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Gordon Ramsey Kitchen Nightmares

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G

GhaleonEB

Member
entrydenied said:
I didn't know there were seasons 2 and 3 XD
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Season 3 is pretty interesting, some really great episodes, and several two-parters that let the show breathe a bit. Including one Amy's Baking Company type walk out, as Ramsay just up and bails. Not due to them being crazy, but utterly hopeless. He basically leaves them with a "You're totally fucked, good luck!"
 
R

ReAxion

Member
animlboogy said:
Alright, a couple of you told me to stick with Masterchef and it does indeed get much better as it goes on. It's still amazing to me how low the bar was to get into the first 14 contestants in the first season... but everybody by the final six is actually talented and fun to watch cook.

The amateur cook angle works much better in the second half of the season. It's more fun to watch someone who hasn't used an ingredient before apply solid fundamentals and put together a good dish anyway (or at least a conceptually sound misfire), than it is to watch someone flail around for a few episodes before flaming out.
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glad you stuck with it. hated to appear suggesting you were wrong for not being in to it, but i could tell there was honest interest there. it's fun to watch from the angle of "i could do that" to "i can't even..."
 
G

Gemüsestäbchen

Member
djkimothy said:
The one UK episode that gained my respect for him no matter what was an episode where the chef had to make eggs. I think it was over easy or something. Anyways the cook broke the yolk but served it anyways. Then Gordon gave him a hard time and said something that has stuck with me then a forever after. He said that it was "the customers privilege to break their own yolk.". This guy gets it. It's that thinking that got him 3 stars and puts him above all other celebrity chefs.
Click to expand...

Just saw this episode - and it's true - such a deep undertanding of not only what top notch food is - but the experience of dining and expectations as a diner.
As much as Gordon goes apeshit, you know it's from a source of real passion for food, and business.

BlueLiquid said:
One of the most interesting episodes of the UK series was when he went to a high-end French restaurant in Scotland where even Gordon described the chefs as a culinary dream team and they were using top ingredients. Their problem was that they were too good.

They were serving incredibly elaborate and complex French dishes in an area that just didn't have a market for it. It was the first head chef gig for the chef there, and Gordon said that many young chefs like this one who came from top restaurants and were now on their own would often try to outdo their last restaurant.

Gordon then secretly brought in a reviewer and had a cook-off with the chef there. They both made a grilled scallop dish. The chef there made this incredibly complicated dish with about 18 different items on the dish. Gordon's was much more simple but elegant. The reviewer told the chef that his dish was good but not world-class good but Gordon's knocked it out of the park. The chef didn't take it well.

But the thing that really stood out was Gordon telling them about his own failure where he closed his restaurant in his own hometown. They started well but he made things more and more complex to the point that the locals gave up on the place as they wanted simpler and more familiar fare. He saw them on the same trajectory.
Click to expand...

This too, you feel his humility and heart.

Wot a show, going to binge the rest of Season 2!
 
G

Gemüsestäbchen

Member
God, it's proper depressing that almost none of these places are still open today, ~10 years later.
Yes that 2008 recession really messed up the country, but appears that the places closed down way ahead of that crash.

Found this list, not sure if posted yet, but I'll list it below:
(I've spoiler tagged seasons lest it break your heart)

Costa Del Nightmares
Aired : September - October 2014 / 4 episodes
Closure Rate: 50%
Quelcuttis Tapas - CLOSED
La Granada Divino - CLOSED
Le Deck - OPEN
Mayfair / Jacks Chicken Shack - OPEN

Kitchen Nightmares Season 7
Aired: April 2014 - September 2014 / 10 Episodes
Closure Rate: 67%
Bella Luna - CLOSED Zayna Flaming Grill - OPEN
Mangia Mangia - CLOSED Kati Allo - CLOSED
Old Neighborhood Restaurant - CLOSED Pantaleone's - OPEN

