The Restaurant - NBC
 

It premiered tonight - didn't find a thread on it. I thought it was quite good... for a reality show. I'm gonna have to tune in again next week.

Oh, damn, I missed it. The preview I saw on Thursday looked very good - filled with drama and tension. How exciting. The reviews seemed pretty good, too.

I have to remember to watch next week.

really enjoyed the premier, guess we'll see Rocco get ultra mean and nasty in the second episode, here he was just all stressed out, still can't believe he and his team managed to open in that short amount of time. Some of the editing made the show even more frenetic than it probably was.

I don't know - I think it probably reflected the tension accurately. They did in 5 weeks what it normally would take 5 months. At crunch time - they cleaned the whole place up in 3 hours - unbelieveable.

Excellent show - great tension, fun.

Those who would like to read about running a restaurant in NYC should read Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential". Highly, highly entertaining book - at one point, it was going to be made into a movie and it still may.

OK, I'll say it too: tension.

Really enjoyed what I did see of it. NYC setting means anything can happen and you can then always, shall we say, find a way out of problems.

LOL when the VC dude got served.

One question tho: wouldn't they need some sort of final inspection or sign-off from somebody (anybody)? I may have missed that part, but was there even ONE inspector in the final 20 minutes...?

OK, another question: did we see them negotiate for either trash removal or linens/uniforms cleaning? Or did Rudy so clean up the city that you no longer have to deal with 'the boys' if you want trash hauled....?

What I saw was interesting. How could any biz luck out so much and get all this massive and free advertising?

I didn't think I'd like it, but I thought it was really entertaining.

Loved the Pink Panther guy...

While you wonder how much if this is played up due to the cameras, the high pressure of providing timely service in a restaurant is fertile ground for anxiety and manic actions and reactions in the kitchen, away from the tables. I think it's compelling enough to watch the grand opening in next week's episode.

Darn It! I missed it, too. I am glad to hear that you guys enjoyed it - I'll be sure to tune in next week.

I liked it. It seems like it should belong on Food Network though.

Loved the Pink Panther Theme when the building manager would come by and inspect.

Great show, although the product placements were almost as bad as Wayne's World.
- Coors (in the opening credits, when he asks the waiters if they want beeryou could tell Coors was dubbed over when he said "Don't come back until you have enough Coors for everyone", also the beer truck.
- American Express stuff; not only was it in the creidts, there were three ads featuring him during the show,
- lastly Mitsubishi. This one took a little close watching, but we see Rocco driving around in one and then the ad comes up for his make, model, and color.

Didn't bother me, but it made me wonder how much those companies are paying. Mark Burnett did the same thing with Survivor though (Mt. Dew, Pontiac, etc.)

Can't wait til next week!

Yeah - I meant to mention the product placement. It was blatant in the opening credits and end credits. They even try to make it look subtle, but fail at that. That's the only sucky part about this show so far.

Some of this show comes off as being scripted, case in point when Rocco is on the street with his investor and a guy walks up and hands the investor a lawsuit. Something about that seemed completely staged.

So the restaurant has officially opened now. Any reactions?

It seemed to me that they were only really showing all of the bad/weird comments (of course, because it's TV and all) but does anyone know how his restaurant was actually reviewed and if it's still going?

:lol: @ the "Sopranos" guy who's mom makes the best meatballs especially when he's kissing up to Rocco's mom after just saying that her meatballs were uncooked.

Is anyone scared to actually eat food that was prepared in that restaurant now?

I caught bits and pieces of it last night. Rocco seems quite clueless, and from what I saw, the employees look like they might lynch the Frenchmen and kill him on their next shift.

I loved the comment from next week;s preview, "I could get better pasta at the Olive Garden." :lol:

I will try to catch a whole ep next weekend.

Same here, I actually said the same thing to my gf, I know it's supposed to be "authentic" Italian cuisine, but it looked like lots of pasta and red sauce to me.

I had a hard time sympathizing with the wait staff. "I've worked a 12 hour day, and I only made $60 in tips, this sucks".

- It's opening night of a hyped restaurant - did they really expect to work an 8-hour shift?

- It's opening night of a hyped restaurant - complaining about low turnover is kind of stupid. Did they think people would get a table and be in a big hurry to leave?

- Did they not realize that being a waiter sucks? Duh

added to the fact that Rocco's ego is as large as an elephant doesnt help either.

Firing that one chick and not giving her the reasons was really priggish on his part.

Watching the show, just added to the mystic that American diners are all ultra-demanding and 'me'-sentric pricks. Go to anywhere outside the US, and see how the tables are reversed and no one gives a crap about customer happiness.

I think the reason why he didn't go in to it anymore was that Rocco is actually an ok guy and didn't want to embarass her anymore on national TV by saying "hey, you were screwing around way too much, and should be working at McDonalds!", even though these service jobs are without a doubt crappy jobs, they pay really well for being unskilled labor. A lot of people would happily replace that chick.

I watched the reply of the premier sat. nite and the 2nd episode yesterday. this is a great show.

I loved how the waiters and waitresses would swear underneath their breath when leaving tables of demanding (and sometimes rude) customers.

