Last night, at the Negro League Café (301 E 43rd St, 773-536-7000), a baseball-themed soul food spot in Bronzeville, I was a little put off when I was denied a table in the dining room and told to cop a squat in the bar area.
As I later found out through a little snooping around (i.e., getting "lost" on the way to the bathroom), a casting crew from FOX’s Kitchen Nightmares—a show in which egomaniacal asshole chef Gordon Ramsay of Hell’s Kitchen fame whips a restaurant’s staff into shape—had invaded the dining room to do test shots and tape interviews with the café’s employees.
According to one of the show’s casting assistants, the Negro League Café is just one of five Chicago restaurants that’s being considered for the next season of Kitchen Nightmares, which will begin taping episodes in spring. The assistant wouldn’t reveal the names of the other in-the-running restaurants, however Javier Haro, the owner of Haro (2436 S Oakley Ave), a tapas restaurant in the Heart of Italy neighborhood, sent an email a few weeks ago asking recipients to plead with Ramsay via email to choose Haro. "They told us that they had heard from our local media that we have had kitchen nightmares on our hands. And the reality is that we do!" Haro’s email reads. "Haro really could use the expertise of Mr. Ramsay to revamp our restaurant’s operation."
Likewise, the Negro League Café’s staff is enthusiastic about the opportunity to be featured on Kitchen Nightmares. Of the several NLC employees I spoke to, all believe the show would be good press for the restaurant. "It will help [the management] to pick a single concept," said a waiter, who self-identified as “the one white guy who works at the Negro League Café.” The restaurant, he said, is suffering an identity crisis. “Some [managers] want to emphasize the night club aspect and some want to emphasize the fine dining aspect.”
After chowing down on my plate of fried catfish and mac-and-cheese, through the wall I could hear the staff chant, “Help us Chef Ramsay.” But from where I sat—full and satisfied from solid soul cooking—it didn’t seem like they needed much help at all.
Maybe I have a soft-spot for ex-pro footballers who have no qualms about cursing out total strangers in their places of business, but I don’t think he’s an asshole.
The Lincoln Park bar/restaurant I was the chef at was in the running for Kitchen Nightmares. Turns out our business was operating on a level of illegality that