Kitchen Nightmares
Encyclopedia
Kitchen Nightmares is an American reality television
series broadcast on the Fox
network, in which Chef Gordon Ramsay
spends a week with a failing restaurant in an attempt to revive the business. It is based on the British show Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares
. The show is produced by ITV Studios America and Optomen
, in association with A. Smith & Co. Productions, with Arthur Smith, Kent Weed and Patricia Llewellyn serving as executive producers.
The show premiered Wednesday September 19, 2007. The first season focused on restaurants in the southern California and New York City areas and ended in December 2007. The second season premiered on September 4, 2008. Season two included episodes in the upper-midwestern United States as well as New York and California.
The third season was originally scheduled to premiere on Wednesday, January 27, 2010, but it was postponed to Friday, January 29, 2010, due to the State of the Union address
.
In May 2010 the Fox
network announced the return of Kitchen Nightmares for a fourth season. The fourth season aired from January 21, 2011 to May 20, 2011 on Fox. In March 2011 the producers of the show announced a casting call for a fifth season. The fifth season premiered on Friday, September 23, 2011.
In the UK it is broadcast under the name Kitchen Nightmares USA on Channel 4
, which also produces the original UK version. Reruns of Season 1 and 2, along with the British series, are frequently shown on BBC America
.
Renamed Purnima during production
Renamed The Junction during production
Produced as part of season 2, but held until season 3
Revisit at Sante La Brea and Giuseppi's
Revisit at The Handlebar, Casa Roma and The Black Pearl
Renamed PJ's Grill during production
Revisit at Mojito, The Junction (fka Flamangos) and Bazzini
Revisit at Le Bistro, Anna Vincenzo and Lido di Manhattan
Revisit at Down City, Classic American and Davide
.
Doug Elfman of the Chicago Sun-Times
said the show is "a very entertaining public service" that "will make you laugh, make you sick and make you think".
Randy Cordova of the Arizona Republic found Ramsay "just as blustery and foul-mouthed here as he is on Hell's Kitchen
. But he is also oddly endearing, mainly because he genuinely seems invested in the fate of each restaurant".
Some critics found Fox's adaptation of Kitchen Nightmares strayed from the strengths of the original Channel 4 series. Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune
said, "Leave it to Fox to take something the Brits did pretty well and muck it up". She added, "Never mind the cooking; this edition of the show appears to be more interested in playing up the family dramas at the restaurants Ramsay visits".
Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times
commented, "Whereas the British Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares is fundamentally a food show — it has interesting things to show you about how a restaurant runs and a kitchen works, the wonders of local markets and what you can make from them if you're Gordon Ramsay or willing to follow his instructions — the Fox edition emphasizes mishap, argument and emotional breakdown almost to the exclusion of cuisine".
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
series broadcast on the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
network, in which Chef Gordon Ramsay
Gordon Ramsay
Gordon James Ramsay, OBE is a Scottish chef, television personality and restaurateur. He has been awarded 13 Michelin stars....
spends a week with a failing restaurant in an attempt to revive the business. It is based on the British show Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares
Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares
Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares is a television programme featuring British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. The BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning programme debuted on Channel 4 in 2004....
. The show is produced by ITV Studios America and Optomen
Optomen
Optomen is an independent television production company with Optomen Television Ltd. for the United Kingdom and Optomen Productions Inc. launched in 2002 for the United States.-United Kingdom and the United States:...
, in association with A. Smith & Co. Productions, with Arthur Smith, Kent Weed and Patricia Llewellyn serving as executive producers.
The show premiered Wednesday September 19, 2007. The first season focused on restaurants in the southern California and New York City areas and ended in December 2007. The second season premiered on September 4, 2008. Season two included episodes in the upper-midwestern United States as well as New York and California.
The third season was originally scheduled to premiere on Wednesday, January 27, 2010, but it was postponed to Friday, January 29, 2010, due to the State of the Union address
2010 State of the Union Address
The 2010 State of the Union Address was given by United States President Barack Obama on January 27, 2010, to a joint session of Congress. It was aired on all the major networks starting at 9 p.m. ET...
.
In May 2010 the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
network announced the return of Kitchen Nightmares for a fourth season. The fourth season aired from January 21, 2011 to May 20, 2011 on Fox. In March 2011 the producers of the show announced a casting call for a fifth season. The fifth season premiered on Friday, September 23, 2011.
