{{Short description|American celebrity chef (1955–2015)}} {{Infobox chef <!-- for more information see :Template:Infobox chef/doc --> | name = Kerry Simon | image = Kerry Simon on RealTVfilms.jpg | caption = Simon in 2009 | birth_name = | birth_date ={{Birth date|1955|06|17}} | birth_place = Philadelphia, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2015|09|11|1955|06|17}} | death_place = Las Vegas, U.S. | ratings = | restaurants = | television = ''Iron Chef America'' }}
'''Kerry Glen Simon''' (June 17, 1955 – September 11, 2015) was an American celebrity chef and restaurateur based in Las Vegas. Simon was also known by the moniker "Rock n' Roll Chef", given to him by ''Rolling Stone''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hauteliving.com/2010/07/haute-dining-chef-kerry-simon-the-rock-n-roll-chef/ |title=Haute Dining: Chef Kerry Simon, the Rock-n-Roll Chef|website=Haute Living|first= Debbie|last=Hall|date=July 23, 2010}}</ref><ref>[http://www.slashfood.com/2010/06/24/rock-and-roll-chef-kerry-simon-hits-his-prime/ "Rock and Roll Chef" Kerry Simon Hits His Prime] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229140303/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/06/24/rock-and-roll-chef-kerry-simon-hits-his-prime/ |date=2012-02-29 }} Slashfood.com</ref><ref>[http://www.atlanticcityweekly.com/multimedia/kerry_simon_the_rock_n_roll_chef_debuts_simon_prime_at_ac_hilton-96962854.html Kerry Simon, the "Rock 'n' Roll Chef," debuts Simon Prime at Atlantic City Hilton] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101110210546/http://www.atlanticcityweekly.com/multimedia/kerry_simon_the_rock_n_roll_chef_debuts_simon_prime_at_ac_hilton-96962854.html |date=2010-11-10 }} ''Atlantic City Weekly''</ref> He was the executive chef and proprietor at his namesake restaurant "Simon" at Palms Place in Las Vegas. His other restaurants included Simon LA, in Los Angeles, Simon Prime in Atlantic City, New Jersey, along with KGB and Carson Kitchen in Las Vegas. He has made several television appearances, including on ''Iron Chef America'', ''Hell's Kitchen,'' ''Iron Chef USA''.
==Biography== Simon was born in Philadelphia<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/dignity-memorial/obituary.aspx?n=Kerry-Simon&lc=1009&pid=175810406&uuid=708c00ee-a3ad-4fe4-ae0f-6dd52695bd3c|title=Kerry Simon Obituary - Palm Eastern Mortuary and Cemetery | Las Vegas NV}}</ref> and grew up in Evanston, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago's North Shore region. He initially had plans to become a musician, but eventually developed a passion for cooking.<ref>[http://www.hauteliving.com/2008/04/the-special-relativity-of-kerry-simon/?page=21 The Special Relativity of Kerry Simon] ''Haute Living''</ref> Simon attended school at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.<ref>[http://lasvegasmagazine.com/2010/08/06/simon-says-burgers/ Simon Says Burgers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125004441/http://lasvegasmagazine.com/2010/08/06/simon-says-burgers/ |date=2010-11-25 }} ''Las Vegas Magazine''</ref> While in school, Simon was in an apprenticeship with Jean Morel.<ref name="Las Vegas Sun">{{cite web|url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2009/may/15/kerry-simon/ |title=Q&A: Kerry Simon|work=Las Vegas Sun|first=Mark|last=Hansel|date=May 15, 2009}}</ref>
Upon graduation, Simon worked at restaurants such as La Côte Basque and Lutece before becoming the personal chef for notable persons such as John Addey and Saul Steinberg. In 1989, Simon was hired by Ivana Trump to be the executive chef in the Plaza Hotel's Edwardian Room<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/comfort-food-from-a-rock-n-roll-chef/ |title=Comfort Food From A 'Rock 'N' Roll Chef'|first=David|last=Morgan|date=February 29, 2008|website=CBS News}}</ref> and in 1991, ''Rolling Stone'' named him one of the top personalities of the year.
