Purnima/Dillons Bar as it appeared right after Ramsay's visit.
photo: Liz Borod Wright
Last night on his new Fox show Kitchen Nightmares, Gordon Ramsay went to Purnima/Dillions Bar on 54th Street in Manhattan and found things looking...not so good. We're talking bugs in the basement, rotting meat and other unappetizing treats (you can see for yourself here). The episode was notable not only because of the gross situation at Purnima, but because of the legal troubles the makeover caused for the show. Former manager Martin Hyde, who comes across poorly in the episode, tried to sue the show earlier this year, calling it an example of "fake TV." The case was eventually thrown out of court.
To find out how the Nightmare might have changed business at the midtown eatery, the Buzz stopped by today during lunch hour and chatted with one of the restaurant's managers, Andrew Blackmore-Dobbyn. Unsurprisingly, we had the place pretty much to ourselves.
So was the scary stuff on the show real, or just the magic of the editing room? He couldn't be sure as he hadn't seen the episode yet, though he did tell us he had "no qualms showing [us the] basement" (we politely declined the offer).
Blackmore-Dobbyn credits chef Vikas Khanna, who Ramsay brought in as part of his rehabilitation, for turning the restaurant around. Part of the problem when Ramsay got there, he says, was that there simply wasn't anyone in charge of the kitchen (despite the presence of three managers). "Thank god for Vikas! He's had the personal authority to really follow through on making changes. If you had visited before Vikas showed up [and then returned now] you would say 'Oh my God, it's like a totally different thing is happening.'" And to be fair, the restaurant does appear neat and clean during today's visit.
Has the show brought in any new business since it aired last night? Not so far, but it has been less than 24 hours. There were, however, a few prank calls right after the episode aired and a number of interested parties on the phone this morning, including one call "to talk about hosting a gay bachelor party."
And has Ramsay, whose eponymous restaurant is right down the street, been back for a post-show visit? "Oh, no. We haven't seen hide or hair of Gordon since they finished taping."
– Garth Johnston