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Chef Symon Puts Wine List On iPad At Roast

NEW YORK -- Goodbye printed wine lists and menus. Hello SmartCellar.

Beginning Monday, March 26, guests dining at Chef Michael Symon's Roast in Detroit will join his famed Lola in Cleveland in offering guests an interactive experience like none other. Thanks to SmartCellar, an Apple iPad system, these restaurants by Chef Symon will make their vast collections of wine and spirits available to guests at the touch of a fingertip.

Developed by New York-based Incentient, SmartCellar is a fully customizable, interactive guest experience operating on a 9-inch iPad and enabling two-way communication in real time.

With SmartCellar, Chef's Symon's creations are brought to life for customers in a compelling, interactive format using proprietary software offering the opportunity for boundless content delivery and customization.   The guest experience will be enhanced with new functionalities presented by Incentient at both Roast and Lola. For the first time, they will be able to select wines based on flavor profiles, see suggested sommelier pairings, select from seasonal cocktails in a cover flow format with accompanying images and much more.

Looking forward, Roast and Lola will also easily inform guests of upcoming events and special dinners taking place at the restaurants. Together, the restaurants will have nearly 50 iPads.   Roast is the 8,000-square-foot restaurant on the street level of the Westin Book Cadillac Detroit, at the corner of Washington Boulevard and State Street. The 200-seat restaurant has three sections: bar/lounge, main dining room and a semi-private area which has the capacity to open for overflow seating and blend seamlessly with the main dining area. The Detroit Free Press named Roast "Restaurant of the Year" and Michael Symon has won numerous culinary awards including the James Beard award for Best Chef Great Lakes category. Esquire Magazine also recently awarded Roast for having one of the best beer menus in the country, which will also be available via SmartCellar.

Lola is the crown jewel of Cleveland's vibrant culinary scene. Chef Symon's inventive and creative menu offers diners the opportunity to experience a modern spin on their favorite dishes, while always showcasing the best of what local purveyors are producing just miles away.  In 2000, Gourmet magazine chose Lola as one of "America's Best Restaurants."   Chef Symon, a Cleveland native, also has four other restaurants in the American Midwest and is an Iron Chef on the Food Network. In 2010, he appeared on four Food Network/Cooking Channel shows, hosting "Food Feuds" and "Cook Like an Iron Chef" judging season three of "The Next Iron Chef" and competing on "Iron Chef America." His first cookbook, "Michael Symon's Live to Cook – Recipes and Techniques to Rock Your Kitchen" was published in 2009. In September 2011, he joined the cast of "The Chew" on ABC as one of the show's six hosts and his most recent show, "Symon's Suppers" premiered on Cooking Channel in January 2012.   For more information about additional locations currently using Incentient products, go to www.Incentient.com.  For more information on Roast and Lola, go to www.RoastDetroit.com or www.LolaBistro.com.

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