Kitchen Nightmares Season 6
Aired: October 2012 - May 2013 / 16 episodes
Closure Rate: 46%
Amy's Baking Company - CLOSED
Chappy's - CLOSED
Prohibition Grille - OPEN
Yanni's Greek Restaurant - OPEN
Mill Street Bistro - CLOSED
Nino's Italian Restaurant - CLOSED
Sam's Mediterranean Kabob Room - CLOSED
Levanti's American Bistro - CLOSED
Olde Hitching Post - OPEN
Ms Jean's Southern Cuisine - OPEN
Mama Maria's - OPEN Barefoot Bobs - OPEN
La Galleria 33 Part 1 & 2 - OPEN

Kitchen Nightmares Season 5
Aired: September 2011 - March 2012 / 17 episodes
Closure Rate: 57%
Spin A Yarn Steakhouse - OPEN Charlie's Italian Bistro - CLOSED
Cafe Hon - OPEN Park's Edge - OPEN
Chiarella's Ristorante - CLOSED El Greco - CLOSED
Michon's - CLOSED Zocalo - CLOSED
The Greek at the Harbor - OPEN Burger Kitchen Parts 1 & 2 - CLOSED
Luigi's D' Italia - OPEN Mike and Nellie's - CLOSED
Leone's - OPEN Blackberry's - CLOSED

Kitchen Nightmares Season 4
Aired: January 2011 to May 2011/ 14 episodes
Closure Rate: 58%
Oceana - OPEN Zeke's - CLOSED
Capri - OPEN Kingston Cafe - OPEN
Cafe Tavolini - CLOSED Downcity - CLOSED
Davide - CLOSED Grasshopper Also - CLOSED
PJ's Steakhouse - CLOSED Classic American - CLOSED
Spanish Pavillion - OPEN La Frite - OPEN

Kitchen Nightmares Season 3
Aired: January 2010 - May 2010 / 13 episodes
Closure Rate: 82%
US Season 3 - Sushi Ko - CLOSED
US Season 3 - Fleming - CLOSED
US Season 3 - Anna Vincenzo's - CLOSED
US Season 3 - Mama Rita's - CLOSED
US Season 3 - Casa Roma - RENAMED
US Season 3 - Le Bistro - OPEN
US Season 3 - Lido di Manhattan - OPEN
US Season 3 - Mojito - CLOSED
US Season 3 - Bazzini - CLOSED
US Season 3 - Flamangos The Junction - CLOSED
US Season 3 - Hot Potato Cafe - CLOSED

Kitchen Nightmares Season 2
Aired: September 2008 to January 2009 / 12 episodes
Closure Rate: 100%
US Season 2 - Cafe 36 - CLOSED
US Season 2 - Santé La Brea - CLOSED
US Season 2 - Fiesta Sunrise - CLOSED
US Season 2 - Sabatiello's - CLOSED
US Season 2 - Jack's Waterfront - CLOSED
US Season 2 - Hannah & Mason's - CLOSED
US Season 2 - J Willy's - CLOSED
US Season 2 - Black Pearl - CLOSED
US Season 2 - Trobiano's - CLOSED
US Season 2 - Giuseppi's - CLOSED
US Season 2 - Handlebar - CLOSED

Kitchen Nightmares Season 1
Aired: September 2007 - December 2007 / 10 episodes
Closure Rate: 90%
US Season 1 - The Secret Garden - CLOSED
US Season 1 - Campania - CLOSED
US Season 1 - Lelas - CLOSED
US Season 1 - Finn McCool's - CLOSED
US Season 1 - Sebastians - CLOSED
US Season 1 - The Olde Stone Mill - OPEN
US Season 1 - Seascape - CLOSED
US Season 1 - The Mixing Bowl - CLOSED
US Season 1 - Dillons (Purnima) - CLOSED
US Season 1 - Peters - CLOSED


Ramsays Kitchen Nightmares UK
Aired: April 2004 - January 2009 / 24 episodes

Closure Rate:
71%

UK Great British Nightmare
- The Dovecote Bistro (Martins Bistro) - OPEN
- Runaway Girl (Silversmiths) - OPEN

