Archive through August 11, 2003
TV ClubHouse: Archive: The Restaurant (ARCHIVES):
Archive through August 11, 2003
Tishala | Sunday, August 10, 2003 - 07:12 pm     OMG if Rocco does that to Gideon, who i annoying, BTW, I just wanna make HIM fall down. And if Laurent leaves, so what? I won't miss him. He never says a word. |
Nathalia | Sunday, August 10, 2003 - 07:24 pm     Financier talking to Rocco..telling him everything is crazy..needs to step back and think about things. Rocco says he shares the concern..there is a lot of negative energy. Financier is really worried about people quitting and the "tone" of the restaurant. Cut to Rocco talking to the manager..wants to know if he still wants to quit. He's trying to convince him to stay and work things out. He decides to stay..he likes the concept..the idea of the restaurant. Rocco tells him to never do this again..he knows where his family lives and would kill him. Rocco on phone with the bartender..wants her to come in and talk to him. Rocco has Mama there as his support for talking to her. They ride off on scooter together. He offers her the red scooter if she came back..not sure if he's kidding. He's offering her to be the beverage manager. She is coming back and he gave her the scooter! Gen manager sending waitress home. Rocco is asking her not to make a scene. He's telling her people don't pay to watch a fight. She says she hates them they are all fake Italian b*stards. Mama watches from the doorway. Lola comes back and everyone is upset that she is going to be the new bar manager. They all think if they quit they will get something now. They are upset! Topher is really upset..he wants to leave. He says "if he is unhappy for one minute he is wasting his life". Topher talking to Gen Manager..he hates it there...he doesn't even want to work tonight..gives his notice. Rocco yelling for Topher to come back..Topher ignores him and keeps walking. |
Nathalia | Sunday, August 10, 2003 - 07:38 pm     Topher on subway. Laurent talking to Rocco..telling him everyone is complaining. Topher and Rocco outside..walking and talking now. Topher says he's not happy and refuses to let himself feel that way. Rocco says he would rather have him happy and not working for him. Rocco says he's sorry to see him go. He apologizes..and says he appreciates his professionalism. <Doesn't offer him anything to stay though! I feel bad for Topher.> Rocco thinking to himself "Everyone said this place was cursed". The hostess complaining some man is taking reservations during the day. Rocco calls in a "higher power" to bless the restaurant. He blesses Mama's meatballs while he's at it. Rocco now asking him to bless everything. <I hope this guy is retired because he's going to be getting a lot of flack for blessing lights that keep the food warm.> One of the kitchen guys is worried about Mama..she hasn't taken a rest. Rocco tells her to go upstairs and rest. Rocco finally helping in the kitchen rolling the meatballs. Cut to Mama and the father talking about Rocco. Rocco decides to work in the kitchen..that's where he is going to get everything right. Now showing everyone ordering food..kitchen busy...yelling orders out. Rocco cooking...chopping like crazy..lol He said he had forgotten how it felt to be in the kitchen. "This is my game" Everyone watching the master working. All the patrons are happy now..no complaining. All compliments now..saying how fresh and clean the place is. Ordering more meatballs. Some guy almost crying because the meatballs taste like his grandmothers. Rocco says that "Good food makes up for a multitude of sins". Cut to Rocco talking to the staff. He tells them to "Get Ready..because everything is about to change" |
Scorpiomoon | Sunday, August 10, 2003 - 07:52 pm     This show is a FREAKIN' RIOT!!! Now that I've come accept the product placement and the cheesy-ness of it all, I find this show one hour-long laughfest. The Gideon situation was hysterical. Bringing the priest in to bless the place and ask God to ensure Rocco will make money was over the top. My favorite moment was when that waitress called Rocco a fake Italian and was swearing at everyone. Too funny! Watching Rocco (supposedly) have this deep epiphany while making meatballs then watching the jaw-dropping expressions of the kitchen staff while Rocco (gasp) chopped parsley cracked me up! I will miss Topher. He was the best part of the show. Why doesn't Gideon quit? I have never worked in a restaurant. I have a questions for those who have: are restaurants usually as disorganized as this place is? Also, do restaurants always attracted such drama queens? The feeling I get is that the intensity of the place is fueled by people who thrive on the intensity and want more. Is that true? |
