"the Restaurant"

RE: "the Restaurant" (chefk)

Thu, 18 Sep 2003 19:14:13 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by seafarer john

ChefK: That's my point- Bill Grimes has never eaten a decent meatball or bowl of spaghetti . He aint got a clue what it should taste like!

MY point is - who cares about spaghetti and meatballs?!?
ESPECIALLY in such a high priced slop-house!
If you really need a southern Italian junk fix, go find an all-you-can-eat spaghetti and meatball night at your local bar.

RE: "the Restaurant" (seafarer john)

Thu, 18 Sep 2003 16:41:36 GMT

ChefK: That's my point- Bill Grimes has never eaten a decent meatball or bowl of spaghetti . He aint got a clue what it should taste like!

RE: "the Restaurant" (chefk)

Thu, 18 Sep 2003 16:29:14 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by seafarer john

Read that Times article of 9/17 and found it wanting. I don't think Bill Grimes knows diddley about Italian cooking of the type Rocco is apparently trying to put out. The essence, if not the tone, of the article was one of "damnation with faint praise" as far as I could see.

The article in the same edition on NYC BBQ was a lot better than one would expect from that particular source. I suspect the writer has been lurking arounf the "Roadfood" site in order to learn at least some of the BBQ buzzwords.

The article in the same edition on country hams (proccuito no less !)
was what one has learned to expect of the Times food section - promotion of some yuppy trendy types with friends in the editorial offices.

What's to know about spaghetti and meatballs?
And for the price they're charging, no less!

RE: "the Restaurant" (seafarer john)

Thu, 18 Sep 2003 11:45:49 GMT

Read that Times article of 9/17 and found it wanting. I don't think Bill Grimes knows diddley about Italian cooking of the type Rocco is apparently trying to put out. The essence, if not the tone, of the article was one of "damnation with faint praise" as far as I could see.

The article in the same edition on NYC BBQ was a lot better than one would expect from that particular source. I suspect the writer has been lurking arounf the "Roadfood" site in order to learn at least some of the BBQ buzzwords.

The article in the same edition on country hams (proccuito no less !)
was what one has learned to expect of the Times food section - promotion of some yuppy trendy types with friends in the editorial offices.

RE: "the Restaurant" (hilldweller)

Wed, 17 Sep 2003 16:23:05 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by NancyPeter

Just wondering (I don't know why) if anyone has actually eaten at Rocco's yet? If so, how was the meal & the experience

There's a review in today's New York Times. The author says it's "pretty good" and the restaurant got one star (out of four) which is pretty good for the Times (one star from the Times means "Good.")

This link will be free for the next week:[url='http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/17/dining/17REST.html']The Reality, With the Reality Show Gone[/url]

Alternate link that will remain free:
[url='http://query.nytimes.com/gst/nytoday/rst.html?st=rst&rid=1059037018493']Rocco's on 22nd is New York's first meta-restaurant.[/url]

RE: "the Restaurant" (Mayhaw Man)

Wed, 17 Sep 2003 15:15:35 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Hillbilly

I tried (on 9/8)to get reservations there for last Friday night (9/12) and they were full. They did advise that I might be able to get in as a walk in if I came in around 5:30. Thankfully, I was able to take over for a last minute cancellation at Union Square, so I took the known excellence.

I didn't know they had BBQ at Union Square

RE: "the Restaurant" (Hillbilly)

Wed, 17 Sep 2003 15:06:31 GMT

I tried (on 9/8)to get reservations there for last Friday night (9/12) and they were full. They did advise that I might be able to get in as a walk in if I came in around 5:30. Thankfully, I was able to take over for a last minute cancellation at Union Square, so I took the known excellence.

RE: "the Restaurant" (Mayhaw Man)

Wed, 17 Sep 2003 13:32:46 GMT

I think that if you haven't eaten there by now, you might be out of luck on this version of Rocco's. Apparently it is dark as of last Friday or Saturday according to some friends in the neighborhood

RE: "the Restaurant" (NancyPeter)

Tue, 16 Sep 2003 12:51:18 GMT

Just wondering (I don't know why) if anyone has actually eaten at Rocco's yet? If so, how was the meal & the experience

RE: "the Restaurant" (Rick F.)

