During frequent Food Network appearances, Iron Chef and Roast owner Michael Symon has been known for his disarming hearty laugh and perpetual smile. But the cheery Cleveland chef isn't in the mood to play nice with presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who will be in Symon's home town for the Republican National Convention later this month.
"There's not a chance I'd let him into one of my restaurants," Symon said of Trump during a surprise call-in Thursday to The Ken Carman Show, a Cleveland sports-talk radio show on 92.3-FM The Fan.
Co-host Anthony Lima pushed back: "Wait a second! He's going to want to experience the fare in Cleveland. People are going to send him in your direction."
Symon replied that his ban had little to do with party politics.
"Look, I come from a mixed political family, which is always fun around this time," Symon said with a trademark chuckle. "I've been fortunate or unfortunate enough to meet him through the years. I'm not going to lie, he creeps me out a little bit."
Lima warned Symon that he could be turning off potential patrons.
Symon reiterated that it wasn't a Republican or Democrat thing.
"It's just that he creeps me out," he said.
Symon had called in to the radio show to respond to Detroit sports media personality Matt Dery, who was filling in for the vacationing Ken Carman. Dery, who said he frequented Roast in Detroit, complained about seating issues at Symon's Mabel's BBQ in downtown Cleveland.
The conversation turned to Trump when Lima asked if Symon would be hosting the Republican nominee during any RNC-related parties at his Cleveland restaurants.
Symon is a James Beard Award-winning chef who has been credited for reviving Cleveland's dining scene with popular downtown restaurants Lola, Mabel's BBQ and B Spot. Michael Symon's Roast, on the ground floor of the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel, has led the dining revival in downtown Detroit since opening in 2008. It was named Detroit Free Press Restaurant of the Year in 2009.
The Republican National Convention will be held at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland July 18-21.
