"The Restaurant" Reality Show Season 1

[Bux]

But seriously, New York is the land of the subsitution, and these so-called palates have no trouble at all rearranging dishes into an unrecognizable mess, which no one in their right mind would put together, and then tell their friends afterwards how the food is so-so or not all that great.

NY diners have an over reaching regard for their own palates some times. Perhaps often, from the tales I've heard from the kitchen and the front of the house. Diners in NY are often just plain arrogant and unknowledgeable. All too often they see their relationship with a restaurant as a contentious one from the onset. For what it's worth, I suspect the situation is much worse in L.A.

[zenial]

OK. Just to defend my fellow waiters ALL of us with the exception of a couple have MANY years of expirence. So many of you agree that they craftfully edit but automatically assume their porteayl of the "dim-witted servers" is spot on. There are a few things you need to know.

1. Those two nights were the first time we stepped foot in the dining room to serve.

2. We recieved the menu descriptions the night before, which were not accurate, and menu intems were changed each day before the shift. The BOH had been cooking the items and working in their space for a few days bafore hand.

3.Along with memorizing the menu we also recieved a half-assed winr list to memorize aswell

4.We had NO training granted we all had expirence but if you have 20 people working in in a place that they have barely seen who have never worked togeher and who have also never been trained at the restaurant the shiot will hit the fan at an alarming rate. The fact that no one committed suicide is amazing. The fact that anyone got their food at all is amazing.

5. Because people knew the food was free there was no "standerd ordering procedure" gests would order appitizers then appitizers then main then salad the dessert. then appitizers. Just taking the orders was hell.

6.Because it was very different everbody every guest wanted your undivided attention, which is nothing new but it was EVERY guest.

7. Becasue it was on T.V we had less than cooth patrons. People needed detailed explnations of some of the most basic menu items. Which is normally not a problem but is was ever other table. And it wasn't the normal "is this good is that good" people wanted in depth description on every item, which again would be fine but it was every table. What is crudo, What is in the Chicken parm come on.

8. As far as calling us whiney mabye that is the case but we did it very very very seldom but the cameras were always there and that is what they chose to display. And even if we were what if you showed up to work and nobody was really sure what wines you would be serving, or you hadn't been paid in three weeks, or you had not been trained AT ALL. Or let's say that because the food was FREE not everbody deemed it nessecary tip. Almost every server i know would bitch if they had to stay later than expected. We put up with a lot more than that.

9.There are a lot more reasons than this but i'll save those up for epsiode three.

Also i do not mean to say that the cooks had a walk in the park because they all BUSTED THEIR ASSES, with ROCCO screaming at them (only in front of the cameras by the way, he wasn't down there otherwise not to say that I expected him to be)

Everone had it rough to call us whiney mabye but unexpirence not in the least. And we ahd every right to be whiney.

Edited July 29, 2003 by zenial (log)

[zilla369]

This post has been edited by zenial on Jul 29 2003, 12:53 AM

[GotChianti?]

What was the bit with going across the street and buying red wine? Was the diner an Amex executive? I don't know where the nearest wine shop is, but in NYS, bars and restaurants are not licensed to see liquor for off premises consumption. Heads would have rolled if the cameras caught anyone selling wine for take out. The poor waiter was clueless -- except for the one clue Rocco gave him about pleasing the customer when Rocco sent someone out for beer, excuse me Coors, during rehearsal. And the take my credit card bit? Is that the way Amex encourages members to use thier cards?

Ah, but, Bux, you're not paying attention! That wasn't just any waiter. That was GIDEON!!. He was the actor/waiter who was first in line in the first episode with the sign that said "I'm not a bum. I'm first in line". He has his own website now. This is a sad show.

Minor correction, sorry Bux, but the waiter who went to get the wine was actually Pete, not Gideon. I know this because I was the guy who stepped in with the red wine to save his ass. I was also the guy who had to deal with the seething management staffs of both Kitchen 22 and Bolo(the two places Pete and the CAMERAS) went in search of vino. They were pissed. Truthfully I was rather surprised that bit made the show due to the illegal nature of the goings-on, but I'm guessing Burnett won't lose sleep if Rocco's gets slapped with a suit.

As for who's left in the FOH. A few. Lots of housecleaning.

[timtron]

having opened 6 restaurants (both FOH and BOH), I' say things went a little better than average (with the exception of the fire)

[monkeymay]

But seriously, New York is the land of the subsitution, and these so-called palates have no trouble at all rearranging dishes into an unrecognizable mess, which no one in their right mind would put together, and then tell their friends afterwards how the food is so-so or not all that great.

NY diners have an over reaching regard for their own palates some times. Perhaps often, from the tales I've heard from the kitchen and the front of the house. Diners in NY are often just plain arrogant and unknowledgeable. All too often they see their relationship with a restaurant as a contentious one from the onset. For what it's worth, I suspect the situation is much worse in L.A.

Yes, here in L.A. the menu is often looked at as a list of ingredients to be combined according to whatever diet you're currently abusing.

