A month or so after video of a confrontation with striking workers near one of his restaurants went public, former Top Chef contestant John Tesar is apparently no longer at said restaurant. Knife Modern Steak, which is located inside the Laguna Cliffs Marriott in Dana Point, will reportedly be rebranded and turned into a new restaurant just three months after it first opened on the water about an hour or so south of Los Angeles.
The confrontation in question happened at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott. Tesar was reportedly vacationing there with his family when he went outside to confront some striking workers. They were reportedly banging drums and making a lot of noise, which the chef did not appreciate. During the argument, he allegedly broke one of the drums with a metal kitchen spoon and was caught on video saying, “take your union and shove it up your ass” and “suck my dick” among various other statements. He also called one of the workers a bad person.
Page Six reached out to management at The Laguna Cliffs Marriott, who offered the following statement…
The Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort and Spa and John Tesar have mutually agreed to end their relationship, effective immediately. The restaurant at the hotel remains open and plans to rebrand with a new upscale concept in late 2023.
Tesar has had a really up and down culinary career. He worked closely alongside chef and best selling author Anthony Bourdain, as the two rose the ranks in New York’s dining scene, but personal issues and confrontations repeatedly halted his career trajectory. In his 50s, he appeared on two seasons of Top Chef and appeared to mellow quite a bit the second time around, as he finished fourth and came off as a much more relaxed and harmonious version of himself. He later said watching himself on television helped to give him some perspective.
Fortunately for Tesar, Knife Modern Steak was not his only restaurant. The reality show contestant owns multiple steakhouses in the Dallas/ Plano area in Texas, as well as a burger spot and a fine dining place in Orlando. They’re still open and taking reservations.
As for Top Chef, the reality competition is undergoing its biggest change in well over a decade, as longtime host Padma Lakshmi is stepping aside to focus on her cooking show on Hulu Taste The Nation. Former contestant/ winner Kristen Kish, who appeared alongside Tesar in Season 10, will be taking over as host. The other core elements of the show, including standby hosts Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons, will remain the same.
