Tonight on Kitchen Nightmares,
Gordon goes to Ridgewood, New Jersey
to meet the most defensive chef he's ever met--
Paul Bazzini.
I don't have all the tickets memorized!
Not only is the restaurant failing...
I don't want to get out of bed in the morning.
I'm miserable.
But his staff are fed up with his tantrums...
That's why you have a ticket!
Don't push it, Paul!
Well, what's with the sarcasm?
What the do you want from me?
His wife is fed up with his attitude...
Never saw anything like it in my life.
Think that I like this? I don't.
I have nothing else to say to you.
And the customers are fed up with not being fed.
Get my food, now!
And every time something goes wrong...
We're sinking like the titanicin here!
All Paul wants to do...
I can't do everything myself.
Is give excuse...
Don't have eyes in the back of my head.
After excuse...
I'm doing 400 things at once.
After excuse.
I can't cook and talk and manage the tickets.
I need help.
Stop.
You have given up.
Will Chef Ramsay be able to finally get though to him...
Have some fire in your belly!
Or will Paul finally run out of excuses?
I know that it starts and stops with me.
You say all the right things.
Find out tonight
On Kitchen Nightmares.
Now it's time to do the right things.
Ridgewood, New Jersey,
An affluent suburb well known
for the sheer volume of restaurants.
Smack in the middle of this pleasant town
is a five-year-old restaurant
run by a former Manhattan star chef,
Paul Bazzini.
I'm a very good chef.
We got a full dining room.
Drop another pan for four more.
Here we go.
I've always been in the industry
and worked my way up, became executive chef,
and worked in many places in Manhattan
that had a lot of notoriety.
I love you. Love you too.
Paul has been recognized
many times throughout his career.
He has been written up in several magazines
with some very positive reviews.
And I absolutely thought the restaurant
was going to be a success.
But Paul never anticipated
The transition from star chef to owner
would be so difficult.
I don't have any focus these days.
I wake up in the morning, and I say,
"What direction should I go in today?
"Should I cook? Should I shop?
"Should I work in the front of the house?
Should I work on marketing? Should I pay bills?"
And it's, like, overwhelming.
Killing me.
I think the pressure of owning the restaurant
has definitely beat him down,
and his passion for food is not burning as brightly
as it once was.
Clearly, what's going on with me in the kitchen
is suffering.
Here's your salad.
What salad, what table?
I'm confused. I'm confused.
Yeah, New York strip, New York strip, New York--
Okay, you're right.
I am distracted. I am frustrated.
I'm angry.
Always somebody, always somebody, always somebody.
And then I'm frustrated with the food,
and I'm slamming plates down, 'cause the plate
doesn't look the way that I want it to look.
It's messy, but let's just go with it, okay?
The risotto was burned.
I don't know. Is this supposed to be spicy?
Yeah, so I heard.
I don't feel like me. I feel like somebody else.
I feel like me looking at somebody else.
Everyone knows that he's just not good about criticism.
This needs to be heated up.
These are perfect. Okay!
He gets pissed off, and he yells.
I don't have all the tickets memorized!
Neither do I!
Well, that's why you have a ticket!
Yeah, okay.
Do you think, if he had a lot of money,
he wouldn't be so moody?
Ohh!
I support the restaurant financially, certainly.
If I didn't do that,
we would have been bankrupt years ago.
There's no magic ATM machine, like, in the backyard,
like a magic money tree that I can just go pick money from.
There are no college funds for our children.
Every day I'm scared
that we're not gonna be able to pay the bills.
We need help. We need direction.
We need advice.
And my resume and all of my accolades
don't mean a hill of beans
if I can't make it work here.
His passion for cooking defines him.
And I feel like it's lost to him right now.
He needs to get it back.
There are over 60 restaurants within four blocks
inside this beautiful town.
Now, after seeing a few of them,
my mouth is watering.
I can't wait for lunch.
Right--Bazzini's.
"Innovative American cuisine."
What?
No...
Am I too late?
Monday through Thursday,
5:00 till 9:30."
No lunch?
That's ridiculous.
"Hi, Paul. Gordon here. Where are you? Call me."
Unbelievable.
Hello?
Hi, may I speak to Chef Ramsay, please?
Is that Paul?
Hi, this is Paul Bazzini. How are you?
Sorry I missed you.
I didn't realize you were closed for lunch.
Uh, yes, sir, we're closed for lunch.
Okay, I'm on my way.
I'm starving.
How are you?
Hi, welcome to Bazzini's.
Chef Ramsay, pleasure to meet you.
Gordon. Gordon, Paul.
Pleasure to meet you. Nice to see you too.
Wow, this is minute, isn't it?
It's challenging.
my goodness me. is this it?
Yes, sir.
Wow.
It's like being inside a doll's house.
It--it has some decor challenges here.
Well, you're here. Yes, sir.
Finally. I'm here.
Um, clearly,
there's nothing else going on lunch-wise.
