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Anybody else following the Ramsey flap in Arizona?

PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 8:30 am
by Jenise
Sounds like he finally met the ultimate in delusional restaurant owners.

http://eater.com/archives/2013/05/15/crazy-kitchen-nightmares-restaurant-claims-they-were-hacked.php

Re: Anybody else following the Ramsey flap in Arizona?

PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 8:50 am
by Mike Filigenzi
I guess that's one way to get attention for yourself.

Did you watch the episode?

Re: Anybody else following the Ramsey flap in Arizona?

PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 11:25 am
by Peter May
I saw the previous post on Eater.com after following your link in the YELP thread.

Not seen the programme on TV as its the US series - and was it aired as Ramsay walked out on them so it would have been a short programme?

The clips at Eater.com showed the owners in meltdown, swearing and customers* and the posts on their Facebook page seem in line with their attitude captured on film.

*http://eater.com/archives/2013/05/13/gordon-ramsay-kitchen-nightmares-amys-baking-company.php

Re: Anybody else following the Ramsey flap in Arizona?

PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 11:27 am
by Mark Lipton
Here it is for firsthand exposure to their batshit craziness:

Youtube

More Youtube

Mark Lipton

Re: Anybody else following the Ramsey flap in Arizona?

PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 11:37 am
by Peter May
Thanks Mark - I am looking at it now...

Re: Anybody else following the Ramsey flap in Arizona?

PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 11:49 am
by Jon Peterson
Not quite on topic but L and I went to a Ramsey restaurant in London last month. We were disappointed. The food was well presented but tasted only fair to good; far from the great flavors we expected. Additionally, and just as importantly, the service was less than expected. I.E.: While the server could have walked around our table, instead, plates and arms were passed inches from our noses with nary a "Pardon my reach." As a result, the value of the experience was quite poor. "All show and no go." as my Dad would have said.

Re: Anybody else following the Ramsey flap in Arizona?

PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 12:37 pm
by Robin Garr
Very similar local event in Louisville. Well, "local" as out in 'winger's neighborhood. :lol:

http://forums.louisvillehotbytes.com/vi ... =1&t=20819

Re: Anybody else following the Ramsey flap in Arizona?

PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 12:58 pm
by Bill Spohn
Several of the previous shows featured bone stupid owners I'd have walked away from as being beyond hope. Nice even Gordo finally found one to give up on, what a pair of self deluding losers! Last woman I saw that approached that rabid bimbo was a buddies divorce client that had shredded hubby's clothes and killed his cat!

Re: Anybody else following the Ramsey flap in Arizona?

PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 1:04 pm
by Jenise
Mark Lipton wrote:Here it is for firsthand exposure to their batshit craziness:

Youtube

More Youtube

Mark Lipton


I clicked on your clip, thanks for finding that. I don't have time to watch it now but did listen to the first two minutes. Was surprised to find out she's American--the heavy make-up. the obvious age difference and the things I saw in print made me think auto-expect someone Eastern European perhaps, foreign to typical American hospitality/culture, that is.

Love that they're playing the "hacked" card. Yeah, right. SURE.

Re: Anybody else following the Ramsey flap in Arizona?

PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 2:00 pm
by Hoke
Hey, who wouldn't be appalled and fascinated by this amazing train wreck of what Mark correctly calls "batshit craziness"?

It is amazing, truly amazing, how many utterly delusional people there are, willing to put themselves before a camera (and we know how unforgiving those demonic little devices are), convinced in their righteousness but revealing all their fears and insecurities and hatreds.

Mind you, it doesn't make me admire Ramsay one whit more (he is a self righteous son of a bitch in the smarmiest way possible, isn't he). As in, not at all. He's as grating and phony and arrogant here as always, with his only redeeming characteristic is his avowed mania for freshness and honesty and intensity in flavor (although that's not necessarily evident in his own franchised restaurants, so hypocrisy to thine own self be true?).

Thing is...haven't we all known bosses like that? And co-workers? And yes, more than once, with distressing frequency in fact, restaurant owners? (Those of us ITB know too well the ugliness behind the scenes, often restaurants that have good business reps, always at restaurants that don't.)

Re: Anybody else following the Ramsey flap in Arizona?

PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 2:11 pm
by Redwinger
Robin Garr wrote:Very similar local event in Louisville. Well, "local" as out in 'winger's neighborhood. :lol:

http://forums.louisvillehotbytes.com/vi ... =1&t=20819


Coincidentally, I've heard a number of folks in these parts refer to that woman as bat shit crazy...I'm on her restaurant's FB feed and find it hard to argue with that assesment

NJ's has a hairdresser appointment on Tuesday. The hairdresser is located right next door to this restaurant, so I'll ask her to get the low down on all this.

Hey, everyone knows that barbers and hairdressers know all the local gossip.

Re: Anybody else following the Ramsey flap in Arizona?

PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 2:23 pm
by Mark Lipton
Redwinger wrote:
Robin Garr wrote:Very similar local event in Louisville. Well, "local" as out in 'winger's neighborhood. :lol:

http://forums.louisvillehotbytes.com/vi ... =1&t=20819


Coincidentally, I've heard a number of folks in these parts refer to that woman as bat shit crazy...I'm on her restaurant's FB feed and find it hard to argue with that assesment

NJ's has a hairdresser appointment on Tuesday. The hairdresser is located right next door to this restaurant, so I'll ask her to get the low down on all this.