In the UK it is broadcast under the name Kitchen Nightmares USA on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, which also produces the original UK version. Reruns of Season 1 and 2, along with the British series, are frequently shown on BBC America
BBC America
BBC America is an American television network, owned and operated by BBC Worldwide, and available on both cable and satellite.-History:The channel launched on March 29, 1998, broadcasting comedy, drama and lifestyle programs from BBC Television and other British television broadcasters like ITV and...
.
Season 1: 2007
| # | # | Restaurant | Location | Original US airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Peter's | Babylon, New York Babylon (village), New York Babylon is a village in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 12,615 at the 2000 census.Its official name is The Incorporated Village of Babylon... |
September 19, 2007 |
| 2 | 2 | Dillon's | New York, New York | September 26, 2007 |
| 3 | 3 | The Mixing Bowl | Bellmore, New York | October 3, 2007 |
| 4 | 4 | Seascape | Islip, New York | October 10, 2007 |
| 5 | 5 | The Olde Stone Mill | Tuckahoe, New York Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York Tuckahoe is a village in the town of Eastchester in Westchester County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village's population was 6,486.... |
October 17, 2007 |
| 6 | 6 | Sebastian's | Toluca Lake, California Toluca Lake, Los Angeles, California Toluca Lake is a district, north of downtown Los Angeles, in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California, and a "community within two communities, North Hollywood and Burbank".... |
November 7, 2007 |
| 7 | 7 | Finn McCool's | Westhampton, New York Westhampton, New York Westhampton is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 2,869 at the 2000 census.Westhampton is in the Town of Southampton.-Geography:Westhampton is located at .... |
November 14, 2007 |
| 8 | 8 | Lela's | Pomona, California Pomona, California -2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Pomona had a population of 149,058, a slight decline from the 2000 census population. The population density was 6,491.2 people per square mile... |
November 21, 2007 |
| 9 | 9 | Campania | Fair Lawn, New Jersey Fair Lawn, New Jersey Fair Lawn is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States and a suburban municipality in the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 32,457. Fair Lawn was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March... |
November 28, 2007 |
| 10 | 10 | The Secret Garden | Moorpark, California Moorpark, California Moorpark is a city in Southern California. It was founded in 1900 by Robert Poindexter, presumably named after the moorpark apricots that grew in the area. The city has experienced a great amount of growth since the late 1970s... |
December 12, 2007 |
Renamed Purnima during production
Season 2: 2008–2009
| # | # | Restaurant | Location | Original US airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| * | * | Revisited: Gordon Returns | September 4, 2008 | |
| 11 | 1 | Handlebar | Mount Sinai, New York Mount Sinai, New York Mount Sinai is a hamlet and census-designated place in Suffolk County, New York, USA. The population was 8,734 at the 2000 census.-Geography:... |
September 11, 2008 |
| 12 | 2 | Giuseppi's | Macomb Township, Michigan Macomb Township, Michigan -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 50,478 people, 16,946 households, and 14,065 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,391.7 per square mile . There were 17,922 housing units at an average density of 494.1 per square mile... |
September 18, 2008 |
| 13 | 3 | Trobiano's | Great Neck, New York Great Neck, New York The term Great Neck is commonly applied to a peninsula on the North Shore of Long Island, which includes the village of Great Neck, the village of Great Neck Estates, the village of Great Neck Plaza, and others, as well as an area south of the peninsula near Lake Success and the border of Queens... |
September 25, 2008 |
| 14 | 4 | Black Pearl | New York, New York | September 25, 2008 |
| 15 | 5 | J Willy's | South Bend, Indiana South Bend, Indiana The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663... |
October 30, 2008 |
| 16 | 6 | Hannah & Mason's | Cranbury, New Jersey | November 6, 2008 |
| 17 | 7 | Jack's Waterfront | St. Clair Shores, Michigan St. Clair Shores, Michigan St. Clair Shores is a suburban city bordering Lake St. Clair in Macomb County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It forms a part of the Metro Detroit area, and is located approximately northeast of downtown Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,715. The current mayor is... |
November 6, 2008 |
| 18 | 8 | Sabatiello's | Stamford, Connecticut Stamford, Connecticut Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England... |