Why don't you cook me something? Okay.
Don't show me the menu. You decide.
Okay. yeah?
Yeah.
I have to just, you know,
Focus on, like, the food.
Will it be to his taste? Will it be to his opinion?
Who knows?
This place makes me feel nervous.
It's small. It's cramped, and...
No wonder they're closed for lunch.
God, this is so narrow.
Look at this place.
From one table to the next. Ah.
Ooh!
God, they're grimy.
That's depressing.
Oof.
Entree comes with sound effects.
Maybe he'll blow me away with the food,
because the atmosphere, hmm.
My God, it's depressing.
I'm thinking that I want to send out
just a--just a few light dishes to him--
something hot, something cold,
something grilled, something sauteed.
Just a full-rounded experience.
Hey, Paul. Hey, Alex.
Hey, how's it going? Pretty good.
I think Chef Ramsay is gonna have a lot of things
to say to Paul about how to change things.
And I don't think Paul's gonna take it well.
Gentleman said he was very hungry,
so... fair enough.
I think Paul has his own ideas
that what he's doing is just right.
Doesn't need to be changed.
And, uh, I think some of those things
do need to be changed.
Here we go.
That is the fettuccine. Mm-hmm.
Basil-arugula Pesto.
A little ricotta salata on top.
Right.
And then, behind that, here is a chicken paillard.
Those are milanese, pounded, breaded.
Excellent, and sorry, I didn't catch your name?
My name's Alex. Alex.
Charmed. Good to see you.
Pleasure. I'll be back in a moment.
Thank you, Alex.
Cold.
Bland, really bland.
Okay.
Look at this thing.
Looks like a elephant's foot.
Hmm.
That's not normal for a chicken to be so hard.
That's a mess.
Thank you, Alex.
Absolutely.
Um, I'd appreciate if the chef
could actually taste that... okay.
'Cause it is bland beyond bland.
Okay.
Um, why is that so dry?
Hmm...I wish I had a good answer
for that question.
Chicken should be moist.
Well, I'll move straight to the next course.
Thank you. sure.
Fettuccine-- "Bland."
Chicken-- "Why is it so dry?"
Okay, that's.
I want to go home.
Paul certainly doesn't like it
when people criticize his food.
But, you know, I think he actually reacted
to Chef Ramsay's criticisms
the same way he reacts
to a lot of the guests' criticisms--
like maybe it's not necessarily that important,
'cause he's right.
Hello. hello.
How are you?
Very well. I'm Leslie Bazzini.
Nice to see you, love. Nice to see you.
Likewise. Thank you for coming.
Not at all. We really appreciate your help.
It means a lot to us that you're here.
I don't want to get emotional, but thank you.
Very happy to be here, and, uh...
Can I give you a hug?
Of course you can have a hug.
Thank you. There we are.
Here is someone who has the ability
to help us.
And, um, he's going to.
You know, that's a miracle.
Okay, great, well,
I'm gonna finish my lunch.
Yes, absolutely. Thank you.
And thank you. Hi, Alex.
Hello. Lovely, thank you.
Here we are. Okay, that is our mushroom risotto.
Mm-hmm. Thank you.
Okay.
Damn. Is that normal?
The amazing Bazzini's risotto.
Whoo-hoo!
Wow, that's extraordinary, no?
Doesn't even move.
Well, maybe that'd look better up there.
Yeah.
It fits the colors.
Come on.
Ugh.
What a mess.
I'm absolutely disgusted.
So...you don't look too impressed.
It just tastes of mush.
Thank you,Alex. Oh, yeah. My pleasure.
I'll bring you some tilapia next.
Nah, he doesn't like that.
He doesn't like it?
Too mushy.
There is a classic, you know, way to do it,
but some people around here just don't like it that way.
My ego's not here to hear that Gordon Ramsay
loved the dishes or didn't like the dishes.
I'm not concerned about that.
I'm concerned about what I do
and how--what-- the product that I put out.
It's all yours, Alex.
All right, here we go.
Thank you. Almond-crusted tilapia.
Jasmine rice with some pepper.
Hopefully you enjoy it.
Wow.
Look at that.
A boob, huh?
I love the Jasmine rice.
He has to like the Jasmine rice.
Hmm.
It's just so bland.
Honestly, I mean, it's just...
Greasy, bland, and...
You cut into the fish, and it's just mush.
How is the tilapia coming along?
We making some forward progress here?
Yeah, no, I'm-- do you know what?
I'm, uh-- I'm still hungry.
Do you have something in mind?
Any desserts?
Certainly--Sharyn, our dessert chef, makes everything.
Good. I got a carrot cake.
Oh, wow. Should be a New York cheesecake.
I'll have a little slice of the cheesecake
and the carrot cake.
Done. Please.
Yes, cheesecake, carrot cake.
Tilapia's a no-go.
Fish was bland.
Watery. Fish was bland?
