"The Restaurant" Reality Show Season 1

[Jason Perlow]

Here's the full Grimes writeup (registration required)

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/20/arts/tel...ion/20GRIM.html

[Bothameboutasteak?]

I have the summer off. My regular job begins again in september. And actually, it is difficult since 9/11 to find a line cook job because of all of the closings.

[Holly Moore]

Thanks for the link.

If I'm one of the diners when the cameras were there, and I didn't want to end up on the cutting room floor, I'd manage some sort of dramatic antic to insure my face time on the show. Suspect that will be the case with the diners there. Emoting, over-reacting. I'm thinking customers from hell.

[MatthewB]

If I'm one of the diners when the cameras were there, and I didn't want to end up on the cutting room floor, I'd manage some sort of dramatic antic to insure my face time on the show.  Suspect that will be the case with the diners there.  Emoting, over-reacting.  I'm thinking customers from hell.

A patron having sex with a waitron in the bathroom would have worked for air-time.

[jhlurie]

It's funny, I read on some TV review site some guy yelling and screaming in their "talkbacks" about how all top New York restaurants hire actors as waiters and how most of this bunch were still working at Rocco's. People lie so easily on the Internet, but I'm thinking you could be the truthful one here.

[MatthewB]

People lie so easily on the Internet, but I'm thinking you could be the truthful one here. 

Awwww, shucks. Thanks.

[jhlurie]

Not you Matthew, I was referring to the line cook. I should have been specific. Also, I guess since this cook was talking about the line cooks all quitting... I suppose my actor rave will have to stop for now. Nothing wrong with actors, mind you, I just think that the actors did indeed all vacate the moment the cameras went bye-bye.

Edited July 22, 2003 by jhlurie (log)

[MatthewB]

Not you Matthew, I was referring to the line cook.

Heartbreaker.

[abbeynormal]

I'm surprised none of the insiders posting here were required to sign a non-disclosure agreement covering what actually happened (as opposed to what got on TV). I'm not surprised if they're breaching it. Here's a cautionary tale (thought not completely on point): Survivor Lawsuit

Edited July 22, 2003 by abbeynormal (log)

[zenial]

there was a seprate bucket for spit he drank the pither of wine that was not tasted which probably didn't have taht much spit in it

That's a little like saying it didn't have that much rat in it.

Cheers.

True...true. As far as the liquor license goes they didn't get one in six weeks. They obtained a temporary catering permit which allowed them to serve beer, wine ect.

[zenial]

I'm surprised none of the insiders posting here were required to sign a non-disclosure agreement covering what actually happened (as opposed to what got on TV). I'm not surprised if they're breaching it. Here's a cautionary tale (thought not completely on point): Survivor Lawsuit

We did have to sign a non-discloser agreement, but I find it hard to believe they care enough to find out who zenial is

[jhlurie]

True...true.  As far as the liquor license goes they didn't get one in six weeks. They obtained a temporary catering permit which allowed them to serve beer, wine ect.

See THAT would have made great drama. The high-energy search and pressuring to get the liquor license, and the compromise they had to make with the catering permit. Assuming that the catering permit WAS a compromise, and the fix wasn't in all along just for things to look good for TV.

Anyone know how long a place can get away with using a catering permit in place of a liquor license?

[tommy]

We did have to sign a non-discloser agreement, but I find it hard to believe they care enough to find out who zenial is

vee have vays.

Edited July 22, 2003 by tommy (log)

[MatthewB]

We did have to sign a non-discloser agreement, but I find it hard to believe they care enough to find out who zenial is

vee have vays.

A lot of lawyers looking for work right now. I hardly think it would be difficult to find out who zenial is. A paralegal could handle it just fine.

[abbeynormal]

Anyone know how long a place can get away with using a catering permit in place of a liquor license?

Studio 54 got a new 24 hour permit everyday. That was before everyone got busted and they closed the joint. I believe when it was re-opened (to the hoi polloi) it had a regular liquor license.

[abbeynormal]

A lot of lawyers looking for work right now.  I hardly think it would be difficult to find out who zenial is.

