I recently had the pleasure of meeting Chef Kerry Simon at his wonderful Las Vegas culinary venture, Simon Kitchen and Bar, in the Hard Rock Hotel. The extremely talented Chef Kerry Simon is always up for a challenge, and it is that factor which has driven him throughout life. Simon says, "For me, it has always been about the experience." His background has earned him an international reputation as one of the most respected and innovative chefs in the business. Despite great fame and success, Simon is very real and unpretentious when he says, "I'm a cook. I love cooking."

Simon, 49, grew up in Evanston, a suburb of Chicago. His dad was a good cook, making a lot of Chinese dishes. Simon helped his uncle cook for parties at nightclubs while attending art school and creating charcoal drawings. Music was his passion. As he cooked at an upscale Italian restaurant and drove a cab to earn money to buy a guitar, Simon discovered his passion for the culinary profession.

At the age of 20, Simon enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. His formal culinary education was augmented with an intensive two-year French internship at John Morel's 3-star L'hostellerie Bressene.

Following his internship, Simon was classically trained in French cuisine under some of the most prominent culinary master chefs, including Jean-Jacques Rachou at La Cote Basque and La Lavandou, and as a chef de partie at Andre Soltner's Lutece. He was offered a position in London as a Personal Chef, broadening his culinary knowledge. Simon returned to New York as a Personal Chef to New York insurance tycoon, Saul Steinberg, where he catered to the elite of New York society.

As big changes began to occur in American cuisine, Simon returned to the restaurant scene. Seeking the most valuable training, Simon offered to work for free as a sous chef at Louis Outhier's Lafayette under the direction of Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Following his experience as a sous chef, and pastry chef, Simon's next move was to the intense kitchens of the Trump's Plaza Hotel in 1981. After meeting Ivana Trump, he was immediately hired. At 31, he was the youngest chef of the Edwardian room, where he began catering to celebrity palates and gained a reputation.

In 1997, Simon was contacted again by Vongerichten and was offered the challenging position of cuisine-and-design developer for the Vong International. His responsibilities included investigating prospective locations for the Vong Empire, troubleshooting in worldwide locations and all aspects of training. After meeting with Wynn and Elizabeth Blau, Simon became involved with the food and beverage management of the Bellagio hotel while acting as the Executive Chef- Partner at Prime.

In October 2002, at the top of his game and to the delight of his fans and guests, Kerry Simon opened Simon Kitchen and Bar at the Hard Rock Hotel. Simon and successful restaurant developer, Elizabeth Blau, have created a sophisticated and comfortable eatery with a 'neighborhood' atmosphere for guests to casually relax, have fun and enjoy superb cuisine. Serving dinner 7 nights a week, the menu features American food that is appealing to everyone. 'Simon says', "I want guests to have fun and have things the way they want them. I make something simple and turn it into something special."