Again, we're kind of like--
we have an older clientele here.
They like not-too-assertive things.
Right.
How could I think that Paul did a good job?
You know, if he did a good job,
Chef Ramsay would have said the food was great.
You know, he didn't say that,
so Paul didn't do a good job.
We'll start right here with the carrot cake.
Wow. All homemade? Yes, absolutely.
Thank you.
Hey.
Gordon's eating your carrot cake right now,
as we speak.
Ohh. Oy vey.
The last thing that people eat is dessert.
And if the dessert sucks,
that's bad!
Hey!
Bloody hell!
You scared me.
Don't come round the corner like that.
Sharyn. Mwah!
Sharyn, first of all, that is delicious.
Awesome. Whose recipe is that?
Mine. Can I have it?
For a price, everything for a price.
Yeah, I'm glad you said that.
That's made with passion.
As much as you have.
You make love to that carrot cake, don't you?
Well, I'm getting divorced, so it's the cake or, uh--
I'll go for the cake.
Hope he likes it.
Sharyn's gonna be devastated if he hates it.
I hate it.
I'm so glad you liked it.
Honestly, I felt like I was at a wake at funeral.
And all of a sudden, the carrot cakes arrive
and whoof-- I'm back up there.
I love you!
Although dessert left Chef Ramsay
with a good taste in his mouth,
it still doesn't erase the bad taste
of the rest of the meal.
Let's talk about the food.
Dessert. Let's go backwards.
Okay. Okay.
That was delicious.
Good. Glad you enjoyed it.
Really good. Yay, Sharyn.
great way to finish,
Clearly, but I certainly didn't start off like that.
I said to you, "Show me your best.
Give to me big-time."
The risotto was embarrassing.
Paul, it tasted the way it looked...
Damn. Is that normal?
Bland, mushy,
and it looked atrocious.
Honestly, it was disgusting.
The chicken--how many days were you baking that for?
Seriously, I mean, you may laugh,
but it's not funny.
Honestly, I thought I'd lost my tooth.
It was so crunchy on the outside...
Dry in the middle.
It wasn't intended to be dry or to be overcooked.
You sent it out. I know that.
That's the way you normally cook it--overdone?
I certainly don't think that I cook food overdone.
Okay, risotto overcooked.
Chicken overcooked.
You certainly did for me.
Okay, I-I need to get some fresh air.
I'm gonna come back later. I'm here tonight.
Show it to me. Okay.
Hopefully this time with a little bit more effort.
Okay.
Did you think that he was gonna like it?
It angers me that Paul has given up,
because I haven't given up.
You're. Like...
Dead.
I want the nightmare to be over.
Coming up, a shocking dinner service,
Where Paul loses control of the kitchen...
I don't have all the tickets memorized!
And his mind.
That's why you have a ticket!
He ends up taking his frustration out
On his staff.
What's with the sarcasm?
What the do you want from me?
And on top of that,
His wife no longer believes in him.
Never saw anything like that in my life.
Can Chef Ramsay
Make a last-ditch effort to save Paul...
Have some fire! I'm miserable.
Why?
From himself?
I never thought in a million years this could happen.
That's next on Kitchen Nightmares.
This former Manhattan star chef
failed to impress Chef Ramsay at lunch.
Now it's time for Chef Ramsay to see
how Paul handles the customers of Ridgewood, New Jersey,
in a dinner service.
All right, guys, we got to get ready.
I hope Paul could get his together.
The food is there. The capability is there.
He just has to do it.
It's like you have to or get off the pot.
Hello, good evening.
Can I take your wine? You may.
Let me just...
There you go. Okay, enjoy.
And this is... Al.
Al, good to see you.
Your sous chef, right?
Yes.
This kitchen's like a shoe box in here.
Yeah, I know. Holy crap.
I think Chef Ramsay doesn't realize
that I worked with a lot of very well-known chefs.
It's not intimidating.
I have the talent, the desire,
and I definitely can do the job.
Crab cakes across the board except for this risotto.
You smell good.
Your aftershave. Sharyn, are you hitting on me?
No, I like the aftershave.
It smells nice. Oop.
No, I'm not.
Gordon is adorable.
And, of course, he's got quite the butt.
I'm sorry.
Order in!
The crab cakes are ready.
Okay, thank you.
How come they're cooked already?
They're pre-seared.
You sear a crab cake? No.
We pre-sear the crab cake,
and then it goes into the oven.
Now, hold on a minute.
Why wouldn't you do that to order?
For--to expedite it out a little bit faster.
Well, surely, it'll take longer to get...
Yes? Hotter once already cooked.
Yes.
Is it me, or does that not make sense?
It doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense.
Here is your crab cake, sir.
May I get you any fresh pepper on that?
No, thank you. no?
How strange.
How are they doing on the kitchen?
There's a bucket
of crab cakes that just go into the oven
to be reheated.
But they were seared off, like, yesterday.
