The Plonker Club

In a recent interview (that is featured in its entirity on the monsters and critics website, Gordon Ramsay gives us some amazing insights into this new season of Hell’s Kitchen.

Q: Have you seen a change in the caliber of people who are trying to be on the show?
Gordon Ramsay: I have to be honest, season five for me is: a) the most competitive; b) I will stick my neck out on this one and the top four contestants this year could have quite easily won in any of the previous years.
But of course it’s of great importance, but more importantly I focus on the talent. And I go through that shit fight for the first six or seven weeks and then I get rid of the sort of donkeys and I focus on the talent.

Q. Why is a properly cooked Beef Wellington such a Herculean task for the chefs on your show?
Gordon Ramsay: Don’t. I’m taking it off now. I’ve thrown the towel in. I’m so frustrated. That dish cooks itself. The battle of that dish, 90% of the organization is done sort of for you.

Q. What can you tell us about this year’s grand prize, the Borgata?
Gordon Ramsay: They’re going to take up a head chef position at the Borgata Hotel, fantastic resorts. It’s going to be a fine dining, unique new build, great interior, intimate setting.
And more importantly, a perfect platform. I’m very excited about this. One of the best prizes you’ve ever had so far. But having been there on an occasion, the place is sort of, I suppose, …answer to Vegas just out of New York. So, exciting, fun and very them being part of sort of the design of the restaurant. So more importantly, …. Great.

Q. Can you mention some of the new chef contestants?
Gordon Ramsay: God, yes, I’d love to talk about the individuals.
Ben, extraordinary. Again, tenacious – very, very flamboyant. As you know, I love Chicago; always have in terms of eating out. I always get frustrated when they don’t get the spotlight as much as New York does. But when you look at … and … in New York, and even going back to the days of Blackbird, …what Blackbird’s done in terms of setting the trend.
So, Ben is like having a rhinoceros in the kitchen. He’s non-stop. He’s energetic, a powerhouse. The fascinating thing is when you discipline a young chef, it’s the response that tells you how long they’ve got in this industry and Ben’s attitude was 100% professional in terms of, yes, he got knocked down, but he came back to be twice as strong, which is what I want to see.
Will, on the other hand, cooking is an internal thing; it’s something that comes from the heart. He’s very clever, very articulate; very, very calm in terms of putting it together. I enjoyed working with both of them.

Q: How do the contestants teams, separated by gender, stack up?
Gordon Ramsay: So I don’t know why this year and more than ever before, but being in that pressurized environment and you’ve got eight to ten individuals that are incredibly talented, they’re going to offload and explode. So yes, the ladies this season have been phenomenal. The guys are being sort of grumpy, arrogant and they take longer to learn. So, I can deal with that crap, trust me.

I’ve pulled these quotes from the interview which can be found at http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/features/article_1456611.php/Hells_Kitchens_Gordon_Ramsay_the_full_interview

David Driscoll
The Plonker Club
The Unofficial Gordon Ramsay Fansite
www.theplonkerclub.com

A few nights ago on Fox, as part of their ‘confuse the crap out of everyone’ or possibly using dartboard programming – a new episode of Kitchen Nightmares USA aired.

This episode was for Cafe 36 in La Grange Il.

Episode 11 of season 2 wasn’t bad – there are some things that Fox won’t do away with – like annoying spoilers throughout the show, and recaps after ad breaks – I’m sure these shows are about 30 mins of footage (the torrents I watch here in Australia are 42-44 minutes (no ads). As always Gordon Ramsay’s passion for change and want to help came through – and this one wasn’t a bad story. A sweet old couple with no experience, who put in over $1.1 million (plus not drawing paychecks since the business opened) at least this one wasn’t just one big fight.

Please bring on the new series form the UK and fix the US series.

There is the final episode in the series airing on Jan 22 in the US according to the Wikipedia entry for Hells Kitchen.

Bring on more ‘QUALITY” Gordon Ramsay.

David Driscoll
Chief Plonker at The Plonker Club
The Unofficial Gordon Ramsay Fansite

www.theplonkerclub.com

At the time of typing this, there is only 17 days 17 hours 36 minutes 22 seconds
left until Hell’s Kitchen Season Five Begins, according to the counter on the Plonker Club Website – the home of the Unofficial Gordon Ramsay Fansite!

And if you are wondering who will be keeping us entertained (at their own expense) you can now check them out.

Their photos now appear on the chopping block on the Official Fox Homepage http://www.fox.com/hellskitchen/ – along with Gordon Ramsay, and the other sous chefs!

There is also an official Facebook page for Hell’s Kitchen – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hells-Kitchen/13427984738

Only seventeen more sleeps (maybe sixteen – I might not be able to sleep the night before!)

David Driscoll
Chief Plonker at The Plonker Club
The Unofficial Gordon Ramsay Fansite
www.theplonkerclub.com

Right on the heels of my previous posting about a failure of (another) Gordon Ramsay Restaurant – from Kitchen Nightmares in the UK that is, (see Another Gordon Ramsay Lover Goes Under) comes dire news of a similar vein in the US.

It seems that J Willy’s BBQ House, may be closing up at the end of January unless a buyer can be found. J Willy’s had apparently been up for sale at the time of airing of the show (they are now looking for a partner) and once again ,the cause seems to be the global credit crisis. According to the local newspaper, the South Bend Tribune, (follow the link here) the business will be taken off the market at the end of January.

At that point, who knows what will happen to the made-over restaurant and the interesting BBQ Sauce (side) business that resulted from input by Gordon Ramsay? Around the time of the show airing, I remember seeing the owner promoting the episode on the Fox forums, inviting people to the restaurant for the (long-delayed) screening and plugging to death the BBQ sauce.

Well it may be plugged for the last time at the end of January, we will wait and see.

David Driscoll
The Plonker Club
The Unofficial Gordon Ramsay Fansite
www.theplonkerclub.com

Sorry, this one isn’t as scandalous as previous headlines of similar themes that appeared some months ago.

This one refers to a restaurant that Gordon Ramsay tried to save on Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares – the UK edition.

Of course the misleading headline refers to Love’s Fish Restaurant – which kicked of Season 5 of, in my opinion, Gordon Ramsay’s best television shows (please don’t mention the US version in the same sentance)!

The restaurant was formerly known as Ruby Tate’s and according to reports, a note on the front door now from patron Allan Love reads “Dear all. Unfortunately because of the credit crunch and lack of bookings, Loves restaurant has had to close for business”.

According to their own website (http://www.lovesrestaurant.co.uk/), amongst a lot of great content is a message confirming this story. The notice on the top of their webpage simply says

“Allan and his staff would like to thank everyone who came to the restaurant over the
past 2 years for their support and good wishes.

We were very lucky to have had such a wonderful mixture of people to serve.
It’s a very sad time for us all but we hopefully will try to be positive for the future.

As a final note, let me wish everyone a Prosperous New Year and I hope you
all obtain all that you ever wished for.

Once again. “Thank You”

Love, Allan Love.

P.S. Also! Thank you Gordon Ramsay for all your efforts, at least we tried eh? Love you!!”

My plan has always been to go to the UK and visit all of the kitchen Nightmare Restaurants (seems like this trip is getting shorter and shorter!)

Sad News indeed!

David Driscoll
The Plonker Club
The Unofficial Gordon Ramsay Fansite
www.theplonkerclub.com