Kitchen Nightmares question

[AgentUnknown]

I was watching the show Kitchen Nightmares w/ Chef Ramsey. Anyone watch it? This one place did bad b/c he used all frozen and canned ingredients. Nothing was fresh, not even the dough for the pizza. It still had to be pricey. Is this common practice at a lot of places. Places like olive garden, california pizza kitchen? How common do you think it is?

 

[Adam8281]

I was at California Pizza Kitchen last night, and I noticed them kneading and spinning dough - but of course, it could have come in a frozen blob.

 

[AgentUnknown]

If there are many places that practice this, we are paying too much for food that has been frozen and canned. I am not talking about any fast food joints.

 

[mugs]

If you think the food tastes good and is worth what you pay for it, does it really matter if it was frozen at some point? You apparently can't tell the difference.

 

[Ns1]

Originally posted by: mugs
If you think the food tastes good and is worth what you pay for it, does it really matter if it was frozen at some point? You apparently can't tell the difference.

this

 

[davestar]

extraordinarily common. It absolutely happens at every olive garden, applebees, tgi fridays, etc, etc.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: davestar
extraordinarily common. It absolutely happens at every olive garden, applebees, tgi fridays, etc, etc.

This

Most if not all major chains do not really "make" anything like you see of cooking shows. It comes in they mix bag A with bag B and then heat it up and serve.

 

[rezinn]

Unless you are told that the food was not frozen or canned, it probably was.

 

[ultimatebob]

I'm still trying to figure out what Gordon Ramesy's obsession with Risotto's is all about. It seems that he makes his students on Hell's Kitchen cook it for every damn dinner service!

 

[xanis]

Originally posted by: mugs
If you think the food tastes good and is worth what you pay for it, does it really matter if it was frozen at some point? You apparently can't tell the difference.

QFT. Granted, sometimes you definitely can tell the difference between fresh and frozen, but in my experience, 9/10 times you can't tell.

 

[nageov3t]

I assume at all chain/franchise restaurants, the food comes frozen from a distributor somewhere else to ensure that the food is 100% the same no matter where in the world you eat it.

 

[invidia]

Chinese-American restaurants use lots of canned ingredients. Alot of practices by Chinese-American restaurants are sometimes "immoral" and "unprofessional". MSG is put in whether it's not wanted, dropped food saves money if used, etc.

And there is a difference between Chinese-American restaurants and REAL Chinese restaurants. The food they serve to Americans are what some Chinese would feed to pigs in China.

 

[LS21]

Originally posted by: loki8481
I assume at all chain/franchise restaurants, the food comes frozen from a distributor somewhere else to ensure that the food is 100% the same no matter where in the world you eat it.

word

its common in chain restaurants to preserve consistency

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: rezinn
Unless you are told that the food was not frozen or canned, it probably was.

That reminds me of another episode of Kitchen Nightmares where chef Ramsey kept asking if the food was fresh, the chef said it was, and it turned out he was lying. chef Ramsey wasn't too happy when he found mold. :Q

It's worth noting that in the episode the OP was referring to, the owner of the restaurant was attempting to develop a franchise restaurant - that's why he used all frozen food. Chef Ramsey didn't think too highly of that idea. A locally-owned restaurant isn't likely to use all frozen food like that place did, but you really can't assume that the food you eat at a locally owned restaurant is definitely fresh either. I know that if I go to a local pizza place and order chicken wings or chicken fingers, they're probably going to be frozen. The pizza won't be though.

 

[cubby1223]

The owner of Sebatian's in that episode, after the show apparently reverted back all the changes Ramsey made to the restaurant, and gloats about the big fat check Fox gave him. (which explains why they never did a follow-up at the end of the episode, as they had done with all other restaurants)

 

[Reckoner]

Originally posted by: cubby1223
The owner of Sebatian's in that episode, after the show apparently reverted back all the changes Ramsey made to the restaurant, and gloats about the big fat check Fox gave him. (which explains why they never did a follow-up at the end of the episode, as they had done with all other restaurants)

And they ended up closing down, that guy was an idiot

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: PaulNEPats

Originally posted by: cubby1223
The owner of Sebatian's in that episode, after the show apparently reverted back all the changes Ramsey made to the restaurant, and gloats about the big fat check Fox gave him. (which explains why they never did a follow-up at the end of the episode, as they had done with all other restaurants)

And they ended up closing down, that guy was an idiot

Yep just looked it up, Sebastian's closed early this year.

 

[Ns1]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975

Originally posted by: PaulNEPats

Originally posted by: cubby1223
The owner of Sebatian's in that episode, after the show apparently reverted back all the changes Ramsey made to the restaurant, and gloats about the big fat check Fox gave him. (which explains why they never did a follow-up at the end of the episode, as they had done with all other restaurants)

And they ended up closing down, that guy was an idiot

Yep just looked it up, Sebastian's closed early this year.

he was a complete douchebag to everybody that emailed him too

 

[Squisher]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975

Originally posted by: PaulNEPats

Originally posted by: cubby1223
The owner of Sebatian's in that episode, after the show apparently reverted back all the changes Ramsey made to the restaurant, and gloats about the big fat check Fox gave him. (which explains why they never did a follow-up at the end of the episode, as they had done with all other restaurants)

And they ended up closing down, that guy was an idiot

Yep just looked it up, Sebastian's closed early this year.

I think Ramsey is spot on with his do-overs of these restaurants. You need to find a niche that appeals to the locals and then do it the best you can with some eye on the price.

There is local restaurant in my smallish town that has gone out of business 5 times in the three years I've been here. Every reincarnation of it had good food, but they did nothing to advertise it. The thing has a nice dining room that overlooks a lake. Do you think they'd ever put that in the name, like the Lakeside Inn or the Lakeview Tavern? No it is always Johnny's or The Belleville Grill, etc. This place is 1 mile from the e-way and there has never been a sign out on the E-way.

If only I had an extra $500K.

 

[Schfifty Five]

Originally posted by: invidia
Chinese-American restaurants use lots of canned ingredients. Alot of practices by Chinese-American restaurants are sometimes "immoral" and "unprofessional". MSG is put in whether it's not wanted, dropped food saves money if used, etc.

And there is a difference between Chinese-American restaurants and REAL Chinese restaurants. The food they serve to Americans are what some Chinese would feed to pigs in China.

Yes, that's true

That is probably the dumbest thing I've heard all day.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: Squisher

Originally posted by: Marlin1975

Originally posted by: PaulNEPats

Originally posted by: cubby1223
The owner of Sebatian's in that episode, after the show apparently reverted back all the changes Ramsey made to the restaurant, and gloats about the big fat check Fox gave him. (which explains why they never did a follow-up at the end of the episode, as they had done with all other restaurants)

And they ended up closing down, that guy was an idiot

Yep just looked it up, Sebastian's closed early this year.

I think Ramsey is spot on with his do-overs of these restaurants. You need to find a niche that appeals to the locals and then do it the best you can with some eye on the price.

The thing that boggles my mind is that he is requested by these people to assist, and many of them buck all of the changes, if not permanently, at least at first. I havent seen it on BBCA lately and havent seen any new episodes (are there new ones?)

Good show, though. I love food and cooking and any show that shows an appreciation for it.