Really loving The Restaurant at the moment. It's just like The Apprentice - but in a restaurant. I wasn't in the mood for more cookery shows, let alone another reality show, but I Sky+ed it anyway, then someone told me how great it was so we gave it a go. I've not seen the end of last night's one yet, but we'll catch up tonight then watch the cook-off.
If you ever fantasized about running a restaurant and thought it would be a piece of piss, here's where reality bites. I think we all know what a lot of hard work it is, but this hard?
Raymond Blanc, in the Alan Sugar, role is nice, not scary, cares a lot and has his own version of Nick and Margaret as sidekicks. It's glossy, funny, the people are generally vile and it's a great mix of rows, food, stupidity, arrogance and jazz drumming.
On the latter point, the guy who is the jazz drummer is probably my least favourite of all. Since the nasty, gimlet-eyed Scottish guy and his bug-eyed girlfriend got kicked out last week, him and his wife are my new hate figures. This man shows himself to be a tubby fool, with his frustrated actress wife who's irritating just by dint of being American. What did she ever see in this doofus? He seems to have no interest in cooking, only in slinking off to play the drums like some nine-year-old.
The mother and son team are unnaturally close, with him all the time telling her how proud he is of her and then hugging her, in a role reversal that makes me feel quite uncomfortable. The couple with Ghanain restaurant are probably my favourites at the moment. We've not seen much of The Brown and Green team, or the two brothers, but the Bravo! couple are a bit stupid. The woman who cries at the drop of a hat is a gem.
So all round, a great show not to be missed. If you liked The Apprentice, you'll love this.
6 comments:
I gave up on Hell's Kitchen last night, actually. Faced with getting in late and having room for only one food-themed reality TV show before bed, Raymond won my vote.
I actually think The Restaurant has been a bit of a slow burn. Last week's opener was all over the place, and it was very hard to care about anyone in it. However, the challenge episode was fab, and since then I'm a confirmed fan - although I do think starting off with nine couples has been a mistake.
I do love Jacqui and Russ (that's the American and the jazz drummer, right?). Hated her initially, but now I find myself urging her to ditch him and go it alone. She's actually quite sweet.
The twins are best though. What a well-oiled machine. If I'd been in their eaterie, I might have submitted and ordered a cocktail too.
I'm too scared to look, but I'm pretty sure that somewhere on my blog, someone once left a comment which reveals who wins the series. Don't want to ruin it for myself now...
Yes, I know what you mean about Jacqui, but her jumping up and down keenness is grating, though it's sad all her big plans are always thwarted.
I watched the challenge episode last week, and thought it was fairly entertaining, so I'll probably watch again this week. Better than Hell's Kitchen MPW, anyway. But yeah, Jacqui is really irritating - it's the combination of relentless enthusiasm and optimism that seems to be based around no skills whatsoever. Having said that, I did want to punch her stupid drummer husband in the face, though: grown men behaving like stroppy toddlers are always depressing to watch...
And you're acquainted with a fair few of those I suspect, Kitten.
I was going to comment, but I'm far too busy setting up my drumkit and playing a few jazz riffs.
(I like the twins. Ordinarily they'd be annoying but they're clearly really good at selling apple crumble, which is a big plus.)
I love The Restaurant because I don't watch it but my partner does - so it means I get to spend an hour and a half on the internet. Everyone's a winner.
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