Did you know they were done the day before?
Of course not. I thought everything was fresh...
Everything.
I feel like Paul
is losing his artistry,
and that he doesn't care.
It's not affecting him.
It not only pains me. It angers me, quite frankly.
I mean, that's just not okay.
It's all burned on the side.
All I can taste is the food is burned.
Is it really? Yeah, I don't like it.
Is everything okay with your crab cake, sir?
Okay, yeah, let me get that back to you, no problem.
I need another crab cake on the fly.
What did they say? It was burnt.
Burnt? Yeah, there's two more that are about to go out.
Please tell me you're not gonna serve them.
No, I'm not, Chef.
We had issues with the crab cakes tonight.
It's not the right way to do it.
It should be done a different way.
And I know how to do it a different way.
That's not how it's done.
That is disgusting. Yes, it is.
Do something about it, please, Paul.
In the garbage.
This is not a reflection of the way
that I want things to be, okay?
So how we doing back there--all right?
I'll go check for you.
It's an hour into dinner service,
And very little food has left the kitchen.
In order to get an accurate picture of the slowdown...
That's not ready?
There's no potatoes on it, honey, okay?
Chef Ramsay times how long cooked food
Sits at the pass.
I think I ate, like, nine loaves of bread
just sitting here waiting for our food.
Okay, four minutes.
That's sat there-- and the steak.
Paul, that's still there.
Yes, I'm working on everything. Everything is working.
Hey, let me bring some food out there.
I--yeah, but... does she have her...
You...
Paul is communicating,
but most of his communication is that he can't handle it,
and it's going too fast.
I'm gonna have to leave, though.
It is, a little bit.
Like, a little--yeah.
Okay, these people are gonna leave
if I don't get this one out.
He decides how fast things come out.
I don't know why it takes so long.
I just know it takes so long.
Oh...Oh!
Okay, table 32 can now go.
Thank you. You're welcome.
Finally. Yes.
And now, after a long wait...
The customers...
Aren't satisfied.
Okay, no problem. I'll send that back for you.
okay, thank you. no problem.
- Paul... - what's wrong?
Uh, it's cold. Oh, come on.
Almighty.
I have certainly become annoyed with clients,
and I feel like, you know,
people that want to give you criticism,
they just don't know, like, what you're going through.
And if they just knew, like, a little bit
of what you were going through,
they might be a little bit more compassionate.
But it's not a compassionate business.
Is this going, Paul?
I'm just worried about food coming back cold,
and this is sat here.
I was told that the salads would be ready.
I'm waiting for the salads.
Take half of that salad off.
What are you building, a Christmas tree?
Half of that-- no, half.
The plates don't look the way they should
when I don't do them.
Just take half of the salad off, please.
Follow my directions. I'm gonna help you, okay?
I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to help you.
Contrary to what everybody says,
I do know a few things.
Oy vey.
Easy to sum up Paul's moods.
If he were a woman,
he would have P.M.S. 24-7, okay?
So let me demo
a chicken milanese for the 400th time,
which is nothing more than chicken and salad,
and my 12-year-old can do it.
Yeah, listen. Don't push it, Paul.
When I don't put it high enough,
you yell at me that it's not freakin' high enough.
Why do you have to make it so difficult for?
Why can't we-- i'm not!
Go, I'm watching!
Why can't we just finish this chicken milanese
and make this particular chicken milanese a right one?
Not talking about yesterday,
not talking about next month,
but what's with the sarcasm?
Well, I can't help it if you tell me
to do it one way, then you change it!
What the do you want from me?
Changing it right!
Well, you told me the first time!
me.
Why do you have to make it so difficult for?
The battle to get food out tonight
has resulted in a war in the kitchen.
But what's with the sarcasm?
What the do you want from me?
And the impact is being felt in the dining room.
Get my food, now!
Who's waiting on what?
Um...
34 has been waiting for, like, an hour.
This big table behind me-- what are they waiting on?
Whose table is that? Julie's.
How long have they been waiting on entrees?
Over an hour. I don't know.
Yeah, it's over an hour. This is not normal, surely.
No. No.
Tonight is the worst dinner service that I have ever seen.
I mean, I have never experienced anything like this
in my life.
Okay. Uh, Paul. Yes, Chef?
I don't know what's happened,
but the level of frustration out there
is intense. okay.
So...Stop.
We can't continue like this.
stop it.
Will you apologize to the tables, please, Rebecca?
What a freakin' disaster.
Bad, I know.
It was a terrible night.
We had people not get food when tickets were here.
We failed, and it's my responsibility.
Sorry, my friends.
The kitchen has been shut down.
I'm so sorry. I've never had to do this before.
Never saw anything like that in my life.
I understand that.
Do you think that I like this?
Do you think that I want it to be like this?
I don't.
But... But what?
I'm one person with two hands.
Paul, you don't--
please don't start with excuses.
That's not gonna help.