UK Season 5
- The Granary - CLOSED
- The Curry Lounge - OPEN
- The Fish and Anchor - CLOSED
- The Priory - CLOSED
- Piccolo Teatro - CLOSED
- Ruby Tates Loves Fish Restaurant - CLOSED

UK Season 4
- Rococo Maggies - CLOSED
- Morgans - CLOSED
- The Fenwick Arms - OPEN with new owners
- La Parra de Burriana - CLOSED

UK Season 3
- La Gondola - CLOSED
- Clubway 41 (Jacksons) - CLOSED
- The Sandgate Hotel - OPEN with new owners
- Oscars - CLOSED

UK Season 2
- La Riviera - OPEN renamed Abstract
- Momma Cherri's Soul Food Shack - CLOSED
- D-Place - CLOSED
- La Lanterna - CLOSED

UK Season 1
- Moore Place - CLOSED
- The Walnut Tree Inn - OPEN with new owners
- The Glass House - CLOSED
- Bonapartes - CLOSED
 
K

KSweeley

Member
Gordon Ramsey came to Baltimore for Kitchen Nightmares, it was all over the local news that Gordon Ramsey, famous U.K. chef was coming to town to try to help improve Cafe Hon.

Cafe Hon was one place me and my family went to for dinner a long time ago and we saw cockroaches running around on the floor, the food we got was awful, didn't taste too good and when my parents paid and did not leave a tip due to the cockroaches and the food, the server warned us that the owner would be chasing after us demanding a tip. We got up and was about to leave and the owner, Denise Whiting came running after us yelling "Where's my fucking tip?!?!? Where's my fucking tip?!?!" and we left the restaurant and she came literally chasing us down the street yelling "Where's my fucking tip?!?!? Where's my fucking tip?!?!?!" We never went back to Cafe Hon after that experience.

Denise Whiting caused even more controversy here in Baltimore when she actually trademarked the word "Hon" and was demanding royalties for anyone using the word "Hon" without her permission. Gordon Ramsey managed to get her to revoke her trademark and that was all over the local news that Gordon Ramsey managed to get the owner of Cafe Hon to revoke her trademark ownership of the word "hon."

I haven't been to Cafe Hon after Gordon Ramsey came and did improvements to Cafe Hon so I'm not sure if it is actually much better than before Gordon Ramsey came. I might go to Cafe Hon to see if anything is improved, not sure though.
 
F

Frozenprince

Banned
GhaleonEB said:
Season 3 is pretty interesting, some really great episodes, and several two-parters that let the show breathe a bit. Including one Amy's Baking Company type walk out, as Ramsay just up and bails. Not due to them being crazy, but utterly hopeless. He basically leaves them with a "You're totally fucked, good luck!"
Click to expand...

That's my favorite episode.

KSweeley said:
Gordon Ramsey came to Baltimore for Kitchen Nightmares, it was all over the local news that Gordon Ramsey, famous U.K. chef was coming to town to try to help improve Cafe Hon.

Cafe Hon was one place me and my family went to for dinner a long time ago and we saw cockroaches running around on the floor, the food we got was awful, didn't taste too good and when my parents paid and did not leave a tip due to the cockroaches and the food, the server warned us that the owner would be chasing after us demanding a tip. We got up and was about to leave and the owner, Denise Whiting came running after us yelling "Where's my fucking tip?!?!? Where's my fucking tip?!?!" and we left the restaurant and she came literally chasing us down the street yelling "Where's my fucking tip?!?!? Where's my fucking tip?!?!?!" We never went back to Cafe Hon after that experience.

Denise Whiting caused even more controversy here in Baltimore when she actually trademarked the word "Hon" and was demanding royalties for anyone using the word "Hon" without her permission. Gordon Ramsay managed to get her to revoke her trademark and that was all over the local news that Gordon Ramsey managed to get the owner of Cafe Hon to revoke her trademark ownership of the word "hon."

