Go Behind-the-Scenes with Anne
Anne Burrell has no problem taking on a culinary challenge: She competed on Iron Chef America for years, and on her hit show Worst Cooks in America, she teaches totally clueless men and women how to cook. But no TV task has been as tough for her as the real-life challenge of opening a restaurant. Construction on her Brooklyn eatery, Phil & Anne’s Good Time Lounge (her business partner’s name is Phil Casaceli), took four times longer than expected, and the day before the place opened last year, disaster struck. “Thousands of dollars’ worth of plates crashed and broke on the floor. It was like a plate graveyard,” Anne says. “I just looked at this big pile of dishes and said ‘See, this is why we can’t have nice things!’ ” The good news is that once the restaurant opened, everything took a turn for the better. Cobble Hill locals started filling the place, sharing Anne’s hogs in hoodies (pigs in blankets) and meatballs, and tasting Phil’s quirky cocktails. On occasional Sunday nights, the place really lives up to its name as fans come by to watch Worst Cooks with the chef herself.