Paul had a horrible night, 100% off his game,
And I think gave up before he even got started.
Well, people hated the food.
Well, that's not what we got back here.
I am very angry,
saying that someone liked something.
50 people didn't like it. Open your eyes.
I have nothing else to say to you.
Equally as miserable as tonight's dinner service
Was Paul's attitude,
and Chef Ramsay wants to know why.
Tonight showed me that you hated cooking.
I cannot ignite that little button.
I need to see it from you!
Chef, I feel awful.
This is not the way that I want to work
or the way that I know that I can work.
Why are you doing it to yourself? I--I--
Why?
Like-- You've got to give me the answer,
because I can't start helping
until you tell me.
But, I mean--
No one's asking you to rant and rave!
I'm just asking you to have some fire!
It's not normal for a guy
that's been cooking for 20-years-plus
to stand there with no feel or passion
and say like that
as if it's just going over your head!
Whether you like it or not, you have given up.
Your whole family is on the line here.
Do you know how hard it is
to look at my kids when I go home at night?
Or my wife?
It's not easy, okay?
It's not supposed to be easy.
I don't care if it's not easy.
I just want it to be better.
Then don't stop trying.
Think I'm happy?
I'm miserable.
I don't want to get out of bed in the morning.
I want to stay in bed.
Okay, listen,
I'm committed to helping you.
And I'm not leaving this place until it's set.
We are gonna work at this together,
at turning this around.
Tomorrow I want you at your best.
Yes? Yes.
Get some sleep. Thank you.
Good night. Good night.
After an emotionally draining night,
Chef Ramsay has a task in mind
to help ignite Paul's passion in the kitchen.
good morning.
Hello.
New day, new attitude.
New start.
So...
Last night, it took us an hour,
on average,
to get appetizers out.
So here's what we're doing today.
I want you to get used to the time pressure.
See what I'm saying?
Like, sort of, you know, yeah.
Kick-starting the car again.
You know, a new battery in it.
You've got 15 minutes...
Yep. from now...
To cook me... Oh, God.
A stunning pasta dish. Off you go.
Trying to kill me.
You can do it, hon. 15 minutes!
Go, Paul! Go, Paul!
In order for Paul to impress Chef Ramsay,
This chef is making fresh pasta for the first time
in five years.
I just want to be able to do what I know how to do--
you know, just cook from the heart
and get back to raising the bar for myself.
What are you gonna make?
I'm just getting the lay of the land.
You have 14 minutes.
And the clock is ticking, and it's just,
you know, like, everything around me was just turned off.
Like, I wasn't hearing or seeing
or feeling or worrying.
It was just, you know-- I was living in the moment.
Ten minutes, babe. He's sitting. He's ready.
He's waiting to be served.
You can totally, totally wow him right now, please.
I was watching everything that he did,
and I was definitely afraid
that Chef Ramsay wasn't going to like it
and what that would mean.
Can I carry it out? I'll carry it out.
You sure you want to do that?
Yes. all right.
Hey. Here we go.
Chef. Thank you.
You're welcome.
We have a capellini pasta
with a chunky puttanesca sauce
and some rock shrimp. lovely.
Well, I used to be a good chef.
I think I'm still a good chef.
I would just want him to be able to recognize
that there was a passion that went into making this.
Chef Ramsay has put Paul's passion for cooking to the test.
We have a capellini pasta
with a puttanesca sauce. lovely.
Now it's time to find out if he passed.
I would hope that Chef Ramsay
Would recognize that, you know,
some love went into making this dish.
Will it be to his taste?
Who knows?
Mmm.
That's nice.
Capellini is cooked perfectly.
Thank you.
It just felt good
to just have a really positive comment from Chef Ramsay.
I really needed that lift.
What does pasta mean to you?
To me, it's like bread. It's staff of life.
Mm-hmm. pasta can be anything.
You can go through all different flavors,
textures, proteins, colors.
Yeah. you can have dried pasta, fresh pasta.
It's a blank canvas, you know.
It's just something for the artist to paint.
You're sounding more exciting in the last two minutes
talking about pasta than you have done
since I've met you.
It was the old Paul.
He was excited. He was energized.
It was the man that I married.
And it's really weird, isn't it?
It takes something like a pasta dish to sort of
ignite how you feel about it.
Absolutely.
Today, at this moment,
I know that, like, the healing process has begun.
Of hope this morning,
Chef Ramsay wants to try an experiment.
Time for some sophisticated marketing.
He wants to take advantage of the Ridgewood foot traffic
And test Paul's speed in the kitchen.
How are you?
So for the first time in four years,
Bazzini's is open for lunch.
Having lunch today?
Fabulous lunch menu, around the corner.
Bazzini's, $15.
Soup, salad, and the most amazing pasta.
Wonderful. Thank you so much.
Now Chef Ramsay only has one thing left to do--
Tell the owners.
So here's what we're doing today.
We're gonna serve
the most amazing two-course lunch.