Hey, everyone knows that barbers and hairdressers know all the local gossip.


Durn, 'Winger, I had no idea your little corner of paradise was so... interesting.

Cheers from the placid Northland,
Mark Lipton

Re: Anybody else following the Ramsey flap in Arizona?

PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 2:53 pm
by Frank Deis
Funny, I never watch that show -- but I happened across the beginning of the Amy's Baking Company episode and got kind of hypnotized by this woman's craziness. I just watched the rest of the episode on YouTube.

It's interesting how often people like her think God is directly taking an interest in everything they do. I hope she's wrong about that or I think maybe He is as crazy as she is...

Re: Anybody else following the Ramsey flap in Arizona?

PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 3:51 pm
by Karen/NoCA
That couple should never be around other humans. I wonder if they have any friends. How have they stayed in business this long?

Re: Anybody else following the Ramsey flap in Arizona?

PostPosted: Fri May 17, 2013 8:53 am
by Mike Filigenzi
We watched the whole thing last night. At first, my wife thought some of the stuff had to have been staged, particularly the confrontation with one of the customers the night before Ramsey arrived. She was thinking that there's no way people like that could stay in business for any length of time. I ended up checking them out on Yelp and you can indeed find a review that Amy mentions on the show that was back in 2010. You can also read several other bad reviews and the comments she and Samy posted back in response to them. It all fits in with their behavior on the show.

The Yelp site mentioned that they are "temporarily closed". With any luck, they've sold the place and it will re-open under new owners. I just hope Amy doesn't decide to start working as a veterinarian, what with her ability to "speak cat" and all.

Re: Anybody else following the Ramsey flap in Arizona?

PostPosted: Fri May 17, 2013 9:58 am
by Howie Hart
Incredible. I just watched the whole thing.

Re: Anybody else following the Ramsey flap in Arizona?

PostPosted: Fri May 17, 2013 10:42 am
by Dale Williams
Mark Lipton wrote:Durn, 'Winger, I had no idea your little corner of paradise was so... interesting.

You mean they don't have coup de Tats in W. Lafayette?

The couple in Arizona are amazing.

It amazes me how some business people use social media. There's a thread on another board about Hedges winery in WA (I've had one of their CSM, thought it was ok). A guy named Dan Hammer posted a negative note on a Hedges wine on CT (and tweeted it to his 100 or so followers). Hedges tweeted back they were sorry he didn't like it, and would like to send him another bottle. Hammer was surprised and pleased. Except then out of the blue Christophe Hedges posts a snide "open letter" on their Facebook page putting down Hammer. Not only does he come across as arrogant and patronizing, but he admits his employee offered a replacement bottle, but says they will not send it.

Now, I had a moderately favorable opinion of Hedges before. Even if I had known Dan Hammer posted a negative note, wouldn't have affected my view at all- his palate and mine are FAR apart. I wsn't searching for Hedges, but it was in category "I might order in a restaurant, or if I got a good deal offered." But now it's in the category "sorry, I'd just as soon spend my money on a wine that's not owned by a dickwad."

Re: Anybody else following the Ramsey flap in Arizona?

PostPosted: Fri May 17, 2013 11:29 am
by Frank Deis

Re: Anybody else following the Ramsey flap in Arizona?

PostPosted: Sat May 18, 2013 1:18 am
by Mike Filigenzi


That Venn diagram is great - and there are others besides Amy and Samy who'd fit right in with it.

I wonder if they're going for a reality TV show of their own?

Re: Anybody else following the Ramsey flap in Arizona?

PostPosted: Sat May 18, 2013 1:18 pm
by Jo Ann Henderson
Mark Lipton wrote:Here it is for firsthand exposure to their batshit craziness:

Youtube

More Youtube

Mark Lipton

:shock:

Re: Anybody else following the Ramsey flap in Arizona?

PostPosted: Sat May 18, 2013 2:51 pm
by Jenise
Dale Williams wrote:Now, I had a moderately favorable opinion of Hedges before. Even if I had known Dan Hammer posted a negative note, wouldn't have affected my view at all- his palate and mine are FAR apart. I wsn't searching for Hedges, but it was in category "I might order in a restaurant, or if I got a good deal offered." But now it's in the category "sorry, I'd just as soon spend my money on a wine that's not owned by a dickwad."


Agreed. Living here, this is good to know, thanks.

Re: Anybody else following the Ramsey flap in Arizona?

PostPosted: Sat May 18, 2013 2:52 pm
by Jenise
Robin Garr wrote:Very similar local event in Louisville. Well, "local" as out in 'winger's neighborhood. :lol:

http://forums.louisvillehotbytes.com/vi ... =1&t=20819


"The requested topic does not exist." Que pasa?

Re: Anybody else following the Ramsey flap in Arizona?

PostPosted: Sun May 19, 2013 9:58 am
by Brian Gilp
Mark Lipton wrote:Here it is for firsthand exposure to their batshit craziness:

I was reading about this somewhere else and some where speculating that she really has a psychological condition such borderline personality disorder.

Re: Anybody else following the Ramsey flap in Arizona?

PostPosted: Sun May 19, 2013 10:07 am
by Bill Spohn
And I know which side of that border she inhabits!