for Michael and I remarked to him that I thought it telling that even 22 years later, he remembered the evening and exactly what he prepared as if it were yesterday. Cool story.
As we finished up I asked him one last question pertaining to the Fabulous Food Show held each November in Cleveland and the place where I first met him. As it his Michael's hometown, it seems a special show for him. Invariably as we sit backstage in the talent's Green Room as it were, which has the talent trailers, lounging area with food and so forth, it seems Michael's entire family comes to visit. I have met his mom, dad, aunts uncles and cousins as they've enjoyed these small family reunions. I asked him what's so special about doing the show. "I think that because of the size of it you really get to interact with the people that come to it. Though it's a big show, it has a very intimate homey feel to it. It has a warm Mid-West feel to it. I just think it's a special show. And, Lou, anytime you can do a show and your mom can come see you from 10 minutes away, it's a good show."
It's seems there is no slowing down for this driven, dynamic chef. Michael revealed that he has a new show debuting on Food Network, Friday July 10th, but that was all he could share. Long-standing contractual clauses containing stiff penalties for disclosing specifics regarding any Food Network shows in production remain in force.
Cleveland's Iron Chef says he will continue co-hosting his popular ABC-TV daytime show, The Chew. His most recent Food Network series, All-Star Academy, in which he mentored a team of home cooks while vying against star chefs Bobby Flay, Alex Guarnaschelli and Curtis Stone, just concluded.
For centuries, The Keys have been the crossroads for pirates, writers, artists and bon vivants from Cuba, France, England and the United States. The cuisine has become a melding of all of these influences and combined with the abundance of fresh fish, shellfish as well as tropical fruits and vegetables, has given the keys its distinctive Floribbean moniker. Check out this article about Keys Cuisine here. Say 'The Keys' and most people immediately envision turquoise waters, white sandy beaches and palm trees blowing in the trade-winds. The phrase tropical party comes to mind.
Taking it back a bit further, I'd like to explore the very origins of life on the Keys and that means going back to the year 1513 and Ponce de Leon. He named the Keys, Los Martirs, the martyrs, and Spain's influence, while using the keys as a landmark in ferrying gold and silver back to Sapin, is still felt today.
When the first Spanish explorers approached the Florida shores in the 16th century as they searched for rumored gold and eternal youth, a number of native Indian tribes had long resided throughout the peninsula and on its surrounding islands. The southernmost regions were dominated by the Tequestas and the Calusas, who thrived on the abundance provided by the sea and the rich coastal lands.
Like the other early Florida tribes, the Tequestas and Calusas eventually disappeared with the coming of Western civilization and its accompanying diseases and conquering spirit. Some of the void was filled by other natives, Creek Indians who slowly moved into the southern states. They were neither welcomed nor beloved by the European and American settlers. They came to be called "Seminoles", a name perhaps corrupted from the Spanish word cimarron, meaning wild or from the Creek words ishti semoli, meaning wildmen, outlanders or separatists.
One contemporary chronicler of explorer Ponce de Leon, observing the chain of islands on the horizon, said they appeared as men who were suffering; hence they were given the name Los Martires or "the martyrs." No one knows exactly when the first European set foot on one of the Keys, but as exploration and shipping increased, the islands became prominent on nautical maps. The nearby treacherous coral reefs claimed many actual seafaring "martyrs" from the time of early recorded history. The chain was eventually called "keys", also attributed to the Spanish, from cayos, meaning "small islands."
In 1763, the Spanish ceded Florida to the British in a trade for the port of Havana. The treaty was unclear as to the status of the Keys. An agent of the King of Spain claimed that the islands, rich in fish, turtles and mahogany for shipbuilding, were part of Cuba, fearing that the English might build fortresses and dominate the shipping lanes. The British also realized the treaty was ambiguous, but declared that the Keys should be occupied and defended as part of Florida. The British claim was never officially contested. Ironically, the British gave the islands back to Spain in 1783, to keep them out of the hands of the United States, but in 1821 all of Florida, including the necklace of islands, officially became American territory.
In the early 1900's, travel between many of these islands was only possible by boat. A modern pioneer, Henry Morrison Flagler, claims responsibility for providing the first civilized access to the Keys. He dreamed of extending the Florida East Coast Railway from Homestead to Key West. His dream was realized in 1912, after years of extreme physical hardship for the engineers and laborers who designed and built it.
After the 1935 Labor Day hurricane destroyed the railroad, it was replaced by the Overseas Highway in 1938. The highway has since been widened and modernized and now more than 40 bridges connect these islands, like a Caribbean necklace, for more than 126 miles.