That's right.
This is not a formal, long-winded,
three-hour ordeal.
This is a really nice, easy, quick, vibrant lunch.
I'm nervous, but, you know,
If this is what we're gonna do today, fantastic.
Oh, great. You know, terrific.
You and I in the kitchen. Great.
I'm your sous chef. Okay, fantastic.
I'm your bitch.
Okay.
Ladies, you've both got
great personalities.
So both of you are running the front of house.
I don't know anything about the front of the house.
I don't care about the front of the house.
I just want to do my job.
Great service, great food, in and out.
Hello. Welcome.
Ah, follow me, please.
Chef Ramsay is hoping today's lunch
Will show Paul and Leslie
the opportunity they are not taking advantage of.
I'll have the pasta special.
The fontina pasta.
And the power of serving fresh pasta.
Soup, three. Panzanella, two.
Okay, good. Let's go.
Two soups are going in the window, Chef,
To go up with two salads.
Salads 30 seconds, Paul.
Very good. Thank you.
Don't forget, speed today, yes?
Yep. Order in.
One soup, two orichiette.
Two panzanella.
Three vegetable orichiette, three regular orichiette.
Very good.
Uhh!
Waitressing is totally not my thing.
I'll be right with you, folks.
You girls okay?
We're just waiting on our wine.
Ugh!
Um, garlic-- oh, my pen's not writing.
I'm sorry.
Sharyn and I are not servers.
We did the best that we could.
Is everything okay?
We need spoons still.
Oh, yes, I'm sorry.
But we forgot that you need a spoon to eat soup.
Where's the spoons? Why you asking me?
Ugh! God help me.
Oops. I'm sorry.
Service!
Can you manage with that? Thank you.
That looks great. Enjoy it.
Next entree is what?
Two orichiettes, one vegetarian orichiette.
It was great working with Gordon today.
You know, we worked together. We jumped around.
It was good. It was like a good two-man, you know, vibe.
It felt good, you know? It felt real good.
With Chef Ramsay and Paul working together...
You got four veg, Sharyn. I got five normal, yes?
Four vegetarian on the way. Excellent.
Beautifully cooked fresh pasta
Is flying out of the kitchen.
Thank you very much. Enjoy it.
There you go.
Oh, my gosh, this is so good.
That is, like, the best pasta I've ever had.
Better than that stuff your mom makes?
and you're in and out in no time.
Mm-hmm.
how is it?
Very good. Good.
Phenomenal. Good, I'm glad.
The kitchen did everything right today.
That's it. The board is cleared, yeah?
I don't have any tickets. Anyone need food? No food.
I absolutely think lunch
should be an everyday thing at Bazzini.
I think that today probably proved that to Paul.
It was a great lunch service.
It was really good.
It was profitable, and we--we made money.
And the customers were happy,
and it was quick, and it was easy.
I feel good.
Coming up...
It's relaunch night at Bazzini's.
This is the most important night of this guy's life!
Will Paul rise to the occasion?
It's raw.
Or will he go back to his old ways?
I'm one person with two hands.
Giving excuse...
Don't have eyes in the back of my head.
I'm doing 400 things at once.
After excuse.
I can't cook and manage the tables.
We're all working together here!
Quit the arguing!
The survival of the restaurant is on the line.
We're sinking like the titanicin here!
But not everybody believes in saving it.
- Where's my sous chef? - Where the is Al?
I don't know. He's gone.
Al! Al!
Inspired by Paul's performance during lunch
and his fresh pasta,
Chef Ramsay and his team work overnight
to renovate the restaurant.
- Morning! - Morning.
Welcome to the new Bazzini.
Oh, my God!
Wow.
look at it-- new trellising,
New sign, it looks inviting.
It's gorgeous.
with 60 restaurants,
You have to stand out.
It looks spectacular.
Just looks beautiful.
Ready to go inside? Yes.
Let's go! I have ants in my pants.
Ohh. Oh, my...
look at this.
the tables are gorgeous.
i love these tchotchkes.
look at that. that is so nice.
On the walls, lemon pound cake
new, slick Italian banquettes.
Isn't that lovely?
It looks great.N.
The color is contemporary.
Look at the napkins.
"Fresh Pasta Made Daily."
Welcome to Bazzini's! Freakin' awesome.
The dining room is beautiful.
I never thought in a million years this could happen.
And, um...
We are so grateful.
Thank you again. Come here, you.
Oh, good, my darling. I'm glad you're happy.
The restaurant renovation was drastic.
But the biggest change to Bazzini's is the menu.
Chef Ramsay has taken the old risotto,
the disgusting chicken,
and the bland tilapia
and replaced them with a new and vibrant menu,
featuring fresh pasta.
Love the menu. From 27 dishes down to 15.
Why is it reduced? because it's fast.
The idea is everything's cooked to order.
It's fresh.
Char-grilled calamari
with fresh chili and arugula.
