# Michael Symon
**Michael Symon** (born 1969) is an American chef, restaurateur, author, and television personality based in Cleveland, Ohio, known for his restaurants Lola and Mabel's BBQ, his long run as an [Iron Chef](https://www.edgepedia.org/iron-chef) on the [Food Network](https://www.edgepedia.org/food-network), and his role as a co-host of ABC's daytime series *The Chew*.[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/126134/michael-symon) • [2](https://www.michaelsymon.com/bio/) His cooking draws on the Greek, Sicilian, and Eastern European foodways of his family and of [Cleveland](https://www.edgepedia.org/cleveland) itself, and he is widely credited with putting the city's dining scene on the national map.[2](https://www.michaelsymon.com/bio/) • [3](https://www.thisiscleveland.com/getattachment/media/press-resources/Why-Cleveland/cleveland-cuisine/Culinary-Restaurants.pdf?lang=en-US)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1969, Cleveland, Ohio[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2841297/) |
| Training | Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York; graduated 1990[5](https://www.pickuptable4.com/chefs/michael-symon/) |
| Flagship restaurant | Lola Bistro, opened 1997 in Tremont with his wife Liz Shanahan; moved to East 4th Street in 2005; closed permanently in 2020[5](https://www.pickuptable4.com/chefs/michael-symon/) • [6](https://case.edu/ech/articles/l/lola-bistro) |
| Major awards | Food & Wine Best New Chef, 1998; James Beard Foundation Award, Best Chef: Great Lakes, 2009[2](https://www.michaelsymon.com/bio/) • [7](https://archive.jamesbeard.org/chef/michael-symon) |
| Television | Iron Chef America (2008–2017); co-host of ABC's The Chew (2011–2018); current co-host of 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing[5](https://www.pickuptable4.com/chefs/michael-symon/) • [8](https://www.foodnetwork.com/profiles/talent/michael-symon) |
| Books | Six cookbooks, four of them New York Times bestsellers; first was *Michael Symon's Live to Cook* (2009)[2](https://www.michaelsymon.com/bio/) • [8](https://www.foodnetwork.com/profiles/talent/michael-symon) |
| Current restaurants | Mabel's BBQ (Cleveland), Angeline (Atlantic City), Bar Symon airport locations, and Roast (Detroit)[2](https://www.michaelsymon.com/bio/) • [9](https://diningoutjersey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DOJS_SPRING-25_FINAL-WEB-READY-compressed.pdf) |
## Early life and training
Symon grew up in a Greek and Sicilian family in the Cleveland area and has said that food was always central to how he was raised.[10](https://media.heightsobserver.org/issue_pdfs/TheHeightsObserver_Vol_06_Issue_11.pdf) A broken arm ended his high school wrestling career at St. Edward's in Lakewood, and he took a part-time job as a rib cook at Geppetto's restaurant, his first kitchen job.[10](https://media.heightsobserver.org/issue_pdfs/TheHeightsObserver_Vol_06_Issue_11.pdf) • [2](https://www.michaelsymon.com/bio/) After graduating from high school in 1987 he attended the Culinary Institute of America in [Hyde Park, New York](https://www.edgepedia.org/hyde-park-new-york), graduating in 1990, with internships in Manhattan kitchens along the way.[10](https://media.heightsobserver.org/issue_pdfs/TheHeightsObserver_Vol_06_Issue_11.pdf) • [5](https://www.pickuptable4.com/chefs/michael-symon/)
Back in Cleveland, he worked at the neighborhood hangout Players on Madison and then, at 21, ran the large kitchen at Piccolo Mondo in the Warehouse District; local media christened the pierced and bearded young chef Cleveland's "rock and roll chef" during his time as executive chef at the Caxton Café.[11](https://www.clevescene.com/food-drink/symon-stays-1488433/) It was at Players and then the Caxton Café that he met Liz Shanahan, who became his general manager and later his wife; the two married in 1993.[12](https://clevelandmagazine.com/articles/laugh-track/) • [5](https://www.pickuptable4.com/chefs/michael-symon/)
