There's only a certain degree to which leniency and customer service can be taken, and one can easily argue that making concessions could lead to more and more special requests being demanded by customers until it ends up making a real impact on how smoothly a kitchen runs. But what's the line? Is the customer always right? And if not, how often are they right? More

On the premiere episode of Cookalong Live, Gordon Ramsay promised to do what no person before him has ever done: no, not open a bag of Lay's potato chips and proceed to eat just one, but teach America how to cook a three-course meal. On live television. In one hour. Sure the show was mildly entertaining, but overall, it was a trainwreck. More

I don't know about this: "Gordon Ramsay, at Your Service is described as a half-hour laffer that will take 'the essence of who he is and have a bit of fun with it,' according to Adam Shaheen, prexy of [Toronto animation studio] Cuppa Coffee." [Variety]... More

We met Little Gordon, a munchkin doppelganger of the brutish British chef Gordon Ramsay, last year. Though a few feet smaller, Little Gordon tells it like it is, not afraid to pull out the bleepable words when he's handed subpar food. Poor Margaret, an otherwise jolly-looking lunch lady, feels the wrath of Little Gordon when he goes into a tizzy over the cafeteria sausage. The video, after the jump.... More

"It's an arms race of foulness." Photograph from the Los Angeles Times I’ve been an Iron Chef fan since before the Food Network wormed its way into basic cable. I’ve watched and re-watched every episode of Top Chef ever aired; Top Chef Masters, too. I’ve even gotten hooked on The Next Food Network Star. But Hell’s Kitchen, whose sixth season premiered last night—I hate. Even as I sit typing these words, hours after the show, I can feel myself seething with rage. It’s not only that I think that Hell’s Kitchen is a terribly crafted program. It’s that it feeds off the very worst of humanity—sure, drawing out the ugliest parts of its competitors, but getting the audience caught up... More

Scott Collins of the Los Angeles Times braved a pasta tutorial with Gordon Ramsay. "Would he try to psych me out, the way he does contestants on the show? Would he tell me I'm worthless and have no self-respect?" Collins was admittedly a little nervous beforehand. And just as he expected, making tortellini with the Hell's Kitchen host—the show's fifth season wrapped up on Thursday—was an expletive-filled culinary experience. The video, after the jump.... More

I've always wanted to give Jeffrey his own reality show, and after watching The Chopping Block I'm convinced it would be a huge hit. Jeffrey has the potential to be a bigger reality television star than, say, Marco Pierre White or Gordon Ramsay. More

Fox's Kitchen Nightmares is looking for bad-shape restaurants that need Gordon Ramsay's magic hands. Aren't all restaurants in less-than-good-shape right now with diners so freaked about the economy? Maybe this season Fox will receive a record number of submissions. The casting directors sound pretty anxious. From an e-mail: "PLEASE CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY." Struggling restaurateurs should send the following info to Twinsworld1@aol.com: name, contact info (including phone number), restaurant name, location (city/state), type of cuisine, your specialty, how many seats you have, how long you have been open, photos or website if available, and why you need Ramsay's help. "The MORE INFO THE BETTER."... More

Gordon Ramsay's Plane Food Picnic Insulated Lunch Bag You know the first thing I order when I arrive in the UK, but what is the last thing I eat before I leave? Even though I love plane food, I think if it were British Airways's fish pie, I would be too depressed for words. Plane Food, the Restaurant in Terminal 5 at Heathrow Instead, since the culinarily inspired Terminal 5 opened at Heathrow this year, my last bite out of Britain is Gordan Ramsay's Plane Food. If you have time to kill, by all means, take a seat and order à la carte. The restaurant serves such refined fare as Foie Gras and Chicken Liver Parfait with Sauternes Jelly... More

Gordon Ramsay's plan for world domination is making progress. His fourth branch of Maze (with outlets already in London, New York, and Prague) is slated to open in Melbourne in February 2010. [via Coldmud]... More