The main entree's bistecca,
fresh caponata with white beans.
Pasta today is gonna be tagliatelle
of mussels and clams.
That's the Hallmark.
Paul, is that menu manageable?
Yep.
Looking at the menu, the bar is set at the ten,
and we need to be able to get as high to the ten as possible.
Certainly nothing less than an 8 1/2.
desserts. Sharyn, carrot cake.
Look at it--beautiful, sumptuous, sexy,
and something you want to take home to bed.
oy, yoy, yoy.
What?
Take home to bed?
Oh, boy. Whew.
You're killin' me.
Hello, welcome. You are...
Panera. Panera.
With the new menu
And the new decor in place...
Follow me, please.
Chef Ramsay has invited V.I.P.s
and dignitaries to show why Bazzini's is special,
even amongst the 60 restaurants in town.
Let's see what this new menu offers us.
All pastas fresh, made here on the premises today.
I'm gonna have the calamari to start with.
Calamari to start you off. excellent.
First order, yes?
One polenta, one calamari? yes, Chef.
You have one tortellini? Yes, Chef.
One tagliatelle?
al, I would get the calamari working, okay?
I want to try and get a little bit more color on it.
Tickets are coming in.
I'm not thinking about, "Am I gonna be able to do it?"
I'm not thinking about, "Oh, my God, we're gonna crash."
It's about me and pushing myself
to be the person that I am.
Tonight Paul's attitude couldn't be better...
Get, like, four more polentas working, please.
And everything in the kitchen seems to be right on track.
This is table number 21, Chef. Okay, good.
Now the first appetizers are at the pass.
Hey, guys, it's raw here.
Touch that.
I can't send out raw calamari, yeah?
Paul, please. Yes, Chef.
It's raw.
Ay, God.
make sure everything's cooked.
Paul, these tables are very important.
I need a second to think.
Oh, come on.
Al, you got to-- come on, I need help.
I need for you to get in the game with me.
Please, I-I can't do it all alone.
Al, please tell me I have polenta.
Please tell me i have polenta.
I know what's on the line.
I know we got dignitaries in the dining room.
We have to get the job done. We have to get it done well.
We have to just get it done.
Got an order in. It's table 21.
guys, I can't cook
And talk and manage the tickets.
I need help. Not working alone here.
Paul was a total disaster.
He got flustered, I guess.
And there was a lack of communication.
The pressure of relaunch night
Had clearly gotten to Paul, his sous chef Al,
and the rest of the kitchen staff.
No, we're not firing at the moment.
And 45 minutes in,
Not a single entree has left the kitchen.
Talk to me, Paul, please.
Okay, I-- 24, tortellini, tag special.
It's only a two-top, yeah?
But, chef, I want to get these four pastas out first.
Yeah, I know, but what I'm trying to say to you
is it's the same dish.
Put a four- and a two-top together,
kill two birds with one stone.
Position yourself. Absolutely.
Manipulate the board to your advantage, come on.
An hour and a half later, we're hungry. Of course.
Yeah, this is... I'm sorry.
It's an hour and 40 minutes. I absolutely understand.
Well, I hate to say it,
but 33 has been waiting forever.
I mean, they were one of the first tables
that walked in this door.
Everything is a complete mess.
Nobody's getting their food.
The orders are all mixed up.
It's just unbelievable out there.
These V.I.P. tables, yeah, are waiting too long.
i need some help. i need someone to move tickets.
I can't do everything myself.
i need some communication.
We need to cook!
We're sinking like the titanicin here!
Let's just cook!
This is such a shame.
Paul shut down. he's not communicating.
And more importantly, I think he's given up.
For God sakes.
Come on, Paul!
Paul!
I'm doing 400 things at once.
I'm trying to do damage control at this point.
Damage control is not what I want to do.
At this point, I want to cook. I want to get food out.
I want, you know, clearly, I need some help.
41. I need to know how long.
I need someone to tell me what 41 is.
Don't have eyes in the back of my head.
okay.
What's our E.T.A. on 45, Paul?
Al, talk to Al. guys...
Please start cooking!
45--
wait, I still don't have an answer on 41.
Oh,. See?
This table's been waiting for an hour.
Can't do it all.
I-I got this.
Don't know that for sure.
Well, I've been waiting for, like--
everybody here is waiting. shh!
Hey, don't shush me. We're all working together here!
- We don't need a shusher! - guys!
This is the most important night
of this guy's life.
Quit the arguing!
Everything crashed.
I don't know if it was the titanicor the hindenburg,
but it's a mess.
All right, I know you don't want to hear this.
But I need a pasta special, and I need it immediately.
Bloody hell, where's Al? Where's my sous chef?
I'm the only one in this kitchen.
Al!
Where is Al?
I don't know.
Where the is Al?
We don't know. he's gone.
No sign of him.
He's clearly gone.
For God sakes, man.
Al!
Where is he?