I haven't been to Cafe Hon after Gordon Ramsey came and did improvements to Cafe Hon so I'm not sure if it is actually much better than before Gordon Ramsey came.
Click to expand...
LOL god damn.
 
K

KSweeley

Member
Frozenprince said:
That's my favorite episode.


LOL god damn.
Click to expand...

Yea, and after we ate at Cafe Hon, there were rumors floating around that the food served at Cafe Hon was making people sick but the owner was threatening lawsuits if the people who ate at Cafe Hon reported that they got sick to the health department.

The owner seemed to be very mentally unstable.
 
S

Sage00

Once And Future Member
Jazzy Geoff said:
Seems strange to do that at the same time as slating the establishment in question
Click to expand...
Doesn't matter, all they need to do is make you Google Cafe Hon which no doubt people are due to the pure repetition of the word and job done. That will up it in the search results for restaurants in its area.
 
C

CarpeDeezNutz

Member
KSweeley said:
Gordon Ramsey came to Baltimore for Kitchen Nightmares, it was all over the local news that Gordon Ramsey, famous U.K. chef was coming to town to try to help improve Cafe Hon.

Cafe Hon was one place me and my family went to for dinner a long time ago and we saw cockroaches running around on the floor, the food we got was awful, didn't taste too good and when my parents paid and did not leave a tip due to the cockroaches and the food, the server warned us that the owner would be chasing after us demanding a tip. We got up and was about to leave and the owner, Denise Whiting came running after us yelling "Where's my fucking tip?!?!? Where's my fucking tip?!?!" and we left the restaurant and she came literally chasing us down the street yelling "Where's my fucking tip?!?!? Where's my fucking tip?!?!?!" We never went back to Cafe Hon after that experience.

Denise Whiting caused even more controversy here in Baltimore when she actually trademarked the word "Hon" and was demanding royalties for anyone using the word "Hon" without her permission. Gordon Ramsey managed to get her to revoke her trademark and that was all over the local news that Gordon Ramsey managed to get the owner of Cafe Hon to revoke her trademark ownership of the word "hon."

I haven't been to Cafe Hon after Gordon Ramsey came and did improvements to Cafe Hon so I'm not sure if it is actually much better than before Gordon Ramsey came. I might go to Cafe Hon to see if anything is improved, not sure though.
Click to expand...


Lmao

Edit: guess it worked on me I want to watch that episode now.
 
K

KSweeley

Member
I'm just very descriptive and detailed in my writing, I guess being descriptive and detailed isn't allowed here on NeoGAF.
 
Battersea Power Station

Battersea Power Station

Member
KSweeley said:
I'm just very descriptive and detailed in my writing, I guess being descriptive and detailed isn't allowed here on NeoGAF.
Click to expand...
When I post on the NeoGAF forum, I often follow normal English language conventions on the NeoGAF forum. Even when being detailed and descriptive on the NeoGAF forum, there are ways to sound less repetitive on the NeoGAF forum when writing posts on the NeoGAF forum.


Edit: sorry, just having fun with you :p
 
R

riotous

Banned
The thing that bothers me about this and some other simile shows is the people involved rarely seem to deserve any help. Often total assholes who would sooner serve rotten food than throw it out. I dont know why anyone would ever eat at most of these places after the show airs considering what they often reveal about the owners habits; I suspect the producers are well aware of that though.

Gordon did "quit" one episode and deem the owners underserving of help but he's helped far worse offenders.
 
C

CarpeDeezNutz

Member
riotous said:
The thing that bothers me about this and some other simile shows is the people involved rarely seem to deserve any help. Often total assholes who would sooner serve rotten food than throw it out. I dont know why anyone would ever eat at most of these places after the show airs considering what they often reveal about the owners habits; I suspect the producers are well aware of that though.

Gordon did "quit" one episode and deem the owners underserving of help but he's helped far worse offenders.
Click to expand...

You're right never thought of it that way. I read about a few and some reverted to their old ways so if I knew that I would not go.
 
