Flashy Old Montreal Restaurant Will Not Include Celebrity Chef Kerry Simon

A decade after plans to lure star chef Kerry Simon to Montreal at the then Hotel Godin (now Hotel 10) fell apart, the Las Vegas restaurateur has decided not to lend his talents to Harlow, a new project in Old Montreal from principals in Time Supper Club.

The gossip mill was in overdrive yesterday with word that the 59-year-old former Iron Chef America champ was about to touch ground in the city. A representative for Simon quickly squashed the rumour.

The operators of the Harlow project are dear friends of ours and we did have discussions about our possible involvement with the project. However, we have decided to not participate at this time in an effort to allow Kerry the opportunity to continue his fight against MSA [multiple-system atrophy, a degenerative neurological disorder]. We wish Harlow much success and we look forward to other future opportunities in the great city of Montreal.

Simon recently spoke to Esquire about his health troubles.

About five years ago, I suddenly had trouble standing up in the kitchen, my eyes hurt, and holding a knife to chop vegetables became a problem. Doctors said I had either Parkinson’s disease or multiple system atrophy (MSA), a rare neurological disorder in which your whole system eventually shuts down. I prayed for Parkinson’s. When you’re praying that you have Parkinson’s disease, you know you’re in trouble.