## Lola and the Cleveland restaurants
**Lola.** In 1997 Symon and Liz Shanahan opened Lola Bistro on Tremont Avenue, named after his aunt. The couple opened it for $125,000, and on opening day Symon borrowed $200 from his father because they had only $8 left in their account.[13](https://clevelandmagazine.com/articles/the-cleveland-50-chef-michael-symon-opens-lola-in-tremont/) On the eve of opening, Symon changed the menu to Midwestern food, the style that became his signature.[14](https://businessjournaldaily.com/celebrity-chef-michael-symon-shares-recipe-success/) A year after opening, Food & Wine named him one of its Best New Chefs for 1998; he said at the time that he was the first chef from Ohio, and the first from the Midwest outside Chicago, to receive the honor.[6](https://case.edu/ech/articles/l/lola-bistro) • [10](https://media.heightsobserver.org/issue_pdfs/TheHeightsObserver_Vol_06_Issue_11.pdf) In 2000, Gourmet magazine chose Lola as one of "America's Best Restaurants," and the restaurant was later named Cleveland's Best Restaurant on 18 occasions.[2](https://www.michaelsymon.com/bio/)
In 2005 Lola moved to a larger space on East 4th Street downtown, where it became a cornerstone of the street's revitalization; its signature beef cheek pierogi was named to Forbes' top 10 food dishes of 2015.[6](https://case.edu/ech/articles/l/lola-bistro) Cleveland Magazine's 2008 "Influentials" profile credited Lola's success with convincing a generation of local chefs that they could open chef-driven restaurants in their hometown.[15](https://clevelandmagazine.com/articles/the-influentials-michael-symon/) Lola closed permanently in 2020 after pandemic-era sales fell to 30 percent of their previous level, according to Symon's business partner Doug Petkovic.[6](https://case.edu/ech/articles/l/lola-bistro)
**Expansion.** Symon waited roughly a decade before opening a second restaurant, Lolita, in the original Tremont space after Lola moved downtown.[12](https://clevelandmagazine.com/articles/laugh-track/) In 2008 he opened Roast in Detroit; the *Detroit Free Press* named it "Restaurant of the Year" in 2009, the same year he won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: [Great Lakes](https://www.edgepedia.org/great-lakes).[10](https://media.heightsobserver.org/issue_pdfs/TheHeightsObserver_Vol_06_Issue_11.pdf) • [2](https://www.michaelsymon.com/bio/) Mabel's BBQ opened on East 4th Street in Cleveland in 2014, incorporating Bertman's ballpark mustard into its barbecue sauce; its first lunch service drew a line out the door and down the street.[5](https://www.pickuptable4.com/chefs/michael-symon/) • [16](https://www.crain.com/?portfolio=4861) Later ventures include B Spot Burgers, recognized by Bon Appetit and Food & Wine on their list of "Top 10 Best Burger Joints" and a five-time People's Choice Award winner at the SoBe Wine & Food Festival; Angeline at the Borgata in Atlantic City (2016); and the Bar Symon airport restaurant group.[2](https://www.michaelsymon.com/bio/) • [5](https://www.pickuptable4.com/chefs/michael-symon/)
## Television
Symon made his Food Network debut in 1998 with appearances on *Sara's Secrets*, *Ready, Set, Cook*, and *Food Nation with Bobby Flay*, and went on to host more than 100 episodes of *The Melting Pot*.[8](https://www.foodnetwork.com/profiles/talent/michael-symon) His national breakthrough came when he won *The Next Iron Chef*. Sources disagree on the details: Food Network's own profile says he won Season 1 in 2008, while a career timeline published elsewhere says he won season 2 in 2007, beating John Besh in the finale.[8](https://www.foodnetwork.com/profiles/talent/michael-symon) • [5](https://www.pickuptable4.com/chefs/michael-symon/) Either way, the title earned him a permanent seat on the [Iron Chef America](https://www.edgepedia.org/iron-chef-america) panel, where he competed through 2017.[8](https://www.foodnetwork.com/profiles/talent/michael-symon) • [5](https://www.pickuptable4.com/chefs/michael-symon/)
In September 2011 he joined ABC's *The Chew* as one of its five hosts; the Emmy-winning show ran until 2018.[17](https://vetricucina.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/michael-symon-biography.pdf) • [2](https://www.michaelsymon.com/bio/) His other Food Network work has included *Burgers, Brew & 'Que*, *Food Feuds*, *Symon's Dinners Cooking Out* (2019), and *BBQ USA* (2021), and he currently co-hosts *24 in 24: Last Chef Standing*.[8](https://www.foodnetwork.com/profiles/talent/michael-symon) • [5](https://www.pickuptable4.com/chefs/michael-symon/) In 2010 he became the first chef ever to host the annual [Farm Aid](https://www.edgepedia.org/farm-aid) benefit concert.[2](https://www.michaelsymon.com/bio/)
## Books and current projects
Symon's first cookbook, *Michael Symon's Live to Cook: Recipes and Techniques to Rock Your Kitchen*, appeared in 2009 with home cook-friendly recipes drawn from his heritage.[8](https://www.foodnetwork.com/profiles/talent/michael-symon) He has since published six cookbooks, four of them New York Times bestsellers; his two bestselling books on healthy eating, *Fix It with Food* (2019) and its 2021 sequel, address autoimmune issues and inflammation.[2](https://www.michaelsymon.com/bio/) • [9](https://diningoutjersey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DOJS_SPRING-25_FINAL-WEB-READY-compressed.pdf)
**Reunion projects.** Symon has returned to the format of *The Chew* with his former co-hosts: *Chewed Up*, a YouTube and podcast series with [Carla Hall](https://www.edgepedia.org/carla-hall) and Clinton Kelly, and *Simply Symons*, a YouTube series he films at home with his wife Liz.[18](https://nycwff.org/personality/michael-symon/) The two appear under the All Chewed Up network, which the three hosts own and operate with Simple Alien Productions.[19](https://www.allchewedup.com/home-1) Through the Symon Foundation Inc., a 501(c)(3) founded in 2010, he and Liz support causes including autism research, food pantries, and aid to restaurant industry workers.[9](https://diningoutjersey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DOJS_SPRING-25_FINAL-WEB-READY-compressed.pdf)
## Cleveland influence
Symon's career is closely tied to his city's. The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History describes Lola as a symbol of the downtown restaurant scene's revival, and Cleveland's own tourism materials credit him with bringing the city's food scene to the national spotlight.[6](https://case.edu/ech/articles/l/lola-bistro) • [3](https://www.thisiscleveland.com/getattachment/media/press-resources/Why-Cleveland/cleveland-cuisine/Culinary-Restaurants.pdf?lang=en-US) Restaurant Business magazine placed him on its Power 20 list of the food industry's most influential figures, and the food writer [Anthony Bourdain](https://www.edgepedia.org/anthony-bourdain) called him "quite simply, Cleveland's best known, highest profile and most influential chef."[16](https://www.crain.com/?portfolio=4861) • [20](https://clevelandartsprize.org/artists/michael-ruhlman-and-michael-symon/) His central culinary argument, as one profile summarizes it, is that Midwestern American cooking built on Cleveland's Greek, Sicilian, Eastern European, and working-class foodways deserves fine-dining treatment.[5](https://www.pickuptable4.com/chefs/michael-symon/)
## References
1. [Michael Symon, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/126134/michael-symon)
2. [Michael Symon, official biography](https://www.michaelsymon.com/bio/)
3. [Cleveland Cuisine: Culinary & Restaurants, Destination Cleveland](https://www.thisiscleveland.com/getattachment/media/press-resources/Why-Cleveland/cleveland-cuisine/Culinary-Restaurants.pdf?lang=en-US)
4. [Michael Symon, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2841297/)
5. [Michael Symon: American Chef and Iron Chef, PickupTable4](https://www.pickuptable4.com/chefs/michael-symon/)
6. [Lola Bistro, Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, Case Western Reserve University](https://case.edu/ech/articles/l/lola-bistro)
7. [Michael Symon, James Beard Foundation](https://archive.jamesbeard.org/chef/michael-symon)
8. [Michael Symon, Food Network profile](https://www.foodnetwork.com/profiles/talent/michael-symon)
9. [Taste-Maker, Dining Out Jersey Shore, Spring 2025](https://diningoutjersey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DOJS_SPRING-25_FINAL-WEB-READY-compressed.pdf)
10. [Get to work, Heights Observer](https://media.heightsobserver.org/issue_pdfs/TheHeightsObserver_Vol_06_Issue_11.pdf)
11. [Symon Stays, Cleveland Scene](https://www.clevescene.com/food-drink/symon-stays-1488433/)
12. [Laugh Track, Cleveland Magazine](https://clevelandmagazine.com/articles/laugh-track/)
13. [The Cleveland 50: Chef Michael Symon Opens Lola in Tremont, Cleveland Magazine](https://clevelandmagazine.com/articles/the-cleveland-50-chef-michael-symon-opens-lola-in-tremont/)
14. [Celebrity Chef Michael Symon Shares Recipe for Success, Business Journal Daily](https://businessjournaldaily.com/celebrity-chef-michael-symon-shares-recipe-success/)
15. [The Influentials: Michael Symon, Cleveland Magazine](https://clevelandmagazine.com/articles/the-influentials-michael-symon/)
16. [Michael Symon, Crain Communications](https://www.crain.com/?portfolio=4861)
17. [Michael Symon biography, Vetri Cucina](https://vetricucina.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/michael-symon-biography.pdf)
18. [Symon, Michael, NYC Wine & Food Festival](https://nycwff.org/personality/michael-symon/)
19. [About Us, All Chewed Up](https://www.allchewedup.com/home-1)
20. [Michael Ruhlman and Michael Symon, Cleveland Arts Prize](https://clevelandartsprize.org/artists/michael-ruhlman-and-michael-symon/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Food, customs, and everyday culture › Food, cooking and hospitality › Restaurants, chefs, and culinary practice › Chefs, culinary professions, and hospitality › Television and celebrity chefs › American television chefs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license