Anyone see the last 'Sex and the City" episode?

It featured Carrie giving very detailed and specific instructions to a waiter regarding her "allergy" to parsley.

[GordonCooks]

that manly looking woman

I thought he/she looked like Robin Gibb!

Actually, it was yet another Andy Dick cameo.

[theminx]

4.We had NO training granted we all had expirence but if you have 20 people  working in in a place that they have barely seen who have never worked togeher and who have also never been trained at the restaurant the shiot will hit the fan at an alarming rate. The fact that no one committed suicide is amazing. The fact that anyone got their food at all is amazing.

But Gideon says you had training. From his blog:

"First of all, that 1st episode covered about 3 weeks worth of shooting. It's amazing what editing can do. They bunched all of the training to appear as though it was the same day…but look closely…we are all wearing different outfits in each shot. We went out practically every night after training and the only partying you see is actually the first day all of us met."

Sounds like there might have been several training sessions? Not that his word has more weight than that of anyone else, but...I smell hyperbole....

[zenial]

4.We had NO training granted we all had expirence but if you have 20 people  working in in a place that they have barely seen who have never worked togeher and who have also never been trained at the restaurant the shiot will hit the fan at an alarming rate. The fact that no one committed suicide is amazing. The fact that anyone got their food at all is amazing.

But Gideon says you had training. From his blog:

"First of all, that 1st episode covered about 3 weeks worth of shooting. It's amazing what editing can do. They bunched all of the training to appear as though it was the same day…but look closely…we are all wearing different outfits in each shot. We went out practically every night after training and the only partying you see is actually the first day all of us met."

Sounds like there might have been several training sessions? Not that his word has more weight than that of anyone else, but...I smell hyperbole....

It wasn't training in the normal sense of the word. It was rocco talking about what he expected from us, also it was all about wine we tasted a couple, also about how to pour blah blah. Also we did have a cpu training class.

Edited July 29, 2003 by zenial (log)

[zenial]

4.We had NO training granted we all had expirence but if you have 20 people  working in in a place that they have barely seen who have never worked togeher and who have also never been trained at the restaurant the shiot will hit the fan at an alarming rate. The fact that no one committed suicide is amazing. The fact that anyone got their food at all is amazing.

But Gideon says you had training. From his blog:

"First of all, that 1st episode covered about 3 weeks worth of shooting. It's amazing what editing can do. They bunched all of the training to appear as though it was the same day…but look closely…we are all wearing different outfits in each shot. We went out practically every night after training and the only partying you see is actually the first day all of us met."

Sounds like there might have been several training sessions? Not that his word has more weight than that of anyone else, but...I smell hyperbole....

Also anyone at the "training" would tell you it was pretty useless. it was Fred telling us where certain wines came from and so on, nice info to be sure, but nobody knew how we would work the actual waiting/captain thing. And anybody who has waited tables knows a big key to good service is knowing the space well. We did not know it at all.

[Bux]

What was the bit with going across the street and buying red wine? Was the diner an Amex executive? I don't know where the nearest wine shop is, but in NYS, bars and restaurants are not licensed to see liquor for off premises consumption. Heads would have rolled if the cameras caught anyone selling wine for take out. The poor waiter was clueless -- except for the one clue Rocco gave him about pleasing the customer when Rocco sent someone out for beer, excuse me Coors, during rehearsal. And the take my credit card bit? Is that the way Amex encourages members to use thier cards?

Ah, but, Bux, you're not paying attention! That wasn't just any waiter. That was GIDEON!!. He was the actor/waiter who was first in line in the first episode with the sign that said "I'm not a bum. I'm first in line". He has his own website now. This is a sad show.

Minor correction, sorry Bux, but the waiter who went to get the wine was actually Pete, not Gideon. I know this because I was the guy who stepped in with the red wine to save his ass. I was also the guy who had to deal with the seething management staffs of both Kitchen 22 and Bolo(the two places Pete and the CAMERAS) went in search of vino. They were pissed. Truthfully I was rather surprised that bit made the show due to the illegal nature of the goings-on, but I'm guessing Burnett won't lose sleep if Rocco's gets slapped with a suit.

As for who's left in the FOH. A few. Lots of housecleaning.

Sorry, I didn't catch Pete's name, but I noted in my follow up post to Mark's post that it wasn't Gideon and he agreed. The correction had already been made online. But tell us how the house managed to run out of red wine and how you managed to step in with the red wine, if the restaurant ran out. So much of this sounds like planned mayhem for the cameras.

[Bux]

Also we did have a cpu training class.

Presumably training for the soon to be out of work actor's next jobs as computer technicians.

All, or most, kidding aside, I don't think people are saying that the waiters were inept people, but that the over all organization was inept and because of the lack of preparation, the service was inept.

[alacarte]

I haven't seen the Rocco series. But juding by zenial's account, it sounds like things were deliberately rigged to make things more "dramatic."

An evening in which all goes smooth does not make for compelling TV. Just like a reality series about couples with untroubled relationships would probably be a snoozer to watch.

