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| KITCHEN NIGHTMARES: GIUSEPPE’S TRATTORIA |
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| Written by LindaM |
| Friday, 19 September 2008 11:32 |
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Tonight Gordon Ramsay and Kitchen Nightmares takes on the family owned Giusesppe’s Trattoria which is coming apart at the seams. The father, Joe is stubborn; the son, Sam, is frustrated, and mom, Kathy is discouraged. Yeah – just what Gordon loves – family counseling. Giuseppe’s Trattoria is located 40 miles north of Detroit in Macomb Township. Joe and Kathy, husband and wife, are the owners, and Sam is the chef. The two problems, as told to Ramsay by Kathy, are a lack of customers and “hell” in the kitchen. Brian, the sou chef, feels Sam is not stepping up to the top of the ladder. More on Brian later! Joe has high standards that he feels Sam can not meet. Sam has disappointed Joe who feels he has the maturity level of a 23 year old. Kathy tells Ramsay that they are heavily in debt and fears a divorce if the restaurant doesn’t make it. She tells him that the problem is not as simple as fixing a menu or hiring someone new. The problem centers in the kitchen with Joe bossing Sam. Ramsay sits down to eat from what Joe tells us a specially designed menu. Ramsay orders the octopus salad and potato sou. The octopus is like rubber. Ramsay offers a sample to Dawn, his waitress, who agrees with him. The new dish, potato soup, is just as hideous with disgusting cheese. The eggplant rotellini taste like its been cooked in the microwave – which it had. In addition to the food, Ramsay detects the war going on in the kitchen. Ramsay takes action and meets with the family. Joe feels that family is one thing but they are in business. He wants Sam to hear the truth about Sam’s lack of “passion” for food. Brian admits that most dishes are cooked in the microwave which upsets Ramsay. It’s all about speed, or so Joe thinks! Joe feels speed is necessary because of the families that come. Ramsay takes offense about the microwave. Sam in an aside tells us that Joe is looking for excuse. Bottom line, as Ramsay tells us, the food is crap! Day two has Ramsay observing the dinner service. The microwave gets a lot of use and Sam pushes the food out fast. Ramsay calls it “fast food Italian.” Dinners come back because they are cold. Ramsay tells us that this is unbelievable – too fast and sloppy. Joe is in the kitchen when Ramsay returns giving orders and telling Sam what he is doing wrong. This hurts Sam’s self esteem and makes him feel that Joe doesn’t trust him. Joe compares Sam to a puppy and feels he is not ready to run the business. Joe finally takes control and send Sam out of the kitchen. Ramsay sees Joe as part of the problem and that no one is striving to be better. The microwave falls under scrutiny and loses too! At the meeting after service, Sam tells Ramsay he hates using the frozen food. Sam tells his father that he wants fresh food to cook. When Ramsay asks Joe if Sam is a good cook, Joe’s reply is that Sam isn’t committed. Communication is beginning – maybe there is light at the end of this tunnel. Day three dawns with an understanding of the problem and Ramsay turns his attention to Joe. Joe has diabetes and it takes its toll on Joe’s leg. He has no medical insurance thus little care. Joe needs to rest but he puts in (as he says) 70 hours a week. Joe admits he wants Sam to run it but doesn’t think Sam follows through. Ramsay needs to test Sam’s ability and re-lit Joe’s passion. He announces a cook-off. Sam and Joe go into the kitchen where fresh ingredients wait. Sam does salmon while Joe chooses center cut pork chops. Joe likes his dish and his flair and flavor. Both dishes are liked but Joe’s is considered the best. Both dishes will be on the menu for the night. Joe will cook Sam’s while Sam’s prepares his dad’s pork chops. Ramsay then turns to the lack of communication. He meets with Kathy and asks her to write a letter to both Joe and Sam and speak from her heart. Throughout the day, he touches base with the other two. Sam must write a letter to his dad and Joe must write one to Sam. The letters are to be given to Ramsay. That night at dinner, a crowd gathers and both men are in the kitchen. Joe still gives orders to Sam. No matter what is going on, Joe has a hand in it. Ramsay asks him: “Are you expediting?” to which Joe tells him no. Finally, Joe is kicked out of the kitchen by Sam at Ramsay’s suggestion. Sam and Brian are in control and finish the service. The relaunch will be the next day. Ramsay’s team has redecorated the restaurant and it is chic and warm. There are pictures of Sam and Joe on the walls which brings the restaurant full cycle. Next is marketing and the first annual Giuseppe’s Bowlathon for the American Diabetes Association. Joe lost both his brother and mother to the disease. Sam tells Joe: “It’s not taking my father.” When Ramsay and the family enter they get a warm welcome and the bowling starts. During the bowlathon, samples of soup are served. Back at the restaurant, Ramsay unveils the menu changes and Sam is excited. Ramsay tells them to stick together. Sam is to run the line and Joe is to expedite. During the service everything looks good at first but there are problems brewing. Joe still tries to run the line and Ramsay has to call him off. Then Brian starts goofing off causing the kitchen to get behind and Sam to lose focus. Brian tries to place the blame on Ramsay. After their discussion, Brian takes off his apron and leaves. Father and son must now rely on each other. Sam refused to give up, and Sam and Joe get the job done. At the end of the service, Joe compliments Sam on his work. Ramsay realizes that the family is going to be okay! As Ramsay prepares to leave, he meets with the family and have them each read their letters to the others. Kathy reads her with tears in her eyes. She tells Joe to pull back and teach Sam! Sam tells Joe he wants Joe to be proud of him and that he is sorry he has hurt him. Sam wants Joe to rest and relax so they will have time together. Joe hugs Sam then shares his letter. Joe tells Sam how important he is to Joe. Joe goes on to tell Sam he is ready to take charge and that he is proud of his son. Joe states: “I never stopped loving you and I’ll be there no matter what happens.” Ramsay leaves with the statement: “You are the American dream.” I did a search but they do not have an internet link. Yahoo does say they have a 5 star rating though. Only time will tell if they succeed! Older news items:
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Even with the publicity from appearing on national TV in Fox’s “Kitchen Nightmares,” and even after transferring in a long-anticipated liquor license, the Borgias “had no other choice.”
The family-owned Italian eatery on Hayes, just south of 21 Mile, closed its doors the weekend of July 4, 2009.
“We hung on as long as we could,” said Kathy Borgia. “With a lack of working capital, with the economy — it’s kind of done us in. It’s a tough time to be in business.