Come to think of it, I have a couple of hours to fill/bill. Let's see, where did I put those blank subpoena forms? Just kidding.

[SobaAddict70]

I'm a paralegal and I have better things to do with my time...such as surfing eGlutton when I should be doing work...than finding out who zenial is.

Soba

[zenial]

Glad to hear that Matthew.....our waitstaff was hired strictly on the basis of how much drama potential they could cough up.  (spit up)...

Hopefully NBC will air how they had no idea what they were serving on a nightly basis...

and as far as the "experience" that was previously mentioned by someone else here, puhleeze.  Come on now.

They bitched and moaned nonstop about their lack of tips when the cooks hadn't received a paycheck in 3 weeks.

Wow first off this guy is just wrong. I myself have about 5 years experence which is not as much as a lot of the other waitstaff. True there were some that did not, but that was a small selection probably 4 waiters. Also, not that you would know but we also did not recieve a paycheck for three weeks and when we did it was to the tune of about 200+ bucks. You would complain too if you made 50 bucks a day, and was there until 2am everyday. As far as the fact we didn't know what we were serving, we got menu descriptions two days before opening, menu desciption that were WRONG. Along with recieving the wine list two days before (not the entire list we had to get it all down the night of). Also how the food was prepared changed every night, and a lot of the menu items changed slightly every night. Not that that is extremly unusual, but added to everything elese it kind of screwed us. That being said the BOH did get f'ed you guys had to be there early had to leave late and aren't being paid neraly enough, but to comment on the servers experence without serving yourself thats just not cool. Oh yea 25 minutes for zepoli 30 minutes for calamari you can't say that the kitchen was dead on balls either, it's not you fault it is the systems, but the same can be said for the problems in the foh.

Later

[zenial]

A lot of lawyers looking for work right now.  I hardly think it would be difficult to find out who zenial is.

Come to think of it, I have a couple of hours to fill/bill. Let's see, where did I put those blank subpoena forms? Just kidding.

LOL

[MatthewB]

A lot of lawyers looking for work right now.  I hardly think it would be difficult to find out who zenial is.

Come to think of it, I have a couple of hours to fill/bill. Let's see, where did I put those blank subpoena forms? Just kidding.

LOL

True. Why sue someone whom you'll never collect from even if you do receive a judgment?

[jhlurie]

Okay, with a transplanted FOH/BOH conflict... this topic is now officially fun!

[Bux]

The impossible show we'd all like to see but never will:

"Getting a NY Liquor license in 6 weeks"

They didn't, exactly...

http://hospitality.careers.foodservice.com...cfm?passid=6796

From that link: "... the liquor-license application was sent to the wrong community board, which refused to grant Rocco's a liquor license." Yeah like community boards grant liquor licenses. While an appearance before the local community board is required, it's only recently that the State Liquor Authority has begun to even consider their opinion on the matter.

" "In this case, the SLA made an exception . . . because we thought that the positive residual effects [of the show] would hopefully foster some economic growth for a food industry that is hurt badly in lower Manhattan," he said." Uh huh, more competition is what's going to keep those remaining restaurants in an area that's hurt badly. That's especially true when the area below Canal is hurting the most and this is pretty far uptown relative to the area that's hurting the most.

That's web news that's far removed from reality and real information. Maybe it's fitting.

[Bux]

Okay, with a transplanted FOH/BOH conflict... this topic is now officially fun!

I'm sure I live in a special Utopia, but I honestly believe those cooks who can't envision the front and back of the house working as a team never cooked in a really fine restaurant. I know chefs who socialize and dine out with waiters, managers, captains and sommeliers all the time and I count some of each among my friends and acquaintances. This may tie in with a post I made in another thread about what chef's do in their limited spare time, but the one's I know, eat out a fair amount of the time.

[tommy]

That's web news that's far removed from reality and real information. Maybe it's fitting.

i'm with bux. but don't tell anyone i said that.

[GordonCooks]

I'm curious as to the differences in the BOH/FOH issues in Chef/Owner restaurants (e.g. Daniel, JG) vs FOH restaurants (e.g. Le Cirque). What happens when push comes to shove ?