It's relaunch night at Bazzini's,
And not only are customers getting restless...
An hour and a half later, we're hungry. Of course.
But sous chef Al has gone awol.
Where's Al? Where's my sous chef?
Al!
I think he quit.
I was shocked that Al walked out.
That really sucks.
There was a shock wave
that went through the kitchen, the service staff.
No one could really believe it.
Come on, guys. Please.
When you're just left high and dry like that,
it's a little difficult.
Listen to me-- Al may be gone,
but the customers need feeding.
Let's support one another.
But as a human being with compassion,
You go in, you help,
and you give it your best shot.
All right, take a deep breath.
I'm glad to help.
If you cook the garnishes,
I can cook the lamb and the strip.
Yes? Yes, Chef.
Let's go, then.
I can only imagine what's happening
in that kitchen back there.
Start work on three tag.
Two caponatas straight after, yes? Yes, Chef.
Good, I'll do the risotto. Sharyn, so you with me?
I'm totally with you.
Sharyn, congratulations. You're the new sous chef.
I'm very embarrassed. Our sous chef walked out.
It's not even-- Paul, it's too tight.
You know, it's like-- it's just like staunch, yeah?
Good girl, Sharyn.
Thank you, Chef. Good girl, let's go.
Talk to me. Come on, Paul, please.
I'm one minute from dressing.
I'm one minute from dressing!
Chef, I'm working!
It's still gonna be a few minutes--I apologize.
Tag special, in the window.
Good girl. Thank you, Sharyn.
Service, please!
To save tonight's dinner service,
Chef Ramsay has taken over the kitchen.
Come back for the risotto, please.
and along with Sharyn's help...
Well done, Sharyn.
Food is now entering the dining room.
Ask and you shall, sometimes in time, receive.
But now the question is,
do the customers feel it was worth the wait?
The food is fantastic. Worth the wait.
The risotto has a wonderful taste.
Great risotto.
The chicken was delicious.
It's really good.
We had some challenges, you know.
We had some things that weren't expected to happen.
But, that said, everyone stepped up
as best as they could.
Got good feedback from the people.
So, you know, I feel it was a success.
Before I spend some time with Paul and Leslie,
I just want to say a big thank you.
Yeah, your desserts are fantastic.
Over the desserts, your personality is, for me,
fundamental to the longevity
and the potential success of this restaurant.
And I just want to say, uh, a big thank you.
Well done, my darling. Yeah.
Oh, ay, yi, yi, yi.
I enjoyed his company.
I think he enjoyed mine.
And I hope I made him proud...
Thank you.
'Cause I really tried very hard.
Right. That wasn't easy.
No. no, nowhere near it.
Uh, however,
I know the customers loved the food.
Absolutely. yeah.
And tonight confirmed
that you have an identity.
Mm-hmm. The fresh pasta is out there.
But...
truthfully,
as hard as this is for me to say to you
face-to-face,
honestly, Paul,
you haven't changed enough
to convince me
that this can turn around.
I was totally focused and totally committed.
No. No.
You weren't, Paul.
Chef... no, no. come on, big boy.
The first appetizer had raw squid--
not slightly seared,
raw.
20 minutes later,
the place was sunk.
You needed me.
I regrouped,
got the kitchen back together.
I've never worked this hard in launching a restaurant.
The truth hurts, Paul.
You've got to start telling yourself
some serious home truths.
The way to becoming a better chef
is to realize your weaknesses and improve those weaknesses.
I've taken all of the advice,
and I've taken a lot of it to heart
and I've seen a lot of it-- of what I do is wrong.
Here's my advice.
At the heart of this restaurant
has to be you--
your food, you on the plate.
You have to stand up to the plate
and hold the reins.
I know that it starts and stops with me,
and I know that I have to be the leader,
and I know that I have to command the troops.
And I take responsibility for that.
You say all the right things always.
But now it's time to do the right things.
Right.
Good night. Thank you.
Good night, darling.
I think that Chef Ramsay came, and it really...
Identified the problems.
And I think he certainly helped Paul,
and I totally feel that all the tools we have
are enough to save the restaurant.
Chef... Yes, Chef?
Good luck. Thank you very much.
Appreciate everything.
Appreciate all of your hard work
and everything you've done for me.
It's over to you now. I won't let you down.
This experience has been amazing.
I've been put on the path to success,
and I'm really excited about going forward.
Please, don't let yourself down.
Thanks very much. Good night.
What a week.
Ridgewood may have 60 restaurants
within four blocks,
but I do believe the new Bazzini's
with its fresh pasta, can be a huge local success.
Unfortunately, I'm just not sure about Paul, but...
Nothing would make me happier if he could prove me wrong.
After Gordon's departure,
Paul immediately hired a strong sous chef.
And with the new fresh-pasta identity,
Bazzini's experienced a boost in business.
It's very good.
Sadly, Sharyn left the restaurant
to get away from Paul
and to focus on her own dessert business.