Foliage | Sunday, August 10, 2003 - 08:16 pm     S. Moon, This disorganized No, Drama addicts yes. In my experience. Also, remember part of the fuel of the intensity in this particular restaurant is television cameras. |
Iceprincess | Sunday, August 10, 2003 - 08:59 pm     I am gonna miss Topher. Giving Lola the scooter was a crock of crap...I think the product placement is too funny! It keeps the humor in the show...Gideon needs to find a new job..Rocco never liked him from the get go...I am glad Rocco got his butt back in the kitchen...and I look forward to seeing him as a waiter. I hope someone leaves him a crappy tip! |
Tishala | Sunday, August 10, 2003 - 09:03 pm     When you watch this show, you can certainly realize how Ms. Martha Stewart has so many people saying she is nasty. Rocco is not even 1/100th as successful/in demand as Martha and he (sometimes inadvertantly) annoys tens of people daily. |
Scorpiomoon | Sunday, August 10, 2003 - 09:09 pm     Foliage: Thank you! I wondered about that. You're totally right about the cameras adding to the pressure. |
Gemma120in2002 | Sunday, August 10, 2003 - 09:38 pm     Scorpiomoon, I noticed the awe-filled expressions of the kitchen staff and I have to agree! Too funny! Maybe some of the problems with the food were because the chefs didn't realize they had to prep the food beforehand and were just throwing the spices and herbs into the food whole! I loved Topher saying that if he quits he wants a SUV! LOL! Maybe he should have just quit and not come back the next day so that he could have gotten bribed to come back. Do you notice, people who do the right thing with Rocco get no real arguement to stay, but people who just walk away without a word get a scooter and a ride, and a promotion, and a glass slipper, and a big ole smooch on the backside. That's it! Rocco likes to be put in his place! Lola: "You've been a bad boy Rocco! I'm not going to work for you any more!" Rocco: "Yes! You're right! I'm very bad! I deserve a spanking! Please come back!" Lola: OK! But you will give me this scooter and a promotion and a title and a salary!" Rocco: Yes I will! Then will you spank me?!?" Lola: "No!" |
Scorpiomoon | Sunday, August 10, 2003 - 10:54 pm     Gemma! Your post cracked me up! You're probably right about the kitchen staff. And I think you're on to something re: Rocco and Lola. I did notice Rocco seems to favor women much more than men and seems to have a thing for the aggressive ones... Very astute observations!  |
Tishala | Sunday, August 10, 2003 - 11:00 pm     Yeah it was real freaking good to know that Rocco knows how to chop parsley (and he can even chiffonade!). They looked on as if Michaelangelo was painting....this after rolling his two ounce meat balls with that vacant expression on his face. Oy gevalt. Those meatballs almost made me cry. |
Jhezzie | Monday, August 11, 2003 - 12:50 am     Geez. How long after Topher walked away was that scene of Rocco yelling after him in the street, shot? At least with "Shane", everyone was in the same frame, lol. And where has Lola worked where it's a good idea to come back after quitting, knowing everyone's on the edge and brag about how you got a promotion, raise and a new Vespa? Hello?!? Oh, and I think I counted no less than 12 soundings of the name "Vespa" in about 5 minutes. |
Scorpiomoon | Monday, August 11, 2003 - 01:00 am     OMG! You guys are a total riot! I love this thread! |
Lori | Monday, August 11, 2003 - 07:49 am     Wow...didn't Rocco realize he would cause jealously among the employees by handing out the vespar...what an <M>! I will certainly miss Topher...he was one of the best characters on this show. Rocco should have given him a SUV to stay! What a disorganized work environment...Rocco surely does not know how to manage people and I think he's pretty mean to his employees while sucking up to the customers (which is not a bad idea per se but hey, keep your employees happy!) I loved when all the drama was unfolding they would pan to "Mama" who had a totally disoriented look on her face...too funny!!!!!!! |
