00:00The third episode of the first season of Kitchen Nightmares followed a restaurant where the manager
00:04taking advantage of his position was more of an issue than the food coming out of the kitchen.
00:09Besides taking half of the server's tips and making bad investments in advertising,
00:14he lost his temper during filming when Gordon's special guests were left off the reservation list.
00:19I handed over the reservation list to Kim and then I'm not exactly sure what transpired since then.
00:25I've never been the one in charge of the reservation.
00:26I don't think that it's right to put blame on any one person.
00:30When he couldn't pass the buck, he lost it on the owner in the middle of dinner service.
00:34I wasn't told.
00:35Excuse me, do not talk to me like that.
00:37I was told 7 o'clock this morning.
00:39That's it.
00:39Seriously, I'm pissed off.
00:41Dragons on the paper.
00:42I'm pissed off.
00:44Not my fault.
00:45Dragons right over here.
00:46I put them on at 7 o'clock.
00:47Can we please move on?
00:49That's it.
00:50Embarrassing.
00:50Gordon steps in and sends him outside to cool off while he discusses options with the owners.
00:55Can you f*** off outside now?
00:57If I would go home right now, life goes on.
00:59I'd get another job.
01:00But my life would be different.
01:02You've got one problem here.
01:04If the restaurant dies, it'll be like a death in the family.
01:07It turns around.
01:08F***.
01:08Located at 2601 Merrick Road in Bellamore, New York, The Mixing Bowl was owned and operated
01:17by married couple Billy and Lisa.
01:19Billy is the chef and Lisa works in the dining room.
01:21After 10 years in the business, Lisa's passion has dwindled along with the customers.
01:26If it was up to Billy's wife, the restaurant would be closed next week.
01:29My hope is really gone for this place.
01:31I can't sacrifice myself and our children for the mixing bowl anymore.
01:36I would have shut the doors a year ago.
01:38They have a front of house manager known as...
01:40Everyone just knows he has mixing bowl Mike.
01:42According to staff, like Billy's sister Lynn, Mike acts more like a figurehead than a manager.
01:47He is the manager.
01:48You get five times more pay than the servers.
01:50What the hell is your problem?
01:52Shut up.
01:52People come in here and they think I'm the owner.
01:55They call me like the mayor of Bellamore.
01:57Gordon's first impression of the business...
01:59I'm nervous because this looks dreadful.
02:01His first impressions of the restaurant aren't great.
02:03And while trying the award-winning crab cakes, he spots a roach.
02:07May I ask what you think of the crab cakes?
02:09May I ask you not to stare at me?
02:10Absolutely.
02:10Makes me feel really uncomfortable.
02:12No problem.
02:12You know, I've got this cockroach on your back.
02:13You're trying to shake off.
02:14I'd like to just sit and enjoy my lunch.
02:16Now, back to the crab cakes.
02:17Award-winning, maybe not.
02:19In terms of freshness, yeah.
02:20I wouldn't expect to find something so fresh in such a dreary, dreadful dining room.
02:24The next dish he tried was zucchini pancakes.
02:27Stodgy, bland, and just pretty thick.
02:29It's like having a mouthful of glue.
02:31And the salmon?
02:32Oh my god, what's that on top?
02:33Tomato bits of balsamic sauce.
02:34Gordon asks Mike which item has garlic because he can smell it.
02:38Mike says...
02:38There's shallots.
02:39No garlic in any of the ingredients.
02:41On the beans?
02:41Looks like there's garlic on there.
02:43That looks like garlic.
02:44Why don't you just check with him?
02:45Turns out, mixing bowl Mike might not be as familiar with the dishes he serves as he would
02:49like to portray.
02:50You cook them in garlic?
02:51Yeah.
02:52Is there any shallots in there at all?
02:53No shallots.
02:54In the meantime, Gordon shares his thoughts on the dish.
02:57Salmon was very bland.
02:58And the sauce just heavy, soggy, and vinegary.
03:00Garlic everywhere.
03:01No one wants to come out to lunch and stink of garlic.
03:04That's for sure.
03:04It's time for the confrontation.
03:06The crab cakes were good.
03:07Thanks.
03:08Yes.
03:08That was the high point.
03:09Everything else, unfortunately for me, just bland.
03:12Look.
03:12Pancakes were soggy and fish was dry.
03:15The salmon just, it just looked old-fashioned.
03:17Either he's crazy or every customer that comes in here is lying to me.
03:21Gordon concludes his review of their current state.
03:24It's very average, very dreary, and it's very sad.
03:27End of story.
03:27Gordon returns later in the evening to observe dinner service, and he discovers why it's
03:32been impossible for the business to turn a profit, let alone cover costs.
03:3650% off my check.
03:37We hand somebody a check.
03:38You put this 50% off coupon in it.
03:4015.
03:4150.
03:41No, no.
03:4250.
03:43In here?
03:44Yeah.
03:4450% off.
03:45Holy smoke.
03:46So we give him more money away before we get money in the till.
03:49He asks Billy if he's aware of this practice, and he seems to have been allowing it for far
03:54too long.
03:54How long have you been doing it?
03:55Eight years.
03:56Eight years.
03:57Eight years.
03:58Gordon wants to make sure there aren't any other money pits on the property.
04:02Unfortunately.
04:03There is more.
04:04I have about 10 signs that I had made up.
04:06Go and get them.
04:07Mike makes his way through the kitchen and dining room to Gordon, who's waiting outside.
