"The Restaurant" Reality Show Season 1

jfd666 · August 21, 2003

...my dog (unbelievably enough, named Rocco)

now that's some comedy.

vox · August 21, 2003

also...i was kinda sorta hoping against hope that cooks in the states and in froufrou restaurants made more money than i do doing fine dining in canada...
but the $10/hour thing is pretty depresso.
No, dear,
$10 an hour and no health insurance is despresso.

i make $11/hour, no health insurance, nothing.

compare that to my university position, which is union, with paid vacation and all the other benefits capitalism owes it's working public...and it's pretty sad.

(that's in canuck dollars too!)

i've always noticed that the restaurant industry is one of the last bastions of draconian labour relations...dickens would have a field day.

Rachel Perlow · August 21, 2003

or Upton Sinclair. :shock:

tim donoho · August 21, 2003

this is great reading all this stuff. i'm one of the three cooks from last sunday. you probably recognize my name because rocco spelled it out on national tv. man, i wish they had dubbed over that and called me tim coors or something. oh well, you go on a reality tv show, you gotta take your lumps.

Minou · August 21, 2003

also...i was kinda sorta hoping against hope that cooks in the states and in froufrou restaurants made more money than i do doing fine dining in canada...
but the $10/hour thing is pretty depresso.
No, dear,
$10 an hour and no health insurance is despresso.
i make $11/hour, no health insurance, nothing.
(that's in canuck dollars too!)
i've always noticed that the restaurant industry is one of the last bastions of draconian labour relations...dickens would have a field day.

^^^ Yep. My hubby is saddled with the title chef and for that he gets a whopping $13 CDN / hour, no benefits, no real control of his kitchen

(1 of the owners is also a chef ... :rolleyes: ) and 100% if the stress of being "chef".

... but that's okay, he runs a "Bourdain Style" pirate ship and the kitchen staff are fiercely loyal to him.

Not the owners.

… with a new job mid autumn .. it’s just H2O off the mallard now …

Too bad this appears to be an industry where the standard is to have no standards.

Lady T · August 21, 2003

:wink:

Welcome, Tim. Not to sidetrack the thread (or not too far, anyhow) -- but are you and your two colleagues now safely re-employed? Preferably with people who have their business $hit together?

:cool:

Bux · August 21, 2003

Allow me to congratulate corporatemofo author (the link Jason posted) on a truly wonderful-and frighteningly well-written account. You want to know what the NYC restaurant world can TRULY be? Check it out. The real thing--shockingly, scathingly and fearlessly portrayed. Beautiful.

Yeah, but she couldn't tell the difference between a Mitsubishi and an Mercedes. :biggrin: Can I trust her.

tim donoho · August 21, 2003

Welcome, Tim. Not to sidetrack the thread (or not too far, anyhow) -- but are you and your two colleagues now safely re-employed? Preferably with people who have their business $hit together?

things have been interesting since cocco's tacos. yes, i'm working now and getting paid, but i did go through some similar hassles at another place after that. the paycheck runaround happens so much in this business.

jhlurie · August 21, 2003

Good lord. Between Rocco, Emeril and Martha all of the "important" people must really hate eGullet. :biggrin: Well if you look in The eGullet Fridge at least we've got a few friends...

tommy · August 21, 2003

Good lord. Between Rocco, Emeril and Martha all of the "important" people must really hate eGullet. Well if you look in The eGullet Fridge at least we've got a few friends...

i often forget how many incredible people we've had come through. thanks for the reminder!

Edited August 21, 2003 by tommy (log)

Pezchef · August 21, 2003

Quajolote...I agree with you that 5 eggs for Mamma's Meatball recipe seems like alot. I think that 3 at the most...for that amount of meat is plenty. Granted I have not been lucky enough to taste Mrs. DeSpirito's meatballs, but too many eggs can make them a little too firm.

WHT · August 21, 2003

Good lord. Between Rocco, Emeril and Martha all of the "important" people must really hate eGullet. Well if you look in The eGullet Fridge at least we've got a few friends...

Who ever said they where "important"?

shamrock · August 22, 2003

Wow, it's really interesting to me that so many people from the show have stopped by to pipe in. It must be at least a part-time job to manage one's image between all the reality-TV boards and all the foodie boards.

