"The Restaurant" Reality Show Season 1

[Holly Moore]

I find this particularly ironic given that one of the many Amex ads shows Rocco saying "I've worked hard to get where I am, and here it is - my OWN name is finally on the door!"   

I kinda like it in the Amex ad when Rocco says, "especially at a time when 9 out of 10 new restaurants fail the first year." Wonder what the odds are against a restaurant whose first two days went like Rocco's?

[Aurora]

The segment about "spending more than they were bringing in..." with over-the-shoulder shot of the woman in the office going to the Amex OPEN website with Rocco's voice over about opening a line of credit was the most vomitous product placement they have done yet. That made me groan out loud. My dislike of the over-the-top product mentions has stabalized until that point. My ears arent too good these days, but the bit about the new line of credit sounded like replaced dialogue (inserted after the fact). The sound editor didn't mask the tell-tale pops or modify the presence.

I don't remember who said the product placment was whorish, but that website bit, and the shot of the hands turning the Open/Closed sign sank it a few more notches for me.

Bux - you are right. Perhaps it they got Rocco to go on CBS and make salad while talking to Jane Claysen, that would be a real coup.

And still, I keep watching!

[Peter B Wolf]

Come to think of it, was'nt there a shot showing the office?

Well, that particular cubicle shown had much too much junk and disorganized files and paperwork laying around and on shelves for a place that was just opened !!??

Or was this the office of other or former endeavors?

[TuWanda]

I think he's thinking that he's gotten paid enough to gamble that good reputation.

I wonder how much money a good reputation costs these days...

I'm a little surprised that anyone who's worked as hard as he has to get where he is in such a difficult industry would allow his reputation to be purchased for any amount of money. Let's face it - the only thing that seperates the top wage earners from those making $40K per year is a GREAT reputation and some star quality. All chef's know that their future earning potential is determined solely on that reputation. And now it's looking like Rocco isn't coming out of this train wreck with that reputation intact; it may need the ER before this is over.

I think it's difficult for even those of us who have worked in the industry to tell fact and fiction in a show like this, but based on what I've seen to date, I think Rocco was very short-sighted to have done this show without editing approval.

[TuWanda]

Come to think of it, was'nt there a shot showing the office?

Well, that particular cubicle shown had much too much junk and disorganized files and paperwork laying around and on shelves for a place that was just opened !!??

Or was this the office of other or former endeavors?

Peter, he used that same office in the first episode before they even had a site. I am guessing it's an office of "other and former endeavors"...

[ronnie_suburban]

EJRothman wrote...

Being that it is a fictionalized version of reality it has been edited so things go badly, then get better, and Rocco triumphs in the end.  Of course, I don't know this will be the case, but I'd be willing to bet on it.

I'd bet on it too.

EJRothman also wrote...

Lastly, and this is sort of the overarching theme, I guess - The field of Political Science teaches (basically) that people are stupid.  That's why people don't vote, don't know the issues, and plain don't care.  Same holds true for this show.  No one will remember the disasters (especially after Rocco's triumphant finale) and even so, no one will care.  They will go, they will eat, they will be impressed.  There is no way that Rocco's career will be anything but bolstered by this venture, he has exposure and that is all that matters.

Sadly, I agree. He'll likely be remembered simply as "that cute chef who had the reality show" by most folks. People here know better, most others don't.

=R=

[KatieLoeb]

I find this particularly ironic given that one of the many Amex ads shows Rocco saying "I've worked hard to get where I am, and here it is - my OWN name is finally on the door!"  

I kinda like it in the Amex ad when Rocco says, "especially at a time when 9 out of 10 new restaurants fail the first year." Wonder what the odds are against a restaurant whose first two days went like Rocco's?

Sadly Holly, most restaurateurs don't have the luxury of having their place be touted as the "new, cool, 'it's-on-TV' place" on NATIONAL TV!!!. Ronnie is right. For those of us that know better, it makes our flesh crawl. For everyone else, it's like a Hollywood tour that includes the stars homes or a "Places Where Gruesome Things Happened" tour. This place will stay open far longer than a normal merciful life span would allow just because of the novelty factor. There's an awful lot of people that either live in NYC or are tourists there. One visit apiece from each of them should keep the place open for awhile. Pathetic, but true.

