A ‘new look’ brand new series of this hugely popular programme is back and, as before, a high-profile personality is given the chance – and the challenge – to be a chef for the night. Ernie’s in Donnybrook is the venue for the new series and a new professional chef joins the now familiar kitchen crew. Also in this new series, Tom and Paulo get to prove their expertise(!) by blind-testing the wines (a 10 euro and 25 euro bottle each week) – let’s see if they really know their stuff?
The “mystery chef” in Programme 1 of this new series is Simon Delaney (see biog below).
Simon enjoys cooking when he can find time in his busy schedule, which in 2005 also includes planning his own wedding. He favours simple Italian food, with an emphasis on good flavours and easily available ingredients. One of his favourite restaurants is The Trocadero in Dublin, a regular haunt for Dublin’s theatrical community. He particularly loves their deep-fried Brie and is delighted to be able to include his own version of this dish on his menu for The Restaurant. Simon understands that the secret to running a good kitchen is teamwork and he’s looking forward to directing operations with a minimum of ‘theatrical fuss’. Simon hopes to get a standing ovation from the critics but will his menu bring the curtain down early?
As before, each ‘chef’ will create and cook a full dinner menu in a real restaurant. The diners will be real diners, and among them each week will be a critics table with three top food critics ready to give an instant verdict and a star rating from one to five. The resident critics are Tom Doorley and Paolo Tullio, with one other guest critic each week. The guest critic for the first show is Kevin Dundon of Dunbrody House. The identity of the “mystery chef” will remain secret to all in “The Restaurant” until after the meal – but before the critics’ verdict is delivered.
The celebrities who become chefs for a night will be people who have a secret passion (and, who knows, perhaps even a real talent) for cooking. Now they have the opportunity to “go pro” for one night and serve up a real restaurant meal.
But they won’t be all on their own. They will get expert advice – and the highly trained regular staff of “The Restaurant” will work with them at all times – even when they don’t agree with the approach and ideas of the new chef.
The celebrity chef’s menu must contain three appetisers and a soup or salad, two main dishes and three puddings. He / she will also be expected to create a wine list and in this new series this list must include one bottle costing 10 euro and one bottle costing 25 euro.
SIMON DELANEY
Dublin born Simon Delaney is a man who has worn many different hats during his life. He has been a sales rep, a director of stage musicals and has become one of the best known faces on television as an actor and presenter. Most of us will remember him as the ne’er do well lawyer, Michael, one of the characters from the hit TV drama “Bachelors Walk”. That show put his Simon firmly on the road to acting success. He has since starred in the West End in “Stones In Their Pockets”, appeared in a BBC sitcom, “Pulling Moves” and in Shay Healy’s musical “The Wiremen” at the Gaeity Theatre. He recently made his debut as a television presenter on RTE 1 with “Chain Reactions”, a documentary series highlighting the radical changes in Irish society over the last 25 years.
Simon’s real love is musical theatre and his ambition is to star in or direct “Cabaret” on Broadway. He’d also like to make it big in Hollywood – “But, knowing my luck,” he says, “it’d probably be Hollywood, County Down!”.
Simon enjoys cooking when he can find time in his busy schedule, which in 2005 also includes having to plan his own wedding. He favours simple Italian food, with an emphasis on good flavours and easily available ingredients. One of his favourite restaurants is The Trocadero in Dublin, a regular haunt for Dublin’s theatrical community. He loves their deep-fried Brie and is delighted to be able to include his own version of this dish on his menu for The Restaurant.