Though most of the Florida Keys remained remote and inaccessible until well into the 20th century, their history glitters with romantic tales of pirates, fortunes gleaned from unfortunate shipwrecks, brief heydays for several island cities, struggling pioneer farmers and occasional military occupation. Huh? Military Occupation? Really? Read on...
The Conch Republic:
(excerpts are from the Brief History, on the official website of the Conch Republic):
"The Conch Republic was established by secession of the Florida Keys from the United States of America, on April 23rd, 1982 in response to a United States Border Patrol Blockade setup on highway U.S.1 at Florida City just to the north of the Florida Keys. This heinous act effectively isolated Keys Citizens from the U.S. mainland since the blockade was on our only land artery to and from the mainland. This roadblock portrayed Keys residents as non-U.S. citizens who had to prove their citizenship in order to drive onto the Florida mainland! Hardly an American thing to do!
We protested! A totally American thing to do! Key West Mayor Dennis Wardlow along with a few other 'key' Conchs, went to Federal court in Miami to seek an injunction to stop the federal blockade, but to no avail. Upon leaving the Federal Court House , on the court house steps , Mayor Wardlow announced to the world, by way of the assembled TV crews and reporters, that ; "Tomorrow at noon the Florida Keys will secede from the Union!"
At noon, on the day of secession, at Mallory Square in Key West Florida, Mayor Wardlow read the proclamation of secession and proclaimed aloud that the Conch Republic was an independent nation separate from the U.S. and then symbolically began the Conch Republic's Civil Rebellion by breaking a loaf of stale Cuban bread over the head of a man dressed in a U.S. Navy uniform. After one minute of rebellion, the now, Prime Minister Wardlow turned to the Admiral in charge of the Navy Base at Key West, and surrendered to the Union Forces, and demanded 1 Billion dollars in foreign aid and War Relief to rebuild our nation after the long Federal siege!
Thus began the Conch Republic journey, which still continues today! We are both Conchs and we are Americans and we are proud to be both. By act of Congress we hold dual citizenship as Conchs and as Americans and will fight for the right to be both!
Contrary to recent reports, the name "Conch Republic" refers to "all"of the Florida Keys, or, that geographic apportionment of land that falls within the legally defined boundaries of Monroe County Florida, northward to "Skeeter's Last Chance Saloon" in Florida City, Dade County Florida, with Key West as the Nation's Capitol and all territories north of Key West being referred to as "The Northern Territories." Be it known that these boundaries were established by the U.S. Government when they set up "THE" Border Patrol blockade in front of "Skeeter's Last Chance Saloon", in April of 1982, thereby establishing a new United States border!
To enforce the validity of our secession, the Monroe County Commission, in 1994, by unanimous vote, did pass a County Resolution recognizing Mayor Wardlow's actions, on the 23rd of April in 1982, as by, of and for the people of the Florida Keys.
The Conch Republic's Official Position
The Conch Republic has it's own Passports, and has had citizens and Diplomats received by thirteen Caribbean countries, Mexico, Sweden, Russia, France, Spain, Ireland and Germany. The Conch Republic has Conch-sulates in Switzerland, Havana, Maine and New Orleans.
The Conch Republic has as its stated Foreign Policy, "The Mitigation of World Tension through the Exercise of Humor." As the world's first "Fifth World" country, we exist as a "State of Mind," and aspire only to bring more Warmth, Humor and Respect to a planet we find in sore need of all three.
The Conch Republic has conch-ceived several World Firsts. We are the first country in the world to require its citizens to obey local customs as well as laws. The Conch Republic is the world's first functioning Meritocracy whereby anyone that sees a job that needs doing can do it, and be recognized in that position. We are the first country to recognize the conch-cept of the "World Principle of Human Rights and Ambitions," because what are rights without the ability to realize ambitions?
We celebrate our Independence annually in a "public and notorious manner" during a ten day Conch Republic Independence Celebration which is held in April of every year."
For more information, conch-tact: The Honorable Sir Peter Anderson, at: Office of the Secretary General P.O. Box 658, Key West, FL/CR 33041 - 6583 Phone: 305-296-0213, FAX: 305-296-8803
"I don't think you need every knife in the set in order to get everything done, We have 2 chef' knives, both a 9' and 6 inch, a good serrated knife, a pairing knife and a vegetable cleaver because I do love using a vegetable cleaver. Then, we also have our steak knives." I mentioned to him that some have remarked that even at the reasonable price, it's still a bit expensive. He answered, "Obviously life is about what you can afford. That said, to be able to get a knife for $69-$79 that will last you a lifetime, as opposed to a knife you can get for $20 that you have to replace in a year, it just seems like a pretty easy decision to me." You can purchase Michael's Knives here: Michael Symon Cutlery
