If you’ve reached the pantheon of chef stardom, chances are your knife skills are on point. But it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a good restaurateur.
Thanks to television, new celebrity chefs are being created like Dixie cups coming out of the side of a water cooler. Each new season of “Top Chef” produces one winner each and five or more new celebrity chefs. And what are people who cook for a living inclined to do? Open restaurants! After all, fans of “Top Chef” and other shows are constantly wondering what the food made by their favorite contestants or TV personalities actually tastes like. And a restaurant is the perfect canvas for such displays.
But just because you’re famous and cook food well doesn’t necessarily mean your restaurant will be a winner. And even if you’re famous, cook food well AND have previous restaurant success, everyone is closer to failure than they’d care to admit.
Here are 12 times a celebrity chef’s restaurant was overbaked, underseasoned or just plain rancid. Still want to get your favorite celeb-chef fix? We're also sharing recommendations on where to go instead.