Gordon Ramsay makes The Handlebar Restaurant a gastropub

Friday, 12 September 2008

In the second episode of Gordon Ramsay's second US series of Kitchen Nightmares, Gordon visits the The Handlebar Restaurant in Mt. Sinai, New York.

Owner Billy, a former construction worker, is confused as to why Gordon thinks they have a problem.

This despite the 18-table joint only ever having a handful of customers

Billy and his wife think their food is the bomb, they reckon their chef is a genius and that everything is hunky-dory.

But Gordon thinks otherwise. "Seafood crepe. Yeah. That's seafood crap," he says about his first sample of The Handlebar's cuisine.

Imitation crabmeat

Surely they know not to serve Gordon Ramsay of all people imitation crab meat!

Billy can't take criticism though, and despite feeling the need to apply for Kitchen Nightmares, he says: "There was no part of me that wanted Chef Ramsay here."

Gordon though, sees a light at the end of the tunnel, and after some deep thinking, decides to redesign the restaurant into a "gastropub".

Not just any gastropub, but Long Island's first gastropub, which Gordon explains is a pub with an emphasis on quality, reasonably-priced food.

And even Billy likes the change, surprising to Gordon, who says: "There's one thing in there that I thought was completely unchangeable: and that was Bill. And we even managed that."

The initial relaunch was a success, but I wouldn't hold my breath on it lasting.

Gordon Ramsay photo gallery.