Pleased to Meet You

A few months ago, my parent asked me if I have ever watched Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares on the BBC. Obviously, I said no. I knew of chef Gordon Ramsay from the Fox Reality series Hell's Kitchen advertisements, but never actually saw the show. Showing nothing but Chef Ramsay berating contestants on his show, I was immediately turned off. But, at my parents' recommendations, I set up the ol' DVR and gave it a try.







And, I got to tell you, it very well might be the best show on television. This isn't the Chef Gordon Ramsay that you see on Hell's Kitchen. In every episode, Chef Ramsay is given the task of turning around a failing restaurant in one week. Although he is quite vulgar (and absolutely hilarious), Chef Ramsay truly shows why he is so successful at what he does. He treats everyone the same, from server to head chef to owner, and tells the reality of every situation without sugarcoating it. And here's the kicker: Gordon comes back six weeks later to check up on the place. Some thrive, some regress.

I've become completely obsessed with the show. I DVR and watch both episodes five days a week on the BBC. If I'm jonesing for more, I'll watch the US version on Fox, simply named Kitchen Nightmares, airing on Tuesdays. The Fox version isn't as entertaining, however. It seems to be a bit more focused on arguments and screw ups than about cooking and the restaurant business, but it'll do when I need a fix. Leave it to Fox to screw up a great show.

Knowing is Half the Battle

What really shocked me was the accolades that the program has received. It was named Best Feature at the 2005 and 2008 BAFTA Awards and received an International Emmy in 2006 for best non-scripted entertainment. What critics have had to say is impressive as well. How did I not know about this show?

The show could have been cynically designed to exploit Ramsay's foul-mouthed reputation...But watch, listen and think about what he is saying, and his genuine commitment to his profession in general, and the task at hand become abundantly evident.

On August 5th Brooke and I will be dining at one of Chef Gordon Ramsay's restaurants in New York, Maze at the London, before we go to see Eddie Vedder perform at the United Palace Theatre. Since Chef Ramsay has been added to my fanboy list, my expectations are high to say the least. And while I'm aware that he won't actually be there, it's how the kitchen runs when the head chef isn't there that truly tells you how good a restaurant is. Or at least that's what Gordon says, anyway.







I'll let you know how it turns out.