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Fine-dining’s Simon mans the kitchen of a new cathedral of karaoke

Fine-dining’s Simon mans the kitchen of a new cathedral of karaoke

NEW YORK Spotlight Live, which brings to New York’s Times Square an interactive dining and live-performance venue featuring modern riffs on classic American cuisine. —Las Vegas culinary sensation Kerry Simon has migrated back east with his latest venture,

Simon—chef-owner of Simon Kitchen in Las Vegas, Simon LA in Los Angeles and Impala in San Francisco—teamed up again with his partner in the Las Vegas and Los Angeles restaurants, Elizabeth Blau, and with film executive-turned-restaurant developer Jen Worthington to open the 350-seat Spotlight Live earlier this month. —Las Vegas culinary sensation Kerry Simon has migrated back east with his latest venture,

The new restaurant mixes advanced technology with ambitious fare, while cashing in on consumers’ desire for 15 minutes of fame. Spotlight Live brings karaoke to a whole new level, complete with stages, performance tips, a prep room and a billboard-size outdoor screen that allows much of Times Square to catch the act. —Las Vegas culinary sensation Kerry Simon has migrated back east with his latest venture,

The 23,000-square-foot operation, which was designed by Haverson Architecture and Design of Greenwich, Conn., boasts four floors and four bars with a total capacity of 650 guests. The outlet also has two stages and a private recording booth. A behind-the-scenes green room “helps guests prep for their performance, offering backstage advice from choreographers as well as professional hair and makeup artists,” according to promotional materials. —Las Vegas culinary sensation Kerry Simon has migrated back east with his latest venture,

Interactive tabletops enable viewers to rate and comment on customers’ performances, as well as chat online with other guests. —Las Vegas culinary sensation Kerry Simon has migrated back east with his latest venture,

But guests aren’t the only ones who can follow the amateur performances. A 26-foot-by-40-foot television screen on the outside of the building shows streaming video of the performers inside. The video images are also available on Spotlight Live’s website. —Las Vegas culinary sensation Kerry Simon has migrated back east with his latest venture,

“The restaurant crosses every demographic,” Worthington said. “Everybody comes together for a totally unique experience. You’re a very interactive part of the venue. Everybody that comes in here walks out with a smile on their face.” —Las Vegas culinary sensation Kerry Simon has migrated back east with his latest venture,

In addition to serving as associate producer for the movie “Coyote Ugly,” Worthington has opened bars with that name in New York and Las Vegas. She said America’s obsession with fame and reality TV was her inspiration for Spotlight Live. —Las Vegas culinary sensation Kerry Simon has migrated back east with his latest venture,

“Coyote Ugly involved interactive entertainment,” Worthington said. “Everyone wants to take a piece of that entertainment home with them, so I decided to take it to the next level with Spotlight Live.” —Las Vegas culinary sensation Kerry Simon has migrated back east with his latest venture,

Simon said he was attracted to the venue because it was so different. “I really liked the idea of Spotlight Live,” he said. “Jen has the reputation for taking chances and making things really cool. Also, New York is a different market for me. There’s Internet and karaoke but there’s also good food. How many restaurants in Times Square have good food?” —Las Vegas culinary sensation Kerry Simon has migrated back east with his latest venture,

Spotlight Live’s menu features several American classics with a twist, such as “Central Park” pigs in a blanket with spicy mustard and relish and French onion dip with homemade potato chips; popcorn shrimp with lemon grass aïoli and chile ponzu; macaroni and cheese; and cotton candy for dessert. Simon also offers his own version of Sno Cones and Hostess cupcakes. —Las Vegas culinary sensation Kerry Simon has migrated back east with his latest venture,

Among the entrées, whose average price is $22, are pretzel-crusted pork chops with sweet potato mash; spaghetti and meatballs with cheese garlic bread; and Simon’s signature Iron Chef mini-burgers with bacon, Cheddar cheese and truffle fries. —Las Vegas culinary sensation Kerry Simon has migrated back east with his latest venture,

“The menu has something for everybody,” Simon said. “It’s fun food that you like to eat. I was nervous that people might misunderstand that it’s a Kerry Simon restaurant but not a Kerry Simon concept.” —Las Vegas culinary sensation Kerry Simon has migrated back east with his latest venture,

Blau explained: “A signature Kerry Simon restaurant would be more intensive. [Spotlight Live] is casual. It has Simon’s great food product, but it’s not fine-dining.” —Las Vegas culinary sensation Kerry Simon has migrated back east with his latest venture,

Worthington, who spearheaded the concept, said she knew she “needed somebody phenomenal” to create the menu for Spotlight Live. —Las Vegas culinary sensation Kerry Simon has migrated back east with his latest venture,

“I’ve known Kerry Simon for several years, and I love his food,” Worthington said. “I just knew he’d be perfect. The menu at Spotlight Live is nostalgic for the adults and exciting for the kids. The food is as theatrical as the entertainment. It was a very easy partnership. We complement each other.” —Las Vegas culinary sensation Kerry Simon has migrated back east with his latest venture,

Worthington likens the operation of Spotlight Live to running a three-ring circus. “We really are three businesses under one roof,” she said. “We have retail, food and beverage, and entertainment. The nice thing is that there’s really a magic to this. The hard work does matter. To be able to personalize the DVDs and photos [of customers’ performances]—it’s really something special.” —Las Vegas culinary sensation Kerry Simon has migrated back east with his latest venture,

A variety of merchandise is sold at the venue as well as online, including vintage rock ’n’ roll T-shirts, hats, personalized rock ’n’ roll posters, CDs and DVDs. —Las Vegas culinary sensation Kerry Simon has migrated back east with his latest venture,

“Spotlight Live is about having something fun and something to remember,” Simon said. “You can get up on stage and take a chance. Karaoke is so popular because you’ve got the stage all to yourself for those minutes of the performance. Whether you’re a business man, parent or teenager, you have the opportunity to be something else for a few minutes.” —Las Vegas culinary sensation Kerry Simon has migrated back east with his latest venture,

The trio plans to expand the concept in Las Vegas next, followed by outlets in Orlando, Fla., and smaller cities nationwide. —Las Vegas culinary sensation Kerry Simon has migrated back east with his latest venture,

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