Mario's Restaurant Rookies

[elfin]

How about the scene where Joe is in the subway flailing the frozen mozzarella against the subway railings! Instead of just standing around waiting for their dish to be served, they should have volunteered to do something else or practice their dish wither live (the ingredients were not that expensive) or a mock cook. Neither student caught my heart to invoke my support.

[chopjwu12]

I dont think you can blame an 18 year old for being a cocky little prick. I bet if we all sat back and thought about it most of us thought we ruled the world and nothing could get in our way at that age. Maybe it was just me but i think being cocky and then gettign your ass handed to you is only a part of growing up. I do have to watch the show to see what everyone is talking about. Im just speaking on personal experience.

[thebaker]

I like the show

I wish it would have been shot better,

i did not like the way it jumped around it was almost MTV ish your eyes didnt get a chance to focus on what was going on

or was it just me

(it's ok you can tell me)

[seawakim]

I like the show

I wish it would have been shot better,

i did not like the way it jumped around it was almost MTV ish your eyes didnt get a chance to focus on what was going on

or was it just me

(it's ok you can tell me)

My goodness.....when will this insanity STOP?

I am glad I saw your post, because it sparks one of the biggest reasons why a TV show is less enjoyable for me.

I don't understand why the camera movements have to be shaking all over the screen and cuts/editing causing the quick jumping around of angles, the constant use of filters and adjustment of the speed......why? why? why? Why is almost EVERYTHING filmed like an MTV Video. I am truly tired of this filming style used in too many pieces. I thought this was supposed to be a food "documentary".

Anyways, I think the content of this program was good and it was especially interesting to see someone like Mario Batali, whom I consider to seem quite genuine, in a training position.

[thebaker]

Great. I thought i was the only one thinking like this.

[dave88]

It's not Food TV anymore. It's E(ntertainment) and F(ood)T(elevision)N(etwork). That's EFTN. Imagine ESPN showing food-fights and you got it.

Their demographic is the much vied for 18-19 y.o. white sub-suburban-college-dorm-living white male slot who eats Kraft Mac & Cheese chased down with Oreo's and could care less about food and its craft. Instead, he stares dreamily at Rachael (don't call me Martha) Ray, imagining how much fun it has to be eating such "yummo" clone recipe riblets from TGIFriday's.

FTV is not entertaining. FTV is not informative. FTV is a sell-out 24hr a day infomercial selling type 2 diabetes.

[Jason Perlow]

What I don't understand here is why Mario would pick such esoteric dishes that weren't frequently ordered in the restaurant to give to these kids -- it makes no sense to me. If you're gonna give them only 4 days to master a dish, it should be the most frequently ordered dishes in the entire restaurant, so they can learn to prepare them over, and over, and over again.

I have a feeling though, Mario really stuck it to Joe for showing up late at the greenmarket by giving him the dishes he did.

[BigMac]

I just saw it on TiVo.

True, Joe was a cocky little s.o.b., but it did seem that he had some skill... his dishes were plated very nicely. Shinae was a little too timid, but that pastry chef and her 'snap' was the most annoying thing ever.

My problem with the show was the concept... what exactly were the expecting? Here are two recent high school graduates going to play one night in the NBA after being trained by Michael Jordan for 4 days. Will anyone notice? Will they be able to compete with the seasoned vets? Oh, did we mention that they won some awards in their rec league at home?

[Rachel Perlow]

I agree with most of the negative comments above. Really bad. If they weren't going to fully train these people then it was an unfair concept. They should have explained it more to the kids that this is supposed to be a learning experience, and not a contest.

Note to Shinae: If the ingredients for the special you had planned dissappeared, then make something else!!! You are in a fully equipped restaurant kitchen. Think about the dishes you learned to make in school or the ones your family tells you are the best thing you make, and make them! Don't stand there like a dummy as if a vegetable terrine (or whatever it was supposed to be) is the only thing you are allowed to make. I mean almost anything the least bit creative would beat out Joe's lame frozen mozzarella and unripe tomato Caprese salad.

[tan319]

I couldn't believe those guys weren't taking notes or trying to jump in a bit to help, cook, run,etc. either.

I thought the pastry chef woman was a bit uptight too.

But, I thought the sous chefs were pretty nice to the kids though.

As was Mario, he always seems a bit merry, no?

Now, if FN REALLY wants to bat the ball out of the park, they will give us:

'Anthony Bourdains Restaurant Rookies'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PLEEEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ????????????????????????????????

[Jinmyo]

'Anthony Bourdains Restaurant Rookies'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PLEEEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ????????????????????????????????

Vic Chanko's Virgins.

[wingding]

I've worked in some kitchens with kids from c-cap...and hey! give em a break,it takes a while[months!] to get into the swing of things.They get plopped into a busy,crowded kitchen,where it's hard for any beginner to focus.Where were most of us at 19?

[Jinmyo]

Where were most of us at 19?

I think that depends upon when and where we were 19. 19 years old in the 1950s, 60s, 70s is a much different age than in the 1980s and 90s.

[wingding]

Agreed that 19 isn't what it used to be,and I've recently been dealing with much older employees who don't seem to recognize what professional behavior is.But I don't begrudge kids for not knowing what Babbo is,or using frozen cheese[at first].It's all a matter of exposure.Getting kids to go beyond their little world,to read and travel[even around the city that they live in!]is important,and often an uphill battle...

[Ron Johnson]

I will say that I was somewhat disappointed in the lack of enthusiasm shown by the "kids".

That being said, I thought that Di Palma woman was absolutely awful. At least Nusser and the two sous chefs seemed to have a good humour about the whole thing. With the exception of pastry it seemed like a kitchen with good morale and commaraderie.

Oh yeah, one time I did the same thing as Joe when he knocked the inserts down into the lowboy. I was beyond embarrassed.

[Jinmyo]

Getting kids to go beyond their little world,to read and travel[even around the city that they live in!]is important,and often an uphill battle...

Yes, it is both important and uphill.