The Italian guy who bitched about the meatballs then started kissing Rocco's moms ass was funny, but I wonder if he knew he was going to be on TV when he was saying all this?

did anyone else think the ******* who complained about the service and the food (the clams and the giant shrimps) looked like he was dating a transvestite.

anyone know how many episodes long this show is going to be?

6 episodes total, is what I have read.

I just found this Link courtesy of gawker

Looks like Gideon (the injured waiter/runner) has his own blog , just starting to read it now, but it looks like he dishes some of the truth behind the show.

crud - missed episode 2. :/ I'll probably miss the replay.

I think that while there is definitely a lot of tension, an awful lot of it is manufactured for good TV. I will continue to watch, but I much prefer Crime & Punishment.

I thought this show was boring...I flipped the channel. I don't really like that sort of stuff.

alot of the show seemed staged to me.

like the sopranos guy and those guests from hell. they seem like actors who were paid to go in stir up some TV drama.

and why do they keep those two loser waiters around? pete and gideon. they're both incompetent, blame others for their incompetency. and comes out on TV as people you want to punch in the face.

i think they're only keeping them on the show to spice up an otherwise boring show.

IMO, this is one of the best summer shows on TV. I didn't think I'd like watching a show about a restaurant but it turned out to entertaining.

How many of these "waiters" do you think wanted this job just so they could be on TV? I agree that some of this show did seem a bit staged. Especially the customers. I wonder if they have to sign a contract before or after they order their food that allows them to be used in the show. They might just be playing up to the cameras.

Only real nitpick I have is that I wish they'd show more of that hot blonde bar girl. :)

I liked the show, but so much seemed staged.

Does anyone know if Rocco is gay or straight?

well, he was married before and now he's divorced (obviously) - I'm assuming he's straight.

Rocco's restaurant looks like it sucks. If I went to a "hip" new restaurant and forked over that kind of cash for food - I better be getting hot food and it better come on a f'n real plate. I really would hope this restaurant bombs. Looks like I could get better Italian over on the Hill in South St. Louis or up in Chi-town.

Boy tonight had SOOOOO many staged bits and product placements.

Rocco: Oh no! I am losing money! what shall I do? Oh, I know! American Express Line of Credit! it's so quick and easy! thank you American Express!

Another good one was having camera crews in the homes of the people. That one girl who was called to the "meeting" happened to have a camera crew filimg her, even though she had nothing to do with the restaurant at that point in time.

What a bunch of cluster****s... How this guy has 2 other restaurants is beyond me. The opening of Morimoto's restaurant in Philly was a lot better and only took an hour on Food Network.

Gideon should file for work comp. He'd make more money suing their ass instead of bitching about not being able to work. He has a legitimate claim, too. And for that girl that got sent home, I would have fired her for those remarks.

Does Rocco even cook? He just walks around and schmoozes.

As everyone has said, a lot of the complaining looks fake or feign.
I mean if I was a customer, I would complain to get on tv. If I was the waitstaff, I would complain. The food critic is from the NY POST so I wouldn't expect less. A REAL food critic would wait until a resturant has been opened for a month or so before going to going and giving a review. Also, shouldn't she refuse to have her face shown on tv so she wouldn't be recognized in all the other restaurant as a food critic. I guess she like the publicity.
If the food was really terrible i.e. cold, different, etc, I hope the Restaurant fails for having the BALLS to charge $25 per entree and screwing that up.

I wouldn't eat there after seeing this show, that's for sure.

Do they have camera crews following all of these waiters around? That's got to be either really expensive or staged (when Gideon gets the call at his pad, or when Topher calls Carrie at her apartment after the restaurant has closed for the evening).

Anyone think Topher just doesn't know how to enter orders on their computuer order system?

Yeah, he needs to concentrate on the cameras a little less and concentrate on how to do his job a whole lot more.

This restaurant might run a little more efficiently if the freakin' kitchen was on the same floor. What idiot designed this place, I do not know...Ya wonder why you might have a problem w/ cold food and a long wait for it at the tables.

The worse thing about this show is that there is no one to root for. I don't like Rocco, I don't like his staff, and I don't like his customers. I would be happier if at the end of the series the restaurant closed rather than went on (which it obviously did)...

I was watching with my husband and I told him that I wonder if anyone is eating in the restaurant anymore. I don't know how far in advance they taped this, but from seeing the first 3 shows I wouldn't be rushing to make a reservation.

If I had one I might cancel it.

My husband went to culinary school and we discuss the show as we watch it. Rocco hasn't been in the kitchen cooking once since they opened. He is a chef/owner but he's just chatting up the customers. He should be more aware of what's going on.

Now I know editing can make the show seem anyway it wants, but he seems like a real jerk from what I've seen so far. I wonder how he feels now that he's seen the way he's portrayed? He's all hanging on the girls but not managing his restaurant. He walked away from his staff when they were talking to him. And he repeatedly mispronounced the name of the critic from the Post -- to her face.

And, even if you are going to serve every other table in your place icky, cold food you make completely sure that food that goes to the critic is great! After he said hello to her he should have gone to the kitchen himself to supervise her order.

Oy Rocco, what were you thinking?

Rocco seemed like an amalgam of Liev Schreiber and Edward Burns. I'd cast the latter in "Restaurant - The Movie" though.

I saw Regis and Kelly last week I think, and Regis mentioned that he went there and it was still really crowded and very popular, and that the food was good...