Kitchen Nightmares
I am watching Chef Ramsey verbally rape the small family staff of So Cal cafe and mercilessly tease an oversweating queen so bad he caused a head toss but I cannot help but giggle with morbid amusement...
I think three quarters of these people should never have opened restaurants in the first place...their business ownership and management kills are always sadly lacking, not to mention their people skills, their basic PEOPLE SKILLS, like hygene and communication. It's amazing some of these people even got their businesses off the ground in the first place.
Highlight from the Sant La Brea episode - "This place got a f***ing A? God bless Los Angeles...". It made me miss LA...sad face
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18 Comments:
I suppose that makes entertaining television.
izatryt at 10:26PM on 11/20/08
I enjoy this show a lot more now that I manage a restaurant. The cleaning school of thought Ramsay employs is great.
For those who don't know you can watch all KN episodes on Hulu (US only), but I will warn you its very addictive.
Prairie at 1:50AM on 11/21/08
I don't even get this show, what the hell? Got to bitch at the cable com.
pjracz10 at 2:56AM on 11/21/08
Oh, such a good show!
The one on BBC is good too!!
Love me some Chef Ramsay....
Hunnyoil at 3:35AM on 11/21/08
There is a saying about it. Over 90% of new businesses close within the first year. Over 90% of new restaurants fail within the first year. Over 50% of restaurants fail within the first three years.
Gordon is an icon in the UK. He has worked to perfect what he deems as a working business model. Of course his business model does not work for everyone or everywhere. He does have over 20 Restaurants internationally. What does that make him? Famous, successful, an expert...sure.
I find watching Gordon tell people who invested their life savings in a business and did very little or shabby planning on business model, demographics, menu painful to watch.
They should just rename it What not to do.
The rest is just drama.
JerzeeTomato at 7:59AM on 11/21/08
pjracz10, you don't get Fox? Wow. I didn't know such a basic cable plan existed! (BBC America I understand not having, but Fox?)
I enjoy the BBC version much more than the Fox version, because the BBC one has not only a more sensitive Ramsey, but they also do check backs at the end of each episode. I don't like that Fox revisits every restaurant in one finale episode.
brittj8585 at 8:00AM on 11/21/08
Last night, BF was watching TV clear on the other end of the house. All I heard was BLEEP, BLEEP, ad infinitum. Morbid curiosity brought me to the TV room to see what he was watching. You guessed it - KN.
I sat for a while and watched the carnage and remembered how much I loved the BBC version. The US version is so over the top with the swearing and the degrading - it's a cartoon of itself.
Nonetheless, it must be said that yes, some of these people should never have opened restaurants. Brings me to the question, "Are they really that clueless as to think a television show will change things? Do they sign on thinking 'it can't get any worse so why not?'"
therealchiffonade at 8:14AM on 11/21/08
@chiff - Maybe they have just lost so much money already that they're happy to take whatever appearance fee they get for the show? Though I do imagine that the fact that GR's been there and "worked his magic" might bump up their customers for at least a week or two...?
I've worked for lots of small business owners and almost all of them were crazy. Horrible employee relationships, bad money management, etc. etc. - and some of these people had had successful businesses (some restaurants) for years. Sometimes you're just lucky, even when you don't deserve it.
producestories at 8:56AM on 11/21/08
I've never watched that show in its entiretly. I'm sorry but I dont see anything entertaining about someone throwing a prima dona fit at the people who work with and for them. I watched a few min of dinner impossible once and happened to catch something Michael Symon said, I dont remember the exact words but the gist was that his sou chefs were talented chefs on their own and he didnt believe in yelling and screaming at them because they deserved his respect. I dont much care for the show, but I respect someone with that kind of additude! Too bad more "exectutive chefs" dont feel that way.
huneybumper at 9:01AM on 11/21/08
Yeah, I'd do Chef Ramsay in a heart-beat...
What happened to his HELLS KITCHEN? I loved that show WAY more.
That british-version doesn't cut it for me without his angelic face :D
hungrychristel at 9:45AM on 11/21/08
The real chiffonade is right...the BBC version of is 1,000 times better than than this one.
bessfour at 10:38AM on 11/21/08
I'll second that, the BBC version is clearly better. Fox has well, Americanized the program, made it too dramatic and portrays Gordon as evil. The BBC version is completely narrated by him and delivers a clearly different message than the American version; the guy actually cares. I've DVR'd everyone of the BBC episodes, they're great.
The addition of the overly dramatic deep voiced Fox narrator kills the show.
JustinH at 11:36AM on 11/21/08
My fiance and I love him both. Even in the American version, you get these sweet moments when Gordon bonds with someone in the show - the pregnant wife who is afraid they are going to lose their house, or the owner who is afraid of changing the restaurant his father started, or, like last night, the owner who was afraid to manage his staff (but who, truth be told, went a little crazy on his staff after his cathartic session with Ramsay). My fiance loves him - but he always says "Oh what a sweet man. You can tell he cares."
lo82070 at 12:34PM on 11/21/08
What exactly are you HUNGRY for CHRISTEL?
carolrsfMISSESTEXAS at 1:47AM on 11/22/08
We inadvertently ate in a Post-Ramsey restaurant in Indiana called J Willy's. We didn't know until exiting it was featured on KN. Add to this, it was the ONLY place open on a Sunday afternoon.
We missed the episode when it aired! Grrrrr.
The food was so/so. BF, his sister and his nephew all pointed out the cole slaw was warm. Ramsey would have had a fit if he visited as a surprise follow-up.
therealchiffonade at 2:40PM on 11/22/08
I think Gordon R would make the perfect Whitehouse Chef for President Elect Obama !
Ribster at 9:03PM on 11/22/08
@carolrsfMISSESTEXAS : hahaha!
Didn't think anyone was listening LOL...He DOES look tasty though, doesn't he? I know it's not just me... *blush*
hungrychristel at 2:46PM on 11/24/08
i ate at sante la brea once, and only once. it was awful. there was this weird corner area with all their storage just sitting out in the restaurant not even covered. looked like some old lady's attic transported to the middle of the dining room. dirty. and the food was horrible. it closed shortly after that.
honestly no matter how rude he was (i didn't see the episode) if the restaurant stays open, it was a success to have him come in and berate everyone!
megannesta at 3:02PM on 11/24/08