Local chef to assist Bobby Flay onstage

By Cesca Janece Waterfield

Special to The Virginian-Pilot

When celebrity chef and restaurateur Bobby Flay mans the grill at Scope on Saturday, he'll be joined by Norfolk chef Frank Lang.

Lang, 33, executive chef of Shula's 347 in downtown, grabbed the chance to appear with Flay by winning an "Iron Chef"-style cooking competition late last year. Saturday's event will be taped for one of Flay's cooking shows.

Although Lang is delighted by the buzz, his attitude is relaxed. "It's really not about what I can do. It's about assisting him. I've read over the menu he made. For the most part, I'm just doing what I do every day in the kitchen. We're going to try to make people happy."

The dishes they'll prepare include Lobster and Avocado Cocktail, which is from Bobby's Bar Americain on 52nd Street in Manhattan, and Grilled Ribeye Steak with Chipolte Honey Glaze and Roasted Pepper Relish.

The two will be onstage Saturday for sessions at 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. as part of the weekend's Downtown Norfolk Food & Wine Extravaganza.

Mixing maverick with mod-esty seems to suit Lang. He grew up in Winter Haven, Fla., and worked as a dishwasher at his first job, in Tampa. Although he enjoyed cooking, he said a career as a chef "wasn't this big grandiose idea. When I decided to grow up a little, my dad said, 'Why don't you consider culinary school?' " So he attended Ridge Technical in his hometown. After graduation, he worked at high-profile restaurants in Seattle, Richmond and finally Norfolk, where he's lived for two years.

In his own kitchen inside Norfolk Waterside Marriott, Lang employs a daring style. "I pretty much try to find new ways to do old things. I take an item and try to turn it into a whole bunch of ways to do it." On rare days free, he spends as much time as he can with his 2-year-old son and wife of three years, Gretchen.

With most of his days and nights spent overseeing the kitchen at Shula's 347, what restaurants does Lang favor when out for an evening? "There's really only one," he said - Empire, at 245 Granby St. "I like the blackboard menu. I want to know what the guys are doing that night." Featuring tapas, martinis and rare brews, Empire is a cozy downtown bistro with an open kitchen.

"I like to watch the guys. I like to see people passionate about somebody else ordering their specials."

Asked about his own ambition to be among the growing crop of chefs achieving pop idol status, Lang laughed. "I'll do pretty much anything for money," he joked. "But I don't know about being a celebrity chef."