Published - Mar 16 2013 09:27PM EST
Rick Ellis, RR.com Original
Gordon Ramsay comes to Seattle to visit a family-owned, Greek restaurant. The restaurant's neighborhood is changing and the owner refuses to adapt. A stubborn owner that won’t listen to reason? Sounds like just about every episode of Kitchen Nightmares.
Kitchen Nightmares starring Gordon Ramsay airs on FOX Fridays at 8:00 pm ET.
‘We’re Not Asking You to Give Up, We’re Asking You to Change’
Yanni’s Greek Restaurant was founded in 1984 and in 2007 the original owner passed away, turning the business over to his son Peter. In recent years the business has struggled as the neighborhood changed. That struggle brought out the worst in Peter, who takes it out on his wife and daughters, all of whom work at the restaurant.
Before Chef Ramsay visits the restaurant he meets with Peter and gets the lowdown on the business. Peter tells Ramsay that his family isn’t as devoted as he is to the business and he worries that he’s not tough enough on everyone. I suspect Chef Ramsay won’t agree with his assessment. He talks with the family, who tells Gordon that Peter is in denial and was lying to him during the earlier meeting. Ramsay brings Peter into the discussion, and after a lot of yelling, Peter admits that he can’t change, even though it’s killing the restaurant.
‘The Only Thing That is Nine Out of Ten Here is the Pita Bread’
It’s time to sample the food, which is almost always a low point in these shows. Chef Ramsay orders food, including a peculiar pumpkin hummus. He dislikes all the food, which is greasy and ill-prepared. And the more complaints Chef Ramsay has about the food, the angrier Peter gets back in the kitchen. After it’s all over Chef Ramsay talks to the family and Peter refuses to admit that he needs to change the menu or the dated 1980s decor. He seems incapable of changing anything and as Ramsay leaves the restaurant the family is still arguing over the issue.
You Say Spoiled, I Say Extremely Aged
It’s time for dinner service and you don’t have to be a psychic to predict that this won’t end well. As Chef Ramsay watches, Peter and daughter Alyse argue in the kitchen over the preparation of the food. But even worse, dishes are coming back, including one pork dish that was so tough the customer bent his fork trying to eat it. Chef Ramsay begins searching through the coolers and finds bowls of meat that are slimy and covered with mold. Both Peter and Alyse say they aren’t using that meat but it’s all a bit suspicious. As Ramsay unloads on them, Peter somehow figures out a way to blame everyone else for the issues without taking any responsibility. They shut down the restaurant and the evening ends with the family dazed and shattered.
It’s Time For the New Yanni’s Greek Restaurant
The next day the family arrives and Peter initially says they are ready to make the changes necessary. But it’s not long until he begins arguing that things aren’t as bad as Chef Ramsay claimed the previous evening. That starts a long argument that eventually ends with Peter asking Chef Ramsay to stay and help them. Peter reluctantly agrees to change the menu for the first time in 28 years and the next morning the family arrives to discover a new interior and a new menu. That night the dinner service is rough initially but Peter and Alyse learn to work together. The evening was a success and Peter tells Gordon Ramsay he’ll miss him. In the following weeks the business improves and the family learns to laugh again.
Who watched this episode? What did you think?
All the best,
Anthony
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