04:11Holy mackerel.
04:12I have a place.
04:13They make them up for me.
04:14It was expensive.
04:15I tried everything.
04:16Clearly.
04:16Which sign was the most successful?
04:19None.
04:19None.
04:20But wait.
04:21There's more.
04:22It would have still been up, but there was a bad windstorm a few months ago, and it ripped
04:26it down.
04:26Thank f*** for that.
04:28Yeah, he's, uh, he's out there, that one.
04:30Gordon orders a shredder for the signs, very symbolic of the money wasted on the advertisements.
04:35You're mad, man.
04:36Yeah, I am f***ing mad.
04:37Working with guys like you makes me f***ing mad.
04:39Something else Gordon's team highlights are the other 40 food establishments in the area,
04:45compared to the four when they first opened 10 years ago.
04:48They seemed unaware of their competition, but Gordon has an idea on how they can stand out.
04:52Healthy is something that's not even listed anywhere near here.
04:55We are going to build the best damn restaurant that ever existed, or at least in a 25 mile radius.
05:01Gordon's losing his patience with mixing bowl Mike.
05:04Don't point, don't point to customers.
05:06All he does is stand and talk and lean and pray.
05:08What the f*** is he doing?
05:09Turns out, Mike is awful with money.
05:11Every time you work with him, he takes half of your tip.
05:14I get very large tips, 20, 25%.
05:17Do you think you would have those tips if I wasn't here?
05:19When people come in here, everybody knows me.
05:22Billy has been allowing Mike to take control for far too long.
05:25Billy, you are too weak.
05:26Gordon has Mike and Lisa try a new way of advertising their business,
05:30by handing out flyers at the local salons, spas, and gyms.
05:34Yes, Gordon.
05:35Gordon offers a free meal to the local football players
05:38for word of mouth advertising of the new healthy menu items.
05:42Gordon has reached out to the New York Dragons Arena football team
05:46to create some buzz in the community.
05:48The show supplied a new menu for Billy to follow
05:50that included a lot of light and fresh dishes.
05:53Luckily, Billy's kitchen wasn't a biohazard,
05:55so the transition seemed to work nicely.
05:57All the new dishes, they looked beautiful.
06:00The renovations only included the dining area,
06:03so they didn't change the exterior of the business or the kitchen.
06:06The dining room consisted of green and brown furnishings
06:09and white paper tablecloths.
06:11The design team went to work, changing the chairs,
06:14adding pillows to the booths,
06:15setting the tables with white linen tablecloths and napkins,
06:19white drapes over the windows,
06:21and added candles and flowers to create a welcoming environment.
06:25It was an emotional moment.
06:27Gordon's final suggestion for the business.
06:29You've got to make that transition from a chef to a restaurateur.
06:33The show shared an update at the end of the episode two months after filming.
06:36The changes I've seen in our relationship is amazing.
06:40So for that, Gordon, I thank you.
06:42That means so much to me.
06:45One year later, the show returned for another update.
06:47When I left, things were much better.
06:49I hope they're still like that.
06:50Business has improved three, four times what it was.
06:54It's been unbelievable.
06:54We made top 20 best restaurants in Long Island for 2007.
06:57Really? That's great news.
06:58People drive by like, wow, Gordon Ramsay, you know?
07:01Remember the last time we were out here, you were showing me all your signs?
07:03I tried everything.
07:04The customers, they're the ones that are spreading the word,
07:07so we don't need any gimmicks anymore.
07:08Mike is completely different now.
07:10No one's yelling.
07:11It's very nice.
07:12Thankfully, everything's going great.
07:14Everything seemed to be falling into place perfectly.
07:16I mean, you've transformed.
07:18I mean, you've just, you've got this glow on you.
07:20I don't know whether or not you've got it.
07:21Yeah.
07:21I mean...
07:22They talk now.
07:22Yeah.
07:23Right.
07:23No, it's true.
07:24It's true.
07:26Everybody.
07:27Everyone.
07:27It's true, though.
07:29They even had Gordon's official approval.
07:31That is for you.
07:33The mixing bowl is awarded Gordon Ramsay's seal of approval
07:35for excellence in consistency, quality, and overall customer satisfaction.
07:40One year later, the restaurant closed in January 2009.
07:43According to Rumors Online, the restaurant was closed before the show began filming,
07:47and Mike had been fired prior to the closing.
07:50It could be possible that they sent in an audition tape before letting Mike go and calling it quits,
07:55but decided to give it another try when the show contacted them.
07:58Unfortunately, it didn't work out for the owners, Billy and Lisa, long term.
08:02Billy worked in food distribution, but it doesn't seem to be something he's still doing.
08:05According to their social media, the couple may not be together as of 2025,
08:09although it looks like they enjoyed the 2024 holidays together,
08:13as we see in this video, Billy putting his cooking skills to work with some helpers in the Galetti kitchen.
08:18You might be surprised to find out that Mike seems to be thriving as a chef in Plainsview, New York.
08:37As of 2025, he's working at the Jackson Hall American Bar and Grill.
08:41After his own experience with cancer,
08:43he now holds fundraisers and events for male breast cancer awareness
08:47and is on the board of directors for the Male Breast Cancer Global Alliance.
08:51He also found himself a lady and married her.
08:54The location where the mixing bowl once occupied has changed names and ownership since 2009.
08:59As of 2025, the restaurant is called Anthony's Kitchen and Cocktails,
09:03serving up a fresh creative menu in a stylish atmosphere.
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