Rock Stars Cooking in a Restaurant? How is This Not a Television Show?
Former Hard Rock Hotel restaurant exec Lou Carrier is opening 220-seat steakhouse Bokx 109 in Newton, a wealthy Boston suburb, in early summer. (Like all restaurants, its opening was delayed.) It’ll feature loud rock music** and cooking appearances by celebrity rock chefs. The Boston Herald reports:
“We’re doing a very hip, high-end, sophisticated, modern American steakhouse,” Carrier said.
“We’re trying to add an element of energy and flare that might not be present in the market right now,” he said. “It’s going to be a music-centric environment, and there’s going to be a good sense of attitude.”
Interactive dining is key to his plans. A six-seat chef’s table with an eight-burner cook-top and ovens will be front and center in the dining room. In addition to demonstrations, the likes of Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider, KC from KC and the Sunshine Band, Sammy Hagar, Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray, Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Joan Jett will cook alongside Percoco, formerly executive chef at the Loews Hotel in Vegas.
“You’ll never know when you’re walking in who might be here,” Carrier said.
A Cape native, Carrier formed personal bonds with many celebrities while working as executive VP of the Hard Rock Hotel in Vegas, developing Hard Rock’s San Diego hotel and opening its Orlando property as general manager.
It was at the Orlando Hard Rock Hotel that he created The Kitchen, from which he’s drawing some inspiration for Bokx. Guest rockers would visit The Kitchen, don chef coats with their names (which later would be framed and hung on a wall in the restaurant) and start cooking with Percoco. The sessions were often recorded for record label promos, the artists’ management companies, hotel guests’ viewing or visiting TV shows.
Visiting TV shows? That’s nice and all, but what’s going to make this place memorable–prior to its inevitable and fabulous and litigious flameout, of course–is rock stars. Cooking. Burning themselves. Burning food. Dealing with re-fires. And angry customers.
I bet Joan Jett is the only one of those listed above with the cojones to hang in the kitchen. She ain’t taking shit. But Dee Snyder? His makeup will streak with tears. Mark McGrath is already widely reviled as the world’s biggest wuss. He’ll make that culinary wonder duo Dweezil & Lisa look like those angry thrash-metal snacks in Aqua Teen Hunger for Colon Movie Film for Theaters. And Sammy Hagar? Have you been to Cabo Wabo? (Sadly, I have.)
C’mon, MTV! Christ! Here’s your chance to hop on the food TV bandwagon, for chrissakes, and give us some memorable programming for the first time in years. Please. I’m begging.
**The music will be played over Klipsch speakers. I note that because I’ve got a set, and they’ve been the nicest thing I’ve owned for nearly two decades. Klipsch rocks.
