Kitchen Nightmare: Ariana Madix and Katie Maloney’s Ex-Sandwich Shop Chef Slams ‘Underwhelming’ Menu at New Eatery
May 31 2024, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
Chef Penny is coming for Ariana Madix and Katie Maloney's menu after the Vanderpump Rules stars opened their long-awaited sandwich shop without the 52-year-old's expertise, RadarOnline.com has learned.
After major delays and a feud with Penny, who spent months creating the menu and custom sandwich combinations, Something About Her finally opened last week — and the ladies' ex-chef has some critiques.
Penny said it's "not her menu" and "not the sandwiches" she curated when she was hired by Madix and Maloney.
"This is not what I put together. This is not the vision that I had for this place," the celebrity chef told The U.S. Sun after the sandwich shop opened.
Penny isn't impressed with what she sees, claiming their combinations are confusing and unappealing to the eye.
"People wanted something spectacular. The sandwiches sound sexy, but unfortunately, looked underwhelming," she stated.
The chef gave several examples of what Madix and Maloney are allegedly doing wrong.
"They don't know how to cross-utilize. I would not bring in five different kinds of bread for 10 sandwiches," she commented. "I also would not put certain sandwiches on certain kinds of bread because the bread-to-meat ratio is completely off from what I've seen in photos and people's posts."
Penny famously created the Greek Goddess sandwich, as shown on Vanderpump Rules, which remained The Meg. The Chef said that's one sandwich the reality stars allegedly messed up, telling the outlet that she "would never put a Greek Goddess sandwich in a lavash wrap as it’s so moist and is going to fall apart."
One thing Penny is adamant about is that "these sandwiches are not my creations." However, she said, "They are definitely using some ingredients in each one that I introduced them to, like Boursin cheese."
"I can say 50% of the menu are items that I gave them and they changed some things."
Never miss a story — sign up for the RadarOnline.com newsletter to get your daily dose of dope. Daily. Breaking. Celebrity news. All free.
Penny has no plans to go inside the now-opened sandwich shop and believes it might be short-lived due to Madix and Maloney "not being restaurant operators."
"Keeping the business going will be challenging," she stated, "At some point, the fans will realize that the only person they will see at the shop is Terry, Katie’s mom."
Chef Penny isn't holding out hope for Something About Her's future.
"It’s a once-and-done kind of place," she told The Sun. "It’s not a business that can be scaled. Unfortunately, their overhead is going to be too high and they can’t make enough product."
RadarOnline.com has reached out to Madix and Maloney's reps for comment.