I

ItIsOkBro

Member
AoM said:
I searched for 'Sushi Ko' and nothing came up (though someone may have mentioned it), but this is a great episode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOLxSHfc0DI
Click to expand...

I dunno about this episode man...so we have a dude that worked his way up from chef to owner, and Ramsay and his family basically tell him to go back to being a chef. 'Where he belongs.' I get that he is a great chef but not every owner wants to remain as a chef...I guess the episode was missing that moment where Akira himself admits to wanting to be a chef again.
 
P

Protome

Member
riotous said:
The thing that bothers me about this and some other simile shows is the people involved rarely seem to deserve any help. Often total assholes who would sooner serve rotten food than throw it out. I dont know why anyone would ever eat at most of these places after the show airs considering what they often reveal about the owners habits; I suspect the producers are well aware of that though.

Gordon did "quit" one episode and deem the owners underserving of help but he's helped far worse offenders.
Click to expand...
I feel like this is only usually the case with the US show. The US version of the show picks the most horrible eccentric owners who cause the most drama. The UK one picks businesses that are down on their luck for various reasons but can be helped.

In the UK be they often explain how the business got to where it is, why the chef is cooking trash food and so on and then correct it. They rarely if ever go somewhere that is serving shit food because they are assholes.
 
K

kirblar

Member
Protome said:
I feel like this is only usually the case with the US show. The US version of the show picks the most horrible eccentric owners who cause the most drama. The UK one picks businesses that are down on their luck for various reasons but can be helped.

In the UK be they often explain how the business got to where it is, why the chef is cooking trash food and so on and then correct it. They rarely if ever go somewhere that is serving shit food because they are assholes.
Click to expand...
And in the US show they're often doing it just for the free makeover.
 
N

Nordicus

Member
There's a certain catharsis when the restaurant owners/chefs talk as if Ramsay doesn't know how to cook their specialty cuisine.

Ramsay's business career didn't get him where he is now by him being hoity toity. You can't blow smoke up his ass with "that's how it's supposed to be cooked"
 
Lamel

Lamel

Banned
Been rewatching the UK version. It's just so much better. Don't get me wrong the USA version is very entertaining, but the personal connection Ramsay shows in the UK one is really missing from the US version.
 
S

Sage00

Once And Future Member
ItIsOkBro said:
I dunno about this episode man...so we have a dude that worked his way up from chef to owner, and Ramsay and his family basically tell him to go back to being a chef. 'Where he belongs.' I get that he is a great chef but not every owner wants to remain as a chef...I guess the episode was missing that moment where Akira himself admits to wanting to be a chef again.
Click to expand...
The reason he didn't want to be a chef anymore was because he got lazy and didn't think he had to do any of the work. The man was a dead weight - it's a sushi restaurant not Italian. The main man there isn't front of house or pouring bottles of wine they're behind the table ensuring quality.
 
T

Trojan X

Banned
T.O.P said:
2011ramsayes_415x588.jpg


My favourite episode, so sad to hear the restaurant closed down
Click to expand...

Damn. Any word on why it closed down?
 
N

Nordicus

Member
Trojan X said:
Damn. Any word on why it closed down?
Click to expand...
kirblar said:
They opened a larger location in the wake of the success following the first visit and completely overloaded themselves.
Click to expand...
Though Momma Cherri did write a fairly succesful cookbook thanks to Kitchen Nightmares exposure and she has a partnership with a restaurant using her recipes called CaribSoul. It opened 2015 and it's pretty well reviewed.
 
P

privitsan02

Member
I fell in that trap a few weeks ago as well and I gotta say it was tough getting out of it. Definitely one of the more addicting things on YouTube. That being said, the UK version is much more believable, because man those American restaurants... It really feeds into their stereotype.

Best wishes.
 
W

Worthintendo

Member
Nordicus said:
There's a certain catharsis when the restaurant owners/chefs talk as if Ramsay doesn't know how to cook their specialty cuisine.

