Prime Beef: Scenes From the Burger BashA look at the burgers from Friday night’s competition in Brooklyn, featuring Michael Psilakis, Rachael Ray, and Katie Lee.
ByMichael Alan Connelly and Melissa Hom
Mediavore
Meehan Talks ‘Times’; Benoit OpensBenoit opened yesterday, Peter Meehan discusses who should replace him at the ‘Times,’ and beer shortages loom.
Mediavore
Robert Irvine’s Career Officially Over; Chodorow Plans Hot New RooftopWe’re surprised it took this long to happen, but “celebrity chef” Robert Irvine, known of late for his lies about his background, has announced that he will not proceed with the opening of two planned restaurants in St. Petersburg. [This Just In/St. Petersburg Times]
Related: Surprise, Surprise: Robert Irvine Gets the Boot From the Food Network
The best way to taste the dishes on Top Chef is to head to the toques’ post-Bravo places of employment in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and San Francisco. [Zagat Buzz]
Frank Bruni muses on the tourist-tipping problem, noting that he’s not a fan of automatic gratuity charges since they prevent diners from communicating their pleasure or irritation with the service. [Diner’s Journal/NYT]
Back of the House
Fake Ramsay Takes On Fraudulent Robert Irvine in Pseudo-BlogWe usually enjoy Newsgroper’s Gordon Ramsay blog considerably more than the man himself, but the current entry, in which “Ramsay” gives it to counterfeit knight Robert Irvine, is especially enjoyable. As Irvine was just fired from the Food Network for his impostures, and Ramsay himself is something of a put-on, a guy pretending to be Ramsay berating Irvine for pretending to be a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order just seems right.
Gordon Ramsay’s Blog: Liar, liar your apron’s on fire [Newsgroper]
Back of the House
Surprise, Surprise: Robert Irvine Gets the Boot From the Food NetworkThis must come as a surprise to no one, but the Food Network has officially given Dinner Impossible host Robert Irvine the mitten. Irvine, you may remember, was the TV chef who went around telling everybody that he was not just a knight, but Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, the penultimate rank of one of England’s major chivalric orders. Various other dubious claims were dispelled once someone checked the facts, and Irvine’s career then entered its Milli Vanilli phase. The Food Network stresses that he really is a good cook, though! Our favorite part of Irvine’s statement? “I was wrong to exaggerate in statements related to my experiences regarding the Royal Family.” It’s okay, Bob — it could happen to anybody.
Mediavore
Batali’s Celebrity Cookbook; Gisele Offends Football Fans With CabernetFor the second year in a row, Barilla has released a downloadable cookbook featuring Mario Batali’s recipes for cooking for celebs like Natalie Portman and Stanley Tucci. You may have to fill out a stupid survey to access it, but for every download Barilla is donating $1 to America’s Second Harvest. [Mouthing Off/Food & Wine]
Food Network chef Robert Irvine, whose bulging muscles put together meals on Dinner: Impossible, turns out to be huge liar, having fabricated a past that involves being a knight in England and being a full-fledged White House chef. [St. Petersburg Times via Gawker]
Irritable chef Gordon Ramsay likes to relax with a Sunday supper of roast beef, over which he likes to emphasize manners and social skills with his children. [WSJ]