Sat, 06 Sep 2003 21:21:04 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Ort. Carlton.

My house has three functional televisions, but none of them are hooked up to anything more substantial than thin air. I never turn them on. If I ever make a change, it will be to install an outside antenna 1960's style.

Having just hooked up to satellite radio, if it weren't for the Food Network I'd be very busy trying to talk my wife into dropping cable--and we're in an area w/o any antenna reception!

RE: "the Restaurant" (Ort. Carlton.)

Sat, 06 Sep 2003 18:09:50 GMT

Dearfolk,
As a little old lady in Southwest Atlanta told me recently, "What good is tv cable? Listen, if I can't bring it in on rabbit ears, do you suppose I really need it?"
My house has three functional televisions, but none of them are hooked up to anything more substantial than thin air. I never turn them on. If I ever make a change, it will be to install an outside antenna 1960's style. Less is more, as it were, and the description of this show proves it: Newton Minnow was right.
Testing The Pattern, Ort. "Fuzzy" Carlton in Fringe Receptional Athens, Georgia.

RE: "the Restaurant" (NancyPeter)

Sat, 06 Sep 2003 15:21:41 GMT

I think what happened with that stupid show "The Family" is that the war interrupted the series & the last several episodes never aired... They should have left well enough alone

RE: "the Restaurant" (Rusty246)

Thu, 28 Aug 2003 11:06:52 GMT

I saw it for the first time Sunday night(I think), took me forever to figure out what it was. Between the ladies making suggestive remarks and actions, the proposal, and my gosh, if my son ever spoke suggestivly to an adult like that boy did, I'd get out the peach twig! For that matter the whole branch! Wasn't too impressed. I think these reality shows are getting out of hand. For pete's sake, when I was going through the channels like night I noticed they were showing a re-run of "The Family". Once was bad enough.....

RE: "the Restaurant" (Oneiron339)

Thu, 28 Aug 2003 08:51:17 GMT

Newton Minow (FCC Chairman in the 50's) said it best when he said, "TV is a vast wasteland." It seems with all these "reality" shows, the wasteland gets "vaster," if there is such a word. When ad ad describes a reality show, you can bet it's far from reality. Restaurant is just another sleazy attempt to attract viewers. I was hoping for a different take on a cooking show, and then this. One show was enough for me to get back to ESPN or the Food Network.

RE: "the Restaurant" (Julia I)

Thu, 28 Aug 2003 08:07:07 GMT

An earlier thread about this program contained a link to another website that was interesting:

http://forums.egullet.com/index.php?s=&act=ST&f=2&t=18494&st=640

Quite a few of the people that actually were working at Rocco's during the filming of the show have posted there. Since the site seems to be aimed at food professionals, the comments from others are also pretty informative.

RE: "the Restaurant" (Linda Gebhardt)

Wed, 27 Aug 2003 19:06:10 GMT

The Restaurant was just one very long commercial!!

RE: "the Restaurant" (seafarer john)

Wed, 27 Aug 2003 17:39:39 GMT

I know nothing about the restaurant business, but if "Restaurant" is fairly representative I don't think I'll ever want to eat out again. It seems to feature some very shallow, somewhat unpleasant people with really lousy jobs and worse clients.

RE: "the Restaurant" (scbuzz)

Wed, 27 Aug 2003 15:13:15 GMT

I think it is obvious that this was a made for TV reality show ! I could have taken place at a movie studio with a live audience and have been just as entertaining (and I use that term loosely). NBC is just looking for ratings and this was something that had not been tried yet !

IMHO !

RE: "the Restaurant" (chefk)

Wed, 27 Aug 2003 11:23:45 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by scbuzz

I watched several of the episodes.

