Cotes du Coeur: On the Line with Iron Chef Kerry Simon

It’s been a long, long time since I waited by the phone, poised for that all-important call from a special someone.  But that’s exactly what I was doing Friday afternoon when I learned that I would get a call from celebrity chef Kerry Simon. I’d spent a few days communicating through several intermediaries and having learned that he was finally going to get back with me—well, frankly, I was a little giddy.

I wanted to touch base with him about his upcoming role as the first out-of-town chef contributing his time and talent to Cotes du Coeur.  Simon has all those great restaurants to run in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco— Simon LA, Simon Kitchen and Bar, and the Impala—so I knew his finding time for even a short interview would be a challenge. To further complicate things, I also knew that he had just wrapped up shooting an episode of Hell’s Kitchen in LA. Still, I hoped I could snag about 10 minutes of his time.

One of the middle-men (or more accurately, middle-women) had tipped me off that he was likely to answer the phone if I sent a text first, so I got out my iPhone and texted away. Within seconds, I was texting with Kerry Simon and my foodie excitement knew no bounds.

Chef Simon eventually called me, and we talked about how he became involved with Cotes du Coeur because Brad Belleto of Vision360 Design, who we profiled here, asked him to participate.

“I try to help as many ways as I can,” Simon said. “I’ve helped with causes from cancer to after-school food programs. When I work with charities, and I see how tough some people have it, I’m reminded that I’m very lucky to have a nice home and plenty of food. Because of that, I feel a need to reach out and touch other people’s lives.”

He likes the Dallas food scene because there are “a lot of foodies,” and Dean Fearing is a good friend. He’s looked at possible projects around Dallas, but he hasn’t found that just-right opportunity yet.

He has more TV appearances coming up, including one on a reality show, but he emphasized that it’s not the main focus of what he does. The food comes first, and TV is just another way of pulling people into the restaurants.  He said when he sees a lot of people eating, talking, and enjoying themselves, it’s like being part of an extended family, sitting around the table and having dinner together.

After chatting a while longer, it was time for him to go, and I admitted that I was going to be name-dropping him like crazy for the next few weeks. That made him laugh.

So, let the name-dropping begin—Kerry Simon, winner of Iron Chef Battle Hamburger, the chef that Rolling Stone Magazine has called one of America’s greatest chefs, the “Rock and Roll Chef,” is coming to Dallas for Cotes du Coeur.  And I’ve texted him.

Cotes du Coeur benefits the American Heart Association, and the Gala event will be held at the Hilton Anatole on April 10. For more Cotes du Coeur information, visit www.dallaswineauction.com.

Rebecca Marmaduke is Cotes du Coeur Editor for EscapeHatchDallas