Reader234 | Monday, August 11, 2003 - 07:51 am     Yep, wonder who will be the star/leader of the wait group now??? I cant believe Topher left before his shift tho, I would think he would've made amore dramatic exit, or worked his shift THEN said adios!! I also know that in the midwest the rest. workers are dramatic, soap operas, not as intense as this one tho!! Oh, and Mamma didnt look too great!! Esp when you compare her to the talk show ciruit!! I wonder what the lead time is for the filming? They have finished filming right? |
Gemma120in2002 | Monday, August 11, 2003 - 10:24 am     I went to the New York Metro link from the NBC site, and I found a link to a review from an actual food critic! Imagine that! Here's the link: http://www.nypost.com/food/2497.htm This critic didn't give Rocco's the same type of review that the TV critic gave him. The title of the article is Rocco Bottom. |
Lori | Monday, August 11, 2003 - 11:09 am     LOL...that's quite a review. To be perfectly honest, none of the food looks that great (from what I've seen). Mama's meatballs might be the only thing I would order. Then again, after watching them prepare them, maybe not! Those cheesy paper baskets bug me! |
Scorpiomoon | Monday, August 11, 2003 - 11:22 am     Yikes! That review was harsh! By the sounds of it, this place could be out of business before the show ends. Call me niave, but I'm kind of surprised how critics are complaining about the food being overpriced. I thought, pretty much, everything in NYC was overprived and $25 for a dish would be considered the norm. Apparently not. |
Iceprincess | Monday, August 11, 2003 - 11:23 am     WOW! Great article!! I would gather that from what I see on TV that it has to be pretty accurate. The speghetti and mama's meatballs are the only thing that look remotely appetizing! And I have to say Rocco taking Saturdays off??? HUH?? What is he thinking??? Most owners work 7 days a week and sneak a day off during the week so it is not on a busy night! |
Kellirippa | Monday, August 11, 2003 - 01:24 pm     I thought that sending the poor bugger with the broken arm back home was brutal! People don't want to be reminded of lifes tragedies when they come to a restaurant!...sheesh. Don't you think God has better things to do than bless meatballs, bar tops and heat lamps? |
Grooch | Monday, August 11, 2003 - 01:27 pm     ROCCO'S $IDE DISH By LAUREN BARACK August 10, 2003 -- Prime-time chef Rocco DiSpirito, the star of the hit reality show "The Restaurant," is using a string of lucrative sponsorships and free handouts to turn his culinary gamble into his own financial feeding frenzy as he makes a determined grab for fame. The 36-year-old restaurateur could end up pocketing nearly $2 million from the TV series and stands to earn millions more through his fast-rising new celebrity profile, industry sources say. Rocco DiSpirito collected a "talent fee" thought to be about 6 percent of the show's total budget, The Post has learned. Thatamountedto about $350,000 for the six-part series. He also clinched a lucrative advertising contract with one of the show's sponsors, American Express, signed deals for free loans of an SUV from Mitsubishi and a trendy Italian scooter from Vespa, has a cookbook due in October and is negotiating to launch Rocco-brand cookware and packaged food. With 7.8 million people watching last week's third episode of "The Restaurant" - giving NBC a clear win in the 10-11 p.m. Sunday time slot, according to Nielsen Media Research - the real reward for DiSpirito could come in the form of a future Hollywood career, whether his East Side restaurant survives or not. Rocco is not only relishing the attention; he seems hungry for more. "I kind of put my energy out there and hope things work out," he said. "It's always great when people talk about you. Everyone loves accolades. Everyone loves to be loved." And there appears to be a lot of love in the sweet deals DiSpirito did with those companies willing to back his idea of filming the creation and operation of a New York restaurant he named after himself - "Rocco's." The program was funded by three major sponsors, American Express, Mitsubishi and Coors beer. Each advertiser got one of six advertising slots on the hourlong show, while NBC sold the other three. The slots are worth about $200,000 a pop, according to the show's executive producer, Robert Riesenberg. DiSpirito looked after his backers in other ways, particularly through generous product placements as the cameras were rolling. He drove a Mitsubishi throughout filming, Coors trucks were filmed making deliveries to the East 22nd Street eatery, and American Express was the card of choice among some featured diners. "It was a bit like, 'Hey waiter, there's a commercial in my