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Michael Symon has a cadre of haunts he hits in whatever city he happens to be in and he shares some of them in the new Food Network series "Burgers, Brew & 'Que." As the title suggests, the half-hour series, which premieres Friday, July 17, is all about hamburgers, craft beers and barbecued meat, or what Symon calls "my three favorite food groups," as he hits joints, full-service restaurants and even upscale eateries in New York City, Nashville, Tenn., and his hometown of Cleveland. "It's really kind of like the joints and places that I've discovered over 30 years of cooking professionally," he says, "that you could sneak out to and have a really ice cold beer and some delicious, simple food." In the opening episode, Symon heads to Nashville and Hattie B's to try its traditional hot chicken. "It's a style of chicken that started in Nashville about 60-70 years ago," Symon explains. "... Essentially after they fry the chicken they take a little bit of the fat from the fryer and mix it with a bunch of chillies and different kinds of powders and hot sauces. And when the chicken comes out of the fryer, they toss it again in that superhot oil. … Usually when you go, you can get just plain fried chicken, a little spicy, spicy, spicier and then insanely spicy. ... . The place we went, the superhot one they called 'Shut the Cluck Up.' " The temperature then comes down a few degrees in New York, where Symon hits Mighty Quinn's to sample the brontosaurus beef ribs, where the meat is tasty and tender but not falling off the bone. "Proper barbecue should never completely come off the bone," he says. "When you bite into it, it should have a little bit of resistance, where you would actually see your teeth marks in the meat. So it's smoked for a long time. I think that one was done like 15 or 16 hours, so it had a really deep smoked flavor and a great smoke ring and wonderful bark." Then there is the brunch burger at Cleveland's Flying Fig, which has a very unusual topping. "The brunch burger was at an old friend of mine's restaurant, Karen Small," Symon says. "She does an insane brunch at her restaurant, and one of the things she does at brunch is a burger with locally sourced beef, locally sourced bacon, homemade bun, a fried egg on top. Just really delicious." What book are you currently reading? "My son just got it for me yesterday. It's called 'Historic Shops & Restaurants of New York.' It's a book about the history of New York and essentially restaurants, butcher shops and regular shops that have been there more than 60 years." What did you have for dinner last night? "I'm actually finishing it off right now. I had pizza (laughs). New York- style pie, fresh mozzarella, very light cheese, very light sauce, nice and charred on the crust with some fresh basil." What is your next project? "We're opening up a barbecue restaurant in Cleveland called Mabel's." When was the last vacation you took, where and why? "The last vacation I took was last summer, it was in the Hamptons and it was because my son lives there." Symon hits personal favorites for 'Burgers, Brew & 'Que' Michael Symon BY GEORGE DICKIE Welcome back to Jurassic Park ... only now, it's Jurassic World. Two sequels and more than 20 years after the original cinematic trip to the turf created by novelist Michael Crichton and brought to life by director Steven Spielberg, the modern attraction where DNA-spawned dinosaurs roam is getting an upgrade. And anyone who knows anything about the franchise knows to anticipate more of the things mankind shouldn't mess with. With Spielberg still on board as an executive producer, "Jurassic World" supplies pretty much what anyone would expect in comparison to the original – louder mayhem and better special effects – but ultimately, it's less filling. For all that can be done technically now, it's tough to create the complete Spielberg brand of movie magic unless Spielberg actually is calling all the shots, and so it is here. That said, if all you're seeking is another thrill ride through a modern land of cloned dinos, "Jurassic World" is that. Bryce Dallas Howard plays a deputy of the park's current owner, who wants something new to keep the public interested in coming to the place (also named Isla Nublar, which the "Jurassic" faithful will know). Enter B.D. Wong, back in his "Jurassic Park" role as a scientist who now comes up with the new hybrid Indominus Rex. Anybody want to place a bet on how long it will take before that creation gets to run rampant, imperiling anyone and everyone within arm's, tail's or jaw's reach? Put it this way: After the typically tranquil build-up, "Jurassic World" gets down to the business moviegoers came to see, and the effects team does another seamless job providing the visual excitement. One of the biggest beneficiaries of that is Chris Pratt, adding his now- trademarked left-of-center humor as a "dinosaur whisperer" of sorts, able to exude a certain amount of control over the otherwise fearsome remnants of the prehistoric past. "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" alum Vincent D'Onofrio also is notable among the new stars as a would-be commander of dinos-as-soldiers, as if such an army would ever happen. Have we been here before? Well, of course we have, but it's been a sufficient amount of time that what "Jurassic World" puts forth seems relatively fresh again. Director Colin Trevorrow and the writers know not to stray too far from the proven recipe, and 3D also helps in keeping the jolts meaningful. That's really what you want from "Jurassic World" ... and since it delivers those effectively, that park is still a good place to visit, though you most surely wouldn't want to live there. Chris Pratt BY JAY BOBBIN Dinosaurs go dining again in 'Jurassic World' Page 8 July 13 - 19, 2015

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