[tommy]

why do you say he was a "rich arrogant ass"?  the guy wanted wine with dinner.

It is one thing to want wine with dinner. It is another to demand that the server take tour credit card and go out and buy a few bottles. It is another thing on top of that when your food is FREE.

demand? that seems like a strong word. but you must be right about the "rich" part. afterall, it was a gold amex.

[zilla369]

Also we did have a cpu training class.

Presumably training for the soon to be out of work actor's next jobs as computer technicians.

[danoots]

I saw them for only a second and the flesh looked a little too translucent yet though the shells were crimson. But the diners couldn't have known that without opening the shrimp.

Customers were wrong. The cook was wrong.

Actually, I watched the moment slowed down (PVR is pretty cool) and I have to say they looked pretty much exactly right. And given the "they look like frogs" comment, I have a suspicion that those customers had never seen real shrimp (with heads on and not in shrimp cocktails) in their lives.

Still... the cook was wrong, the customer was right - and a dishwasher had an excellent snack. Isn't that the rule?

Actually, I watched the moment slowed down (PVR is pretty cool) and I have to say they looked pretty much exactly right.

I had the red shrimp when we ate at Rocco's (during filming). I could understand how someone used to overcooked cocktail shrimp could be thrown off by what's served... they're brimming with juice, and the flavour is *much* stronger than your typically bland shrimp... a lot of "sea" in them.

Not that I'm adding anything to the conversation, but our food at Rocco's was rather good... well prepared grey goose martinis, nice antipasti, really good meatballs... but the service was perhaps the worst I've ever had in an NYC dining experience. Waiter poured wine all over our table and didn't refill caraffe... no bread on table... we waited about 40 minutes between each course... we had four waiters during the course of the meal. We mentioned to staff when leaving that we left a crappy tip due to poor service. They seemed genuinely concerned and surprised... seeing some of the show makes me wonder how that was possible.

[Jinmyo]

danoots, I'm relieved about the shrimp.

Would you go back?

[Callipygos]

Actually, I was somewhat taken aback to learn that they were making "Italian" fare that my IRISH CANADIAN mother made.

Ah well.

I've been watching for the snark factor -- my SO is a sommelier and I'm learning things about the inner voodoo of the restaurant biz from him that I never knew of before. Heh; I actually had meant to tell him about the open casting call and forgot, and told him after the fact and he was a little disappointed and said he wished I'd told him; after the premiere, I asked him, "do you still wish I'd told you about this?" And he said, "Actually, not anymore...."

[tommy]

i guess it would be considered "italian-american" fare, no?

[Lisa1349]

Someone beat him to it...it's called Buca di Beppo, a chain of Italian restaurants

There's another one, Maggiano's. It's modeled after Carmine's. As anti chain that I am, maggiano's has good food.

What happened to avatars here? Conserving space?

Lisa

[Jinmyo]

What happened to avatars here? Conserving space?

Bing.

[theminx]

Also anyone at the "training" would tell you it was pretty useless. it was Fred telling us where certain wines came from and so on, nice info to be sure, but nobody knew how we would work the actual waiting/captain thing. And anybody who has waited tables knows a big key to good service is knowing the space well. We did not know it at all.

Ok - that makes sense. Something called "training" isn't necessarily a complete primer in all the information needed for the job.

Now, I don't want to sound like I like the man or anything, but I seem to remember watching a FoodTV show on the opening of Emeril's new restaurant in Orlando, Tchoup Chop (I can't wrap my brain around E making Asian-fusion cuisine). A lot of the show was dedicated to showing the training of the staff, making sure they really knew the menu, etc. Could have been staged for the cameras, but the service seemed really well-orchestrated once the place opened. I've eaten at Emeril's in Orlando, and the service was top-notch. Training does make a world of difference.

[Lisa1349]

i guess it would be considered "italian-american" fare, no?

Some of it is Italian, the crudo, the fritti. Italian - American is spaghetti and meatballs. I'm disgusted that every freakin' restaurant has caesar salad! If you believe the stories, it's Mexican!

Lisa

PS. Has anyone who's been there had the arancine? I love rice balls!

[Callipygos]

i guess it would be considered "italian-american" fare, no?

Some of it is Italian, the crudo, the fritti. Italian - American is spaghetti and meatballs.

I've just always gotten the sense that "spaghetti and meatballs" has crossed that realm into "generic American" cuisine. Kind of how "chop suey" is no more like "authentic Chinese" cooking than I to Hercules.

Or, maybe just the thought that Rocco is probably charging through the nose for this that just gets my dander up. Anyone know?...I'm one of those frugal people that snorts, "hey, if you're charging me 20 bucks for spaghetti, you better be serving it on a gold plate and juggling the meatballs for me first" or something.

[Lisa1349]

Here's the MENU.

Spaghetti and meatballs are $15. OK I guess. I have never seen eggplant rollatine for less than $10, even at the local pizzeria in Brooklyn.

Lisa