Thursday, April 1, 2010

Ferran Adria to Open Burger Joint in South Beach

Chef Ferran Adria shook the foundations of the culinary world when he announced in January that his acclaimed restaurant, El Bulli, would be closing for two years after the 2012 season, followed shortly thereafter by the announcement that it would be closing permanently. El Bulli is widely regarded as among the top restaurants in the world, and is legendary for its cutting edge experimentation, regularly pushing the boundaries of the food universe.

The announcements regarding El Bulli were followed by much confusion and speculation as to Adria's future. Chef Adria subsequently explained that El Bulli was not so much closing permanently as it was reinventing itself as something more akin to a culinary foundation, though the nature and mission of that new incarnation remained unclear.

Inside sources have now clarified what to expect next: Chef Adria will be opening the first elBulliBurger in South Beach in the Spring of 2014. It would not be Chef Adria's first foray into fast food: his fascination with the hamburger has been well-known for years, and he's already opened a series of fast-food restaurants in Spain called "Fast Good."

According to Craig "Cootereli" MacShane, a line cook at a local restaurant who did a 1-week stage at El Bulli three years ago, "He's bored with the endless experimentation at El Bulli. I mean, how many different ways can you spherify an olive? Ferran actually told me a  couple years ago that he wanted to open a steakhouse in South Beach, but El Bulli was taking up too much of his time. Then last year he wanted to open a pizza place." Adria's fascination with pizza has also been the subject of much media speculation.

Says MacShane, "Now he's decided that what South Beach really needs is a burger place." After El Bulli closes in 2012, Adria will be applying his vast knowledge of molecular gastronomy to create the perfect hamburger. There's a good chance that his burger creation will be previewed at the 2013 South Beach Wine & Food Festival Burger Bash before the South Beach elBulliBurger officially opens for business.


10 comments:

  1. Nicely played, Frod. But I think Chef Cory cursing out Opinionated About Dining was a better April Fool's prank...

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  2. Adria is bored with "endless experimenting" and burgers will assuage his boredom?

    And Sobe "really needs another burger place?" HA! Why doesn't he just open up another steak restaurant too while he's at it?

    Oh boy, I can hardly wait to see ANOTHER over-priced burger joint on the beach! (I'm sure by 2014 most of the existing ones will be gone anyway!)

    Sorry to sound less than thrilled aobut this....

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  3. Oh, is this a joke? I hope so....!!

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  4. Well, I fooled one person, anyway ... briefly.

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  5. Can you spell: G.U.L.L.I.B.L.E?!

    I'm relieved actually but love your sense of humour! haha!

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  6. I am really curious to try take on healthier upscale fast food. Fortunately, I wont have to go all the way to Spain for that. Right here in America we'll get that opportunity. I appreciate the idea: as Ferran Adria stated, the work of simple things is ever more valuable. Now, I hope it comes with stunning tastes too.

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  7. I can't believe what I'm reading...LOL

    Did you hear that Tom Collechio is opening an ice cream parlor on Lincoln Road? Should be here in late July.

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  8. ok you had me going for a minute too! very good one....was so high and then sunk so low... haha.

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