In 2001, Simon was approached by Elizabeth Blau and Peter Morton about partnering in a restaurant bearing his name and showcasing his cuisine, resulting in the October 2002 opening of Simon Kitchen & Bar at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. The restaurant was selected as one of "America's Best New Restaurants" by ''Esquire''.{{citation needed|date=January 2012}}
Simon partnered with several people to open many restaurants,<ref>[http://www.vegaschatter.com/story/2010/5/21/20103/1448/vegas-travel/Kerry_Simon_to_Open_His_Own_Burger_Joint_KGB_Inside_Harrah_s Kerry Simon to Open His Own Burger Joint, KGB, Inside Harrah's] ''Vegas Chatter''</ref> such as the Blue Star, Starfish, Max's, and Mercury. He has also been a partner at Mercer Kitchen in Manhattan and executive chef/partner at Prime in Las Vegas.<ref name="Las Vegas Sun" />
In June 2013, Simon opened the Simon Mansion & Supper Club, located in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.<ref>[http://www.kerrysimon.com/pages/puntacana.html Simon Mansion & Supper Club] www.kerrysimon.com</ref>
Simon was diagnosed in 2013 with multiple-system atrophy (MSA), a degenerative neurological disorder. He died on September 11, 2015, in Las Vegas while under hospice care.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Leach|first1=Robin|title='Iron Chef' star Kerry Simon loses battle with MSA, dies peacefully in Las Vegas|url=http://lasvegassun.com/vegasdeluxe/2015/sep/11/iron-chef-star-kerry-simon-loses-battle-msa-dies-p/|accessdate=11 September 2015|work=Las Vegas Sun|date=11 September 2015}}</ref>
==Television appearances== In 2001, Simon challenged and lost to Iron Chef American Todd English (in Battle Dungeness Crab, a.k.a. ''Las Vegas Showdown'') in one of only two produced episodes of ''Iron Chef USA''.
In the second episode of the 2005 season, Simon appeared on ''Iron Chef America'', challenging and defeating Cat Cora in Battle Hamburger.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jay-weston/simon-la----kerry-simons_b_546136.html |title=Simon LA -- Kerry Simon's Sofitel Hotel Dining Room|website=The Huffington Post|first= Jay |last=Weston|date=June 26, 2010|access-date=September 12, 2015}}</ref><ref>[http://weeklyseven.com/dining/2010/may/06/kerry-simon Kerry Simon shares lessons from his efforts to perfect the hamburger] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718023552/http://weeklyseven.com/dining/2010/may/06/kerry-simon |date=2011-07-18 }}, WeeklySeven.com; May 6, 2010.</ref> He was a judge for ''Iron Chef America''. Aside from ''Iron Chef America'', he also made appearances on ''Hell's Kitchen'' (Season 8) and can also be seen on an episode of the Fine Living Network's ''What Makes it Tick''. <ref>{{IMDb name|2753725}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== *{{Official website|http://www.kerrysimon.com/}}{{dead link|date=April 2018}} *[http://www.starchefs.com/KSimon/KSimon_bio.html StarChef bio] *[http://www.simonlarestaurant.com/ Official SimonLA restaurant page] * {{IMDb name|2753725}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Simon, Kerry}} Category:1955 births Category:2015 deaths Category:20th-century American businesspeople Category:American chefs Category:American restaurateurs Category:Businesspeople from Evanston, Illinois Category:Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park alumni Category:Deaths from multiple system atrophy Category:Neurological disease deaths in Nevada Category:Mass media people from Philadelphia Category:Businesspeople from Philadelphia Category:Chefs from Pennsylvania Category:Chefs from Illinois Category:Businesspeople from the Las Vegas Valley Category:Mass media people from Las Vegas