Kitchen Nightmares

Ever wonder what happens to a restaurant after Gordon Ramsay whips the staff into shape and redesigns the dining room on Fox's Kitchen Nightmares? Well according to Scottish newspaper, the Herald, more than half of the eateries have closed or been sold. Of the 20 restaurants that were featured on the US version of KN, 10 are now closed; 12 out of the 22 UK establishments faced the same grim fate. Restaurateurs blame a range of reasons for shuttering, from high costs of fresh local produce to a decrease in customer counts due to the recession. Others even begrudge Ramsay saying that the show is clearly a joke.

In some ways, I have to agree. A quick makeover from a celebrity chef and appearance on a reality television show isn't going to make thousands of dollars in debt disappear. The harsh truth is that for a restaurant to succeed, it needs diners, and not even Gordon Ramsay can guarantee that an establishment will be full each night.

What do think of the news? Are you surprised to learn that so many of the eateries have shut down?

Source

In a deal between Fox and star chef Gordon Ramsay, the chef has signed on for at least two more seasons of Hell's Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares, a live cooking special, and — get this — yet another series.

Ramsay's third show will be based on his current British series Man Camp, a sort of boot camp for men, who are put through physical and intellectual challenges.

The live cooking special will encourage "young, vibrant, and tenacious" viewers to cook a meal with the chef at home. Says Fox programming executive Mike Darnell: "He's been unbelievably good to this network. He's as much a staple for us now as Simon Cowell or Hugh Laurie."

Ramsay's secret to television success? "I try hard to keep it real, and I'm someone who takes all this very, very seriously." Are you excited to hear of this new development for the sharp-tongued chef? Will you tune in to watch Ramsay's new show, which seems to be less focused on cooking?

Source

With a handful of hit shows, an international restaurant group, and 12 Michelin stars to uphold, Gordon Ramsay keeps piling more on his plate. The chef announced he will be opening a second venture in Manhattan, his US version of a laid-back, relaxed gastropub.

The casual concept, Ramsay defends, isn't due to the failing economy: "It's not because of the credit crunch or holding back. I just love that kind of alternative."

Gordon Ramsay at the London, his first stateside spot in midtown Manhattan, opened in 2006 to mixed reviews from critics, but the restaurant has proved resilient, earning two Michelin stars.

No word yet on when the café is set to open. Ramsay does have other things going on, after all: The new season of Kitchen Nightmares premieres tonight on Fox.

Source

This morning, as part of our Best of 2007 coverage, we revealed our favorite female-celeb chef of 2007. Well, now it's time to reveal our favorite male-celebrity chef. The readers' choice mimicked my own and it was a close race between Alton Brown and Anthony Bourdain; in fact, they're currently tied at 23 percent each. However in the end, I'm going to have go against my heart and go with my brain. Our choice for male-celebrity chef of the year is Gordon Ramsay.

This year Ramsay really dominated his category. He had two successful US television shows — Hell's Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares — several interesting shows on BBC, a video game in the works, two more Michelin stars, a new cookbook, and he found time to run a marathon. Not to mention he did all this even with burned bits down under.

Say what you will about Ramsay, but he is a successful — if not awfully busy — bloke and 2007 was really his year.

Source