soup,' " one diner at the restaurant commented. While NBC isn't quite ready to plop DiSpirito into his own sitcom - as it did unsuccessfully with fellow chef Emeril two years ago - the new haute cuisine hunk isn't wasting any time prepping for the next deal. While he's currently signed with former Endeavor Agency agent Lon Rosen, DiSpirito revealed he's talking to other agents about deals that are being thrown at him - from television shows, to books, to "other things," he said. DiSpirito's Chicago-based branding agency, Antsnpants, is looking to launch a line of cookware and packaged foods by the end of the year. "This is all about brand Rocco," said Antsnpants partner Fred Siegel. NBC has been quick to promote what the network calls its newest TV star. DiSpirito has appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" the Conan O'Brien and Carson Daley late-night shows. But the chef's Hollywood style has peeved some of his peers, who say their profession has been sullied by DiSpirito's cavalier attitude to a serious business. "I'm embarrassed by it," said a well-placed insider with 25 years of experience in New York's restaurant scene. "It gives you the impression we're just here to take the money and run. We're trying to build a clientele. I suppose you could call them fans if you want, but that's very Hollywood." Limelight, though, is one of DiSpirito's specialties of the house. He was tagged as one of People magazine's "Sexiest Men Alive." "Personally, I'd be concerned if I was portrayed that way," said Henry Meer, executive chef and owner of City Hall restaurant in TriBeCa and the Cub Room. "But chefs have different desires. Who would have thought Emeril would be Emeril with just one word, 'Bam!' " DiSpirito brushes aside his critics. "Right now, I see my primary responsibility is Rocco's," he said. "I don't want it to be a flash [in the pan]." "I think if you ask Emeril or Bobby [Flay] or Mario [Batali], or Ming [Tsai], whether or not TV is a helpful way to promote your product, they'll agree it is." Link |
Tishala | Monday, August 11, 2003 - 01:49 pm     "Don't you think God has better things to do than bless meatballs, bar tops and heat lamps?" Yes. He has a crappy season of BB to contend with! But at least He gave us Queer Eye for the Straight Guy! Thanks, God. |
Gemma120in2002 | Monday, August 11, 2003 - 02:08 pm     Tishala too true! LOL! And Grooch, thanks for the article. It's really a good one. The biggest difference between Rocco and the other chefs mentioned in the article is that the other chefs still cook as part of their entertainment package. Emeril was still a chef in his sitcom, and he cooked. With Rocco, besides rolling the stray pan of meatballs and doing the human food processor dance with a bunch of parsley, (and yes I know it takes skill and practice to do that) the only things I've seen him put his hands on are the female patrons. That kind of culinary skill usually involves something to do with a cannoli. I just looked, cannoli doesn't even appear on the menu! |
Scorpiomoon | Monday, August 11, 2003 - 03:17 pm     LOL Tishala! Can I just say how JEALOUS I am of the wit and biting sarcasm I come across every time I come here? You guys rock! Grooch: Thank you so much for the article. It answers a lot of questions I had. So, there are only two more episodes left... Gemma, you are so right. People love the chefs mentioned because they meshed their personalities with their cooking skills. If Rocco actually thinks he has done enough to pay his dues and can make the switch, I think he's delusional. Does anyone even know who this guy is? (Besides all those who watched this show...) |
Surealityjunkie | Monday, August 11, 2003 - 05:29 pm     Thought you guys might enjoy this article. Although I don't get to watch the show every week, I am sure to drop by here to get the latest updates and critiques! (You'll have to copy & paste... for some reason, the link isn't turning red.) http://www.realitytvhallofshame.com/cgi-bin/ae.pl?mode=1&article=article1041.art&page=1 Rocco Dispirito: Elbowing His Way Into a Hall of Shame Moment by Betsy Wasser -- 08/06/2003 Rocco Dispirito has shown viewers a lot about his personality on his show, The Restaurant. Unfortunately, a lot of what we’ve seen has not been good. The most glaring example of this occurred when waiter-turned-runner Gideon injured himself and Rocco handled the situation in such a poor manner that he has earned himself a Hall of Shame Moment |
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