Kerry Simon, former star of the Food Network TV show “Iron Chef,” died at the age of 60 in a Las Vegas hospice on September 11th, 2015.
His death was related to complications from Multiple System Atrophy—a degenerative neurological disorder he had been fighting for two years.
Hailing from Evanston, Illinois, Simon graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1981 and was named executive chef at the Edwardian Room, a restaurant in New York’s Plaza Hotel, at the age of 34. He later gained notoriety in 2005 following a win on “Iron Chef.”
Known for catering to celebrities like Led Zeppelin, Diane Keaton, Alice Cooper, and Mötley Crüe, Simon famously operated F&B facilities in several Las Vegas hotels, such as Palms Place and Harrah’s Hotel & Casino.
He additionally founded Simon Hospitality Group in 2013 with business partner Cory Harwell, the company’s president. Together, they opened four restaurants—Chuck’s at the Hard Rock Chicago; Simon Mansion at the Hard Rock Punta Cuna, located in the Domican Republic; Carson Kitchen in Las Vegas; and Simon Kitchen at the Hard Rock Palm Springs, located in California—with a fifth still in the pipeline.
