http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2008/11/in-the-meritocr.htmlIn the meritocracy that is America, anyone can open a restaurant. Anyone. I had always assumed that this was an endeavor reserved for people who really love to cook or at least know how to cook. But again and again, "Kitchen Nightmares" features restaurateurs who wouldn't know an haricot vert from a jicama. Last night was no different.
Sante Cuisine (formerly Sante La Brea, formerly A Votre Sante) got the full Gordon Ramsay treatment on last night's episode of "Kitchen Nightmares," a ratings-friendly combo of vicious insults and practical advice.
"Cafe food doesn't have to look like *bleep* and taste crap!" Ramsay bellows after finding rotten eggplant in the fridge. That's what happens when a spineless owner allows a surly chef, careless employees and even his own sons to take advantage of him.
To the credit of owner Dean Hamoui, who seems far too nice for his own good, he takes all of Ramsay's criticisms to heart. After several foul-mouthed tirades from Ramsay, a scream therapy session at Runyon Canyon and a cheap stunt where Ramsay brings in a rent-a-cop to handcuff him, Hamoui is reborn as a screaming hysteric. Well, at least his staff is finally paying attention.
The bonus comes when Ramsay and his team transform the restaurant, literally overnight, into a more polished version of itself. They eliminate the clutter and redecorate the space with a simple but charming ginkgo leaf motif, exploiting the full potential of the restaurant's outdoor patio. Most important, Ramsay trims the unwieldy menu (you could fall asleep just reading through the 150+ items) to a manageable number.
The menu now features a few sandwiches, pizza and pasta dishes; 18 entrees including curry chicken, blackened salmon, falafel and a macrobiotic combo platter; half a dozen salads; a cross-cultural array of appetizers and several tasty-sounding desserts, including vegan chocolate oatmeal banana cookies, raw pineapple cheesecake and for those who prefer their desserts traditional, chocolate peanut butter pie.
Whether the show improves the restaurants it's ostensibly trying to help, is up for debate. But after years of steady decline, Sante La Brea needed some tough love, and perhaps Ramsay was the one to dish it out.
-- Elina Shatkin
Photo: On "Kitchen Nightmares," Chef Gordon Ramsay (right) introduces a new menu to the staff of Sante Cuisine. Greg Gayne/Fox
Comments
I've been dining at Sante for years . . . The food has always been good. This show is completely contrived and made up. Ramsay needs to create drama in order for his show to have relevance.
Posted by: Kdog | November 21, 2008 at 05:07 PM
this show's formula is painfully contrived. did anyone honestly believe that by the end of this particular episode the restaurant had been turned around? BS. nothing a little voice-over can't fix.
if anyone's interested, the UK version of KN is far, far superior. you can find it on youtube.
Posted by: RoscoPeeholePain | November 21, 2008 at 03:10 PM
I am a faithful viewer of this show and I felt really bad for this owner.
It is apparent he is out of his element..he is too timid and keeps so much bottled up that it has to come to a boil.
The restaurant "Host" is not needed. He has no clue about his job either..sweating profusly (he should have know about hygene at his age)..his wrinkled, unkempt appearance...definitely not an asset to the restaurant.
When the restaurant is struggling and the owner has two sons who work their...this is an unnecessary expense.
The owners sons need to take more control of the place..each one should take control where their particular strengths are and take some of the burden off their father's back.
I applaud the owner for listening to Chef Ramsey!!!
Also...the "chef" has got to GO! He was disrepectful, slow and NOT a chef!
Good luck to Santa Cuisine..you've been given a helping hand by one of the best!!
Posted by: Rosee | November 21, 2008 at 02:16 PM
I believe I heard the owner say that he borrowed $10,000 from the host. I guess the owner forgot that it's not wise to manhandle a creditor...
Posted by: Guilty_pleasure | November 21, 2008 at 01:31 PM
After watching last week's episode about the Fiesta Sunrise restaurant, this week's episode was tepid.
Posted by: eva | November 21, 2008 at 01:11 PM
I watched last nights show and I was appalled and sickened by the way the owner physically grabbed the host by the shirt , dragged him in a hallway and yelled at him for taking a wine order. The guy was only trying to help and a wine order is not the end of the world and didn't call for another human to be treated as such. For that reason alone I would never go there and would encourage others to do the same. I hope that he watches the episode and realizes he needs to go work somewhere people respect each other.
Posted by: Heather | November 21, 2008 at 01:04 PM
Just thought I'd say that last night's show was one of the most boring of the series... although it was funny watching Ramsay cry as the chef drove away "But it's relaunch night."
Posted by: dominic | November 21, 2008 at 11:47 AM