I wish it would have been more about the cooking and the actual running of the restaurant. Instead it seem to me to be mostly about the personal lives and crisis' of the staff ! I think they spent too much time on that !

But then I guess that is the type of drama the producers of the show wanted ! That means higher ratings.

Even though Rocco says,"I run two other restaurants in Manhattan.",in one of his commercials, I dare say, he does not run 'Rocco's', it runs him. All he does, between schmoozing customers, is damage control. If this is any indication of how he runs the other two restaurants, then my conclusion has to be that they are actually run by the experienced staff members who already existed at these two places.

RE: "the Restaurant" (chefk)

Wed, 27 Aug 2003 11:12:26 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by lleechef

As another "real" chef, I also found this show disgusting after about 10 minutes. Those of us that cook with passion and love do not act like this animal Rocco.

Thank you.

RE: "the Restaurant" (lleechef)

Wed, 27 Aug 2003 02:39:46 GMT

As another "real" chef, I also found this show disgusting after about 10 minutes. Those of us that cook with passion and love do not act like this animal Rocco.

RE: "the Restaurant" (NancyPeter)

Tue, 26 Aug 2003 18:49:15 GMT

Wow, that is amazing that NY actors were used instead of real people. You'd never realize that from watching the show.

I agree that Rocco's kitchen involvement was minimal. It would've been better if he showed his real abilities as a chef.

RE: "the Restaurant" (garykg6)

Tue, 26 Aug 2003 17:53:51 GMT

the chef has got it right, the show is garbage. Incidently, the restaurant is about to close, the reviews were god-awful and the joint has been cited(what?not enough money on that AE open card for a bribe or two?) for numerous health code violations.....they should do a show on white castle customers after the taverns close, now that would be something to watch.....once

RE: "the Restaurant" (chefk)

Tue, 26 Aug 2003 16:14:38 GMT

As a "real" chef, I must say that I find it hard to believe that this person was allowed to do this show. The only actual moments this "chef" spends time in the kitchen is to help his Mama Mia roll some meatballs. Oh, I guess we shouldn't forget the time he came in and chopped some parsley, or the time he made one (1) dish for the camera.
He seems to spend most of his time inviting himself to sit down at total strangers tables, only to make crude comments about their breasts (the NY Post food critic no less)!
This man does a disservice to all the good, caring, hardworking chefs out here!

RE: "the Restaurant" (NancyPeter)

Tue, 26 Aug 2003 13:47:54 GMT

I thought the two or three episodes I saw were mildly entertaining. At least, it was better than watching the endless reruns of summer...

RE: "the Restaurant" (scbuzz)

Tue, 26 Aug 2003 12:21:17 GMT

I watched several of the episodes.

I wish it would have been more about the cooking and the actual running of the restaurant. Instead it seem to me to be mostly about the personal lives and crisis' of the staff ! I think they spent too much time on that !

But then I guess that is the type of drama the producers of the show wanted ! That means higher ratings.

"the Restaurant" (LeeAnne)

Tue, 26 Aug 2003 11:31:27 GMT

Has anyone been watching this new Sundaynight NBC reality t.v. show
"The Restaurant" with Rocco?
I just found out about it last night and went to look at the clips.
I think its Great!

In Reply To: Who is Rocco?
Posted by LeeAnne on August 25, 2003 at 19:16:31

Message:
Been living in a cave?

http://www.nbc.com/The_Restaurant/

"In Reply To: Who is Rocco?
Posted by LeeAnne on August 25, 2003 at 19:16:31

Message:
Apparently, nobody here saw fit to answer your question. His name is Rocco DiSpirito and he is the chef of the very successful Union Pacific restaurant in NYC. The show was a reality show on NBC, following the supposedly true-life adventures and misadventures involved in trying to build, equip, staff, and open his own new place, Rocco's 22nd St. It was an awful program but I watched it anyway. Someone here did state the only reason I think most of us watched it - it was like passing a traffic accident. Much as you don't want to see it and you try to look away, you can't help yourself - you find you're compelled to see the blood and twisted metal."