STK Miami: Ralph Pagano, Former Reality Show Contestant, Takes the Helm

Former Hell's Kitchen contestant Ralph Pagano takes the helm of STK's Miami outpost.

​Out with the old and in with the new...

STK has just made a switch in its culinary department. The ONE Group and Chef Alberto Cabrera have parted ways and are now welcoming Chef Ralph Pagano to the team. No stranger to the world of food and wine, Chef Pagano has wowed guests all over the world with his signature, totally Miami-esque, "Vacation Cuisine," a ;combo of exotic spices, Italian style and French technique. It is only normal that he jumped at the opportunity to showcase his skills at the swanky, SoBe hotspot.

Chef Pagano has a passion and enthusiasm for life as well as a keen attention to detail. Comfortable in his skin and incredibly outgoing, he doesn't just cook behind the line, he also hosts a reality cooking show, "Pressure Cook," on the Mojo network that is now wrapping up its third season of production; he's been a runner up on Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen; and he's battled Iron Chef extraordinaire Bobby Flay in "Iron Chef Battle: Barramundi." Needless to say, the man's got skillz (...and that camera loves him.)

So what does that mean for STK's "not your daddy's steakhouse" signature style? Chef Pagano will tweak some of the existing menu items with his Mediterranean inclinations, but will retain the integrity of the classics, like the Lil Big Macs, Shrimp Rice Krispies and assorted cuts of prime meats.

Must be nice to dish out high end grub for celebs like Eva Longoria, Kim Kardashian and Lil John, but will all that hype appease the locals, the critics, maybe the haters? We certainly hope so and definitely look forward to tasting some of that "Vacation Cuisine."

Welcome to the M.I.A. Chef Pagano. Now get cookin'.