And can I just ask, am I the only one that noticed that with 300+ reservations on the books (even if the last 75 of them were OVERbooked) that there was NO ONE expediting food in the kitchen???!!?? :shock: Hello!!! Like, no freakin' wonder the food was going out cold and to the wrong tables! Has anyone there ever worked with some structure? Does Chef "My-name-is-on-the-door" not KNOW better?? Quite disturbing on a very fundamental level.

[Nick]

Oh God. With all the comments being posted here I'll probably have to watch this sorry-assed show about a sorry-assed joint next week.

[Mark Sommelier]

And still, I keep watching!

We all are. It is a trainwreck. How can you not watch? The third episode was painful for me. Someone predicted that all would turn out fine in the end. That would be a neat trick. Everyone who works there seems so either incompetent or despicable. The recent customer comments on the Manhattan websites have not been great. Do a google.com on Rocco's 22nd St. and see the pops that come up.

[BigboyDan]

BOH person checking in.

This show is just silly in so many ways; wait until they dub it in French and show it in France.

The main thing that I am learning from the show (and from this thread): never work in a Manhattan restaurant.

[tommy]

Yeah, it wasn't the critic's thighs, as Rocco would have had to have been on crack to do that!

so we can count that as just one more piece of misinformation fueling this mess. thought so.

I'm not sure it really matters whose thigh he was goosing, Tommy (though it might well have mattered to the critic and/or to the Anonymous Blonde ).

well then perhaps you shouldn't have suggested that he was rubbing a critic's thigh.

i've "goosed" many women in my day, as have many others. i don't expect to be sent to hell for it.

[branch]

Gah, you know it's not a Burnett show unless the last episode is the entire staff and Rocco enjoying a kumbaya moment in the dining room around a campfire fueled by copies of the Post from episode 3.

As much as I love my "The Restaurant" drinking game, even a slew of product placement won't keep me watching... unless there's so much that I'm too drunk to flip the channel.

Now more Emily... yeah that's the ticket. I could watch her berate the staff with that cute accent all night.

[Rachel Perlow]

I'm a little surprised that anyone who's worked as hard as he has to get where he is in such a difficult industry would allow his reputation to be purchased for any amount of money.  Let's face it - the only thing that seperates the top wage earners from those making $40K per year is a GREAT reputation and some star quality.  All chef's know that their future earning potential is determined solely on that reputation.  And now it's looking like Rocco isn't coming out of this train wreck with that reputation intact; it may need the ER before this is over.

But as others have pointed out, the restaurant will be successful simply because of the publicity and curiosity factors. I don't think Rocco will need to worry about his "future earning potential" (as in, having to worry about being hired by other restauranteurs) because his future will probably include a string of "Rocco's" across the nation, including Las Vagas, and a cooking show on TVFN with his mom as a frequent guest star.

[Bothameboutasteak?]

Gah, you know it's not a Burnett show unless the last episode is the entire staff and Rocco enjoying a kumbaya moment in the dining room around a campfire fueled by copies of the Post from episode 3.

As much as I love my "The Restaurant" drinking game, even a slew of product placement won't keep me watching... unless there's so much that I'm too drunk to flip the channel.

Now more Emily... yeah that's the ticket. I could watch her berate the staff with that cute accent all night.

The show will end as follows:

Because none of us had been paid for 3+ weeks, and some excellent staff walked out because of it, Rocco had to pull a rabbit out of his hat. (Even though the "not paid" stuff was done on purpose to create drama, unbeknownst to the staff). And so Rocco announces that we are all invited to the Hamptons on our one day off for fun and games! Whoopee!! And so the fun ensues of much drinking and debauchery etc. What they will show, who knows. Episodes 4 and 5 are supposedly much, much more kitchen staff drama, which has been negligible until now.

[Louisa Chu]

This show is just silly in so many ways; wait until they dub it in French and show it in France.

Waiting petulantly in Paris. I feel so superior not having sullied myself by watching this show - but not by choice. Were I there and not here I'd succumb. But for now sharing in Gallic snobbishness. I can't wait to ask the chefs at Ducasse what they think.

[mags]

Yeah, it wasn't the critic's thighs, as Rocco would have had to have been on crack to do that!

so we can count that as just one more piece of misinformation fueling this mess. thought so.

I'm not sure it really matters whose thigh he was goosing, Tommy (though it might well have mattered to the critic and/or to the Anonymous Blonde ).

well then perhaps you shouldn't have suggested that he was rubbing a critic's thigh.

i've "goosed" many women in my day, as have many others. i don't expect to be sent to hell for it.