Are you guys all at places w/ 2 stars now, Tim/Dpadrone? Dpadrone, are you the woman who was upset at the fight, or the guy who likes to make sauces?

ditsydine · August 22, 2003

i used to work for AMEX eons ago, I find it highly laughable that they are using him to taut their product, when hell he can't pay his cooks, how the hell is he going to pay his bills.

DPadrona · August 22, 2003

I am the girl in the group. We are all happy and making the 3 and 4 star food that we have always made. Thanks for asking... :smile:

jhlurie · August 22, 2003

Good lord. Between Rocco, Emeril and Martha all of the "important" people must really hate eGullet. Well if you look in The eGullet Fridge at least we've got a few friends...
Who ever said they where "important"?

Thus the smiley and the quotes...

Wow, it's really interesting to me that so many people from the show have stopped by to pipe in. It must be at least a part-time job to manage one's image between all the reality-TV boards and all the foodie boards.

I'm far more pleased to see these guys here than the FOH people, no offense meant to them. Many of the FOH seemed cast simply because of looks and/or dramatic background, and that didn't seem to be the case with most of the BOH people. While its true that virtually anybody can fall prey to the "Reality Show Whore" syndrome, other than letting some arguably stupid words be coaxed out of their mouths which could be edited creatively, these folks seemed to mainly be doing their jobs.

In fact, I think the only reason the show has shifted from FOH people to BOH was that most of the "entertaining" FOH people quit, were fired, or acted like drama queens far too early.

Its understandable that the BOH people might have expected to work side-by-side with Rocco, but I guess they are cured of that affliction now. Time to start idolizing real chefs instead of paper cut-outs.

tmackz · August 22, 2003

That's exactly what dissappointed the most about this show! The BOH was where the "real" action should have been, and from what I heard, usually was. I know for a fact that most of the people in the kitchen where true professionals. There are very few "chef/actor", "kitchen manager/screenwriter" combos out there. These guys were truly interested in working for Rocco, based on his reputation as a chef. They put in grueling hours creating something in 6 weeks that should have taken 6 months. And when it came time to work with Rocco, he was no where to be found. This show shouldn't have been called "The Restaurant", it should have been called :

"Mama's boy goes through 2nd adolescence at the expense of his reputation, and on the backs of the BOH staff that really cared about the food!"

Jason Perlow · August 23, 2003

God spare us...

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor.../en_tv_eo/12369

According to published reports, the network is in final talks with the show's executive producers to offer up a second helping of the hit summer reality series revolving around the opening and running of a hip Manhattan eatery.

Jinmyo · August 23, 2003

according to Variety, NBC has been fielding offers from several celebrity chefs who would like to throw their aprons in the ring.

So now not only has Rocco jumped the shark, he's just the ramp someone else will drive up over to jump the shark.

IrishCream · August 23, 2003

Anyone wanna take bets on whose next? :wink:

Kerouac1964 · August 23, 2003

Wow...the show is garnering an average of 8 million viewers. :shock:

Perhaps egulleteers should unite in boycotting the 2nd season? We must stop this insanity. :blink:

Blondie · August 23, 2003

DiSpirito has also been quoted saying he wants to return for a second go-round, especially to show that he's not as maniacal as he has come across this summer.

I don't think doing a second series as damage control for the first is a very good idea :blink:

Jaymes · August 23, 2003

man, i wish they had dubbed over that and called me tim coors or something.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

I see spinoff potential.

Edited August 23, 2003 by Jaymes (log)

Mark Sommelier · August 23, 2003

DiSpirito has also been quoted saying he wants to return for a second go-round, especially to show that he's not as maniacal as he has come across this summer.
I don't think doing a second series as damage control for the first is a very good idea

I don't think he comes across as manaical. For 2 million dollars I would act stupid on TV also. The scene when the little light bulb in his head went off and he said "captain service" sent me and my friends into gales of uncontrolled laughter.

jfd666 · August 23, 2003

But, according to Variety, NBC has been fielding offers from several celebrity chefs who would like to throw their aprons in the ring.

Bourdain ... ? :huh:

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