November 13, 2008 |
| 19 | 9 | Fiesta Sunrise | West Nyack, New York West Nyack, New York West Nyack is a hamlet in the Town of Clarkstown Rockland County, New York, United States located north of Central Nyack; east of Nanuet; south of Valley Cottage and west of Upper Nyack. It is approximately 18 miles north of New York City... |
November 13, 2008 |
| 20 | 10 | Santé La Brea | Los Angeles, California | November 20, 2008 |
| 21 | 11 | Cafe 36 | La Grange, Illinois La Grange, Illinois La Grange, a suburb of Chicago, is a village in Cook County, in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 15,608 at the 2000 census.-History:... |
January 15, 2009 |
Season 3: 2010
| # | # | Restaurant | Location | Original US airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | 1 | Hot Potato Cafe | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | January 29, 2010 |
| 23 | 2 | Flamangos | Whitehouse Station, New Jersey | February 2, 2010 |
| 24 | 3 | Bazzini | Ridgewood, New Jersey Ridgewood, New Jersey Ridgewood is a village in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the village population was 24,958. Ridgewood is an affluent suburban bedroom community of New York City, located approximately northwest of Midtown Manhattan.The Village of Ridgewood was... |
February 5, 2010 |
| 25 | 4 | Mojito | Brooklyn, New York | February 25, 2010 |
| 26 | 5 | Lido di Manhattan | Manhattan Beach, California Manhattan Beach, California Manhattan Beach is the wealthiest beachfront city located in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, USA. The city is on the Pacific coast, south of El Segundo, and north of Hermosa Beach. Manhattan Beach is the home of both beach and indoor volleyball, and surfing. During the winter, the... |
March 4, 2010 |
| 27 | 6 | Le Bistro | Lighthouse Point, Florida Lighthouse Point, Florida Lighthouse Point is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The city was named for the Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse, which is located in nearby Hillsboro Beach. As of the 2010 census, the population of Lighthouse Point was 10,344... |
March 11, 2010 |
| 28 | 7 | Casa Roma | Lancaster, California Lancaster, California Lancaster is a charter city in northern Los Angeles County, in the high desert, near the Kern County line. Lancaster currently ranks as the 30th largest city in California, and the 148th largest city in the United States. Lancaster is the principal city within the Antelope Valley... |
March 12, 2010 |
| 29 | 8 | Mama Rita's | Newbury Park, California Newbury Park, California The community of Newbury Park, California is located in the western portion of the city of Thousand Oaks and Casa Conejo, an unincorporated area of southeastern Ventura County's Conejo Valley, which is also in the northwestern Greater Los Angeles Area... |
March 19, 2010 |
| 30 | 9 | Anna Vincenzo's | Boca Raton, Florida Boca Raton, Florida Boca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA, incorporated in May 1925. In the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 74,764; the 2006 population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 86,396. However, the majority of the people under the postal address of Boca Raton, about... |
March 26, 2010 |
| * | * | Revisited #2 | April 9, 2010 | |
| 31 | 10 | Fleming | Miami, Florida | May 7, 2010 |
| 32 | 11 | Sushi-Ko | Thousand Oaks, California Thousand Oaks, California Thousand Oaks is a city in southeastern Ventura County, California, in the United States. It was named after the many oak trees that grace the area, and the city seal is adorned with an oak.... |
May 14, 2010 |
| * | * | Revisited #3 | May 21, 2010 | |
Renamed The Junction during production
Produced as part of season 2, but held until season 3
Revisit at Sante La Brea and Giuseppi's
Revisit at The Handlebar, Casa Roma and The Black Pearl
Season 4: 2011
| # | # | Restaurant | Location | Original US airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | 1 | Spanish Pavilion | Harrison, New Jersey Harrison, New Jersey Harrison is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 13,620. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark, New Jersey.-Geography:Harrison is located at .... |
January 21, 2011 |
| 34 | 2 | Classic American | West Babylon, New York West Babylon, New York West Babylon is a census-designated place in the town of Babylon in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 43,452 at the 2000 census.-Geography:West Babylon is located at .... |
January 28, 2011 |
| 35 | 3 | PJ's Steakhouse | Queens, New York | February 4, 2011 |
| * | * | Revisited #4 | February 11, 2011 | |
| 36 | 4 | Grasshopper Also | Carlstadt, New Jersey Carlstadt, New Jersey Carlstadt is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 6,127.Carlstadt was originally formed as a village by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 12, 1860, within Lodi Township. It was named after Dr... |