Ramsay's business career didn't get him where he is now by him being hoity toity. You can't blow smoke up his ass with "that's how it's supposed to be cooked"
Click to expand...
Its my favorite part of the show, just seeing the look on his face as they go off at him saying their food is fine and he knows nothing. Then just waiting for him to explode in at them and really destroying them is amazing.
 
R

riotous

Banned
Protome said:
I feel like this is only usually the case with the US show. The US version of the show picks the most horrible eccentric owners who cause the most drama. The UK one picks businesses that are down on their luck for various reasons but can be helped.

In the UK be they often explain how the business got to where it is, why the chef is cooking trash food and so on and then correct it. They rarely if ever go somewhere that is serving shit food because they are assholes.
Click to expand...

Yeah both of the UK episodes I've seen featured places that just served outdated food, or charged way too little to make a profit, that sort of thing.

My understanding is that many were filmed during a deep recession?
 
P

Protome

Member
riotous said:
Yeah both of the UK episodes I've seen featured places that just served outdated food, or charged way too little to make a profit, that sort of thing.

My understanding is that many were filmed during a deep recession?
Click to expand...

Most of them were filmed before the recession but it is part of the reason why so few of the original run's locations are still open. They already had financial issues and even if they stuck to Ramsay's advice, restaurants are generally the first to go in a recession.
 
M

Massive Duck. C.M.

Banned
You have to wonder how annoying the US producers are about who to pick. That Hotel Hell show is a hot mess (with one of the worst theme songs I've ever heard) and that episode with the dude who bought his old elementary school and thought he was Sherlock Holmes was sad as shit
 
A

Apt101

Member
Trojan X said:
Damn. Any word on why it closed down?
Click to expand...

They expanded and remained busy but fell heavily into debt for whatever reason. Also failed health inspections spectacularly.

She's doing fine now though. TV appearances, a cookbook or two, some new enterprise partnership. Still making that soul in a bowl.
 
N

Nordicus

Member
Prepping too much food (and the wrong kind of food) in advance, freezing it, and then microwaveing it, seems like such an absolutely guaranteed trend in this show that by watching just any random episode, the show applicants should know what to fix before Ramsay comes to visit.

Ramsay can spot frozen and microwaved foods every god damn time.
 
L

LionPride

Banned
Nordicus said:
Prepping too much food (and the wrong kind of food) in advance, freezing it, and then microwaveing it, seems like such an absolutely guaranteed trend in this show that by watching just any random episode, the show applicants should know what to fix before Ramsay comes to visit.

Ramsay can spot frozen and microwaved foods every god damn time.
Click to expand...

It's his superpower
 
Y

yukianderson

Member
Nordicus said:
Ramsay can spot frozen and microwaved foods every god damn time.
Click to expand...

I can also spot frozen food it tastes different and the texture is also different. If you're used to fresh food and are feed frozen food it's easy to spot. You got to remember that Chef Ramsey is used to eating not only fresh food but high quality food everyday.
 
R

riotous

Banned
I'm sure he can fairly successfully spot frozen food; but let's not kid ourselves here, he isn't walking in for the first time with no info like they pretend to do on the show lol.
 
N

Nordicus

Member
Looks like going from US Season 4 to Season 5, Ramsay started spending 1 less dinner service with the restaurant. In Season 4, he has 1 night where he follows the restaurant's routine, 1 night with small menu changes and more hands-on approach, and 1 night with the relaunch.

Starting from season 5 they cut out the middle night.
yukianderson said:
I can also spot frozen food it tastes different and the texture is also different. If you're used to fresh food and are feed frozen food it's easy to spot. You got to remember that Chef Ramsey is used to eating not only fresh food but high quality food everyday.
Click to expand...
I'm sure most of the restaurant customers would be able to tell if asked, but Ramsay is particularly on guard of where corners were cut.

"I'm sure Ramsay will love my food"

Was it frozen/microwaved? If yes, no he won't, also most of your customers won't, and you're fucking deluded.
 
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