Kitchen Nightmares with Gordon Ramsay

I never thought I'd be saying this, but I've found a reality tv show that I like. The basic premise behind Kitchen Nightmares is that Gordon Ramsay a internationally known chef and restauranteur with awarded a total of 12 Michelin Stars and a dozen successes spends a week or so at a failing restaurant and tries to give the business and the staff a push towards the success they desperately need. A camera crew follows Ramsay as he samples the menu, inspects the kitchen, interviews the staff and owners, and watches a typical night. He then tried to figure what the restaurant, the menu and the staff need in order to make a go of it—and points them towards success.

While I'm sure there's some minor fudging of reality, and certainly a bit of deliberate emotional prodding, and yes, Ramsay does swear like a Scotsman, on the whole the basic premis is genuine, and while Ramsay is passionate about good food, and good service, he genuinely loves good cooking, good food, and good restaurants. He's foul-mouthed but never mean spirited and genuinely does want people to succeed. His work ethic is quite apparent but he's actually a good teacher and mentor, and is genuinely happy when he returns to a business a few months later to find it flourishing.

The show was a British transfer; Fox Network is the producer for the American version of Kitchen Nightmares, now in it's third and final season. You can find previous episodes streamed for free on Hulu.

In "Hot Potato Cafe," a fairly typical episode, Ramsay goes to Fishtown, a suburb of Philadelphia to visit a small cafe owned by three sisters. The concept of a neighborhood cafe serving potato dishes has merit, but their execution involves frozen potatoes, and frozen entrees, and frozen vegetables. Ramsay makes a number of changes to the menu, and the restaurant's image, decor, and brand, but most importantly, you see him mentoring the owner's 21 year old niece, who has stepped in to cook without any formal training. Ramsay who at first seems to dismiss her, sees something in her, and you see him coaching her and, well, actively mentoring her. He's pointed and sharp in his criticisms, but you can tell he wants people to succeed, and most of all, his passion for food and cooking really show.

Occasionally Ramsay does a follow-up to see if the changes work, if the staff and owners are still following his suggestions. He hasn't done one yet for this episode, but the (new) Web site and menu for the restaurant are here. There's an excerpt of the episode below; the full thing is here.