February 18, 2011 |
| 37 | 5 | Davide | Boston, Massachusetts | February 25, 2011 |
| 38 | 6 | Down City | Providence, Rhode Island | March 11, 2011 |
| * | * | Revisited #5 | March 18, 2011 | |
| 39 | 7 | Tavolini | Bridgeport, Connecticut | March 25, 2011 |
| 40 | 8 | Kingston Cafe | Pasadena, California | April 15, 2011 |
| 41 | 9 | La Frite | Sherman Oaks, California | April 29, 2011 |
| 42 | 10 | Capri | Eagle Rock, California | May 6, 2011 |
| 43 | 11 | Zeke's | Metairie, Louisiana Metairie, Louisiana Metairie is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States and is a major part of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish. It is an unincorporated area that would be larger than most of the state's cities if it were... |
May 13, 2011 |
| 44 | 12 | Oceana | New Orleans, Louisiana | May 20, 2011 |
Renamed PJ's Grill during production
Revisit at Mojito, The Junction (fka Flamangos) and Bazzini
Revisit at Le Bistro, Anna Vincenzo and Lido di Manhattan
Season 5: 2011
| # | # | Restaurant | Location | Original US airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 1 | Blackberry's | Plainfield, New Jersey Plainfield, New Jersey Plainfield is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population increased to a record high of 49,808.... |
September 23, 2011 |
| 46 | 2 | Leone's | Montclair, New Jersey Montclair, New Jersey -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,977 people, 15,020 households, and 9,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 6,183.6 people per square mile . There were 15,531 housing units at an average density of 2,464.0 per square mile... |
September 30, 2011 |
| 47 | 3 | Mike & Nellie's | Oakhurst, New Jersey Oakhurst, New Jersey Oakhurst is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Ocean Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP population was 3,995.-Geography:Oakhurst is located at .... |
October 7, 2011 |
| 48 | 4 | Luigi's | Anaheim, California Anaheim, California Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States... |
October 14, 2011 |
| * | * | Revisited #6 | October 21, 2011 | |
| 49 | 5 | Burger Kitchen, Part 1 | Los Angeles, California | November 4, 2011 |
| 50 | 6 | Burger Kitchen, Part 2 | Los Angeles, California | November 11, 2011 |
| 51 | 7 | The Greek at the Harbor | Ventura, California Ventura, California Ventura is the county seat of Ventura County, California, United States, incorporated in 1866. The population was 106,433 at the 2010 census, up from 100,916 at the 2000 census. Ventura is accessible via U.S... |
November 18, 2011 |
Revisit at Down City, Classic American and Davide
Lawsuit
In September 2007, a case was filed by Martin Hyde, the former general manager of Dillon's, against Ramsay for allegedly staging disasters and hiring actors to trick the viewing audience. The case was dismissed and went into arbitrationArbitration
Arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution , is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, where the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons , by whose decision they agree to be bound...
.
Reception
Ginia Bellafante of the New York Times found Ramsay's teaching methods and high standards "undeniably hypnotic" and commented that "the thrill of watching Mr. Ramsay is in witnessing someone so at peace with his own arrogance."Doug Elfman of the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
said the show is "a very entertaining public service" that "will make you laugh, make you sick and make you think".
Randy Cordova of the Arizona Republic found Ramsay "just as blustery and foul-mouthed here as he is on Hell's Kitchen
Hell's Kitchen (U.S.)
Hell's Kitchen is an American reality-television cooking competition broadcast on Fox...
. But he is also oddly endearing, mainly because he genuinely seems invested in the fate of each restaurant".
Some critics found Fox's adaptation of Kitchen Nightmares strayed from the strengths of the original Channel 4 series. Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
said, "Leave it to Fox to take something the Brits did pretty well and muck it up". She added, "Never mind the cooking; this edition of the show appears to be more interested in playing up the family dramas at the restaurants Ramsay visits".
Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
commented, "Whereas the British Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares is fundamentally a food show — it has interesting things to show you about how a restaurant runs and a kitchen works, the wonders of local markets and what you can make from them if you're Gordon Ramsay or willing to follow his instructions — the Fox edition emphasizes mishap, argument and emotional breakdown almost to the exclusion of cuisine".