In the first place, it was an honest mistake on my part. As others here have noted, the segment involving said goosing was intercut with others involving Rocco's schmoozing the critic; I was apparently confused as to just whose thigh was getting massaged.

In the second place, back off. I'm not suggesting that Rocco be "sent to hell" for goosing some woman's thigh, whether or not she is a critic. And I have no desire to send you or anyone else to hell for similar behavior.

At the same time, yeah, I am seriously repulsed by someone whose opinion of his own sexual appeal is such that he not only feels entitled to grope strange women in public, but -- and this, to me, is the important bit -- apparently believes that this behavior is pleasing and ingratiating, the ditigal equivalent of comping the table to a round of drinks.

[Blondie]

At the same time, yeah, I am seriously repulsed by someone whose opinion of his own sexual appeal is such that he not only feels entitled to grope strange women in public, but -- and this, to me, is the important bit -- apparently believes that this behavior is pleasing and ingratiating, the ditigal equivalent of comping the table to a round of drinks.

I must have missed this part of the show. Did the "goosee" complain? Do we know whether she and Rocco were previously acquainted?

[jfd666]

Just a thought on the product placement: I've heard rumblings that they would start experimenting with this kind of advertising to combat the Tivo phenomenon - i.e. the ability to skip through the commercial breaks. I fear that these embedded ads will become more and more the norm.

JD

[Gideon]

Hello all Gideon here.

So after hesistating to go on this message board I was finally pushed by another co-worker. just so you guys know...you are known as the "brutally honest" message board. I havent had time to read all the posts yet but Im open for any questions or comments. Of course I can shamefully plug my website so you can hear my side of the story but apparantly thats pissing people off as well. So come on...lets hear what you ahve to say!

[Gideon]

Oh yeah...you guys should pay attention to one of the posters here. I dont know who they are, but they are leaking some pretty fragile information about future episodes that could get them in a lot of trouble with NBC. We are all in contract not disclose any info on future episodes. I for one...dont feel like fu#@*g with NBC.

[Savour Chef]

Hello all Gideon here.

So after hesistating to go on this message board I was finally pushed by another co-worker.  just so you guys know...you are known as the "brutally honest" message board.  I havent had time to read all the posts yet but Im open for any questions or comments.  Of course I can shamefully plug my website so you can hear my side of the story but apparantly thats pissing people off as well.  So come on...lets hear what you ahve to say!

Hi.

I have a few questions:

1. Was the break for real? (Isn't a fracture supposed to be in a 'hard' cast -- not a sling?)

2. Are you Jeffrey Chodorow's nephew?

3. When they sent you home, and then called to have you come in again, why didn't you just ask to speak to French boy instead of apparently inconveniently putting your suit on and halling your ass down there to see what he actually wanted?

That'll do for now. But, you give good TV kid!

[Rachel Perlow]

Welcome Gideon. Feel free to poke around the rest of eGullet as well. We're "'brutally honest'" about everything!

[Gideon]

yes the break was real, the fall was real. I go into detail about the exact happenings of that night on my website. I have yet to address the nephew rumor. Its not jeffery Chodorow...it is his partner Polsenburg that I have a distant relationship to. I found this out after the cameras left...he doesnt even know it. Im a second cousin. Ill give the details on my site. The host Foye called me and said that Leaurant wanted me to come in. I didnt double check...the fact is...he did tell me to come in...Rocco saw the sling and told me that it looked bad for guests to see it, then sent me home. Communication was horrible between Rocco and the rest of management concerning my elbow. Someone actually wrote an article about how most elbow breaks do not require a cast so that you wouldnt hinder the joint movements...they put you in a sling....search for my website to get the low down on that :0

I dont want to shamelessly plug my web page but it stops me from answering the same question 80 times on each message board. i want you guys to know the truth and its the best way to get everyone to hear my point of view.

Gideon

[VisitorX]

To Gideon:

Re: Episode 3

I was just wondering why a camera happened to follow you home and be on you when you got the call to come back.

Also, the brunette banned waitress (forget her name), also had a camera on her when she got the call from Topher.

I find this most odd unless it was scripted. Could you please explain?

Thank you.

[shaddup]

This "reality" show is not quite reality. The cameramen and the producers prodded people to say certain things. They would go to people and say, "hey, talk to (place name here) and discuss (insert topic to discuss here)". they ended up re-shooting a lot of scenes. Do you actually think that the cameras would follow everyone 24/7? Props for the people who ignored the cameramen and producers suggestions and just continued on with their work especially the cooks.