"Kitchen Nightmares"

When I first saw the e-mail from the casting producer of “Kitchen Nightmares” I thought someone had turned me into Chef Ramsey. “Well, bring it on,” I thought. I take food and food prep very seriously and think even Chef Ramsey would give my kitchen a thumbs up. In spite of my somewhat cavalier attitude, I was relieved to know that nobody had turned me in and I would not be under kitchen scrutiny from the famous chef.

As I read the e-mail, I learned that Fox’s hit show “Kitchen Nightmares” is, again, coming to Acorn Country to possibly select a local restaurant for an upcoming episode of the reality show that features tough Chef Gordon Ramsey.

For anyone unfamiliar with the show, Chef Ramsey is a hugely successful, world renowned chef from England. Several of his restaurants have been awarded prestigious Michelin stars for excellence. He is also the author of several successful cookbooks and the star of reality shows such as “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Kitchen Nightmares.”

The premise behind “Kitchen Nightmares” is that, at the request of the restaurant owner, Chef Ramsey and his film crew will come in and, according to the press release, “turn one ordinary and empty restaurant into the most popular, sought after venue in town.”

He will critique, every element of the restaurant. And critique he does. While he may mince onions in the kitchen, it seems he never minces words. Often confrontational and explosive, he is more like a drill sergeant making it quickly apparent that he will “accept nothing less than the best when it comes to food, staff and customer service.” The gain of course is the advice and expertise of Chef Ramsey as well as the exposure to national television.

Casting producer, Kristin Curtin said that she was not able to disclose how a restaurant is chosen for the show. However, she did say that restaurants that “fit the bill” often have staff problems, food problems, location problems or personality conflicts; something that Chef Ramsey can fix.