Education

Michael Symon grew up in Ohio State and attended Saint Richard School at North Olmsted. He then proceeded to Lakewood where he attended Saint Edward High school, where he finished in 1987. He then applied as a cook in Gepetto’s Ribs which is located at Warren Rd and worked there for a while.  He probably developed a passion for cooking while working at Geppeto’s Ribs which led to his attending the Culinary Institute of America. He graduated from the institute in 1990.

Career Experience

After graduation, Michael Symon worked as a chef in a series of restaurant in Cleveland including a Mediterranean restaurant known as Player’s which is located at Lakewood. He also worked in Piccolo Mondo in 1993 and later, Caxton Café.

In 1997, Michael Symon and his friend (Liz Shanahan) who later became his wife, established a restaurant in Tremont, a trendy neighborhood in Cleveland. He named the restaurant, Lola, after his aunt.  The neighborhood was just opening up at this period. Michael Symon was able to acquire a successful pioneer Tremont restaurant from Lynda Khoury and Gerry Groh.

Lola within a few years became very popular in Tremont and was reputed by Gourmet Magazine to be among the best restaurants in America in the year 2000. In 2005, he renamed Lola as Lolita and reestablished Lola in the downtown area of Celeveland in 2016.

He opened another restaurant in 2006 on the 15th of April which he called Parea in the city of New York. Parea is a Greek work which implies company or a group of friends. He left the new restaurant under the care of Jonathon Sawyer, whom he trained at Lolita.

In 2008, he opened yet another restaurant, which he called Roast, in Westin Book Cadillac Hotel which was located in Detroit. In 2009, he established Bay Symon in Ohio where tavern food casual concepts were served. He further opened a similar restaurant in Woodmere town in Ohio.

Over the next years, he recorded more successes opening more restaurant and contributing his recipes to Cleveland Cavailers.

He has appeared on a number of television programmes since 2005. Some of the tv shows include co-hosting a talk show on ABC networks, Food Feuds, and Cleveland OH among others. He has also won a number of awards include Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host which was awarded to him by Daytime Emmy Award in 2015, Best Cleveland Local  Chef awarded to him in 2007  by Cleveland magazine and winner of Iron Chef in 2007.

Personal Life

Michael Symon is happily married to his business partner, Liz Shanahan. Liz Shanahan had  a son, Kyle, who was 2 years old when she met Symon.

Publications

Michael Symon was featured in a book titled The Soul of a Chef by Michael Ruhlman, in 2001. He also co-wrote Michael Symon’s Live to Cook in 2009. He also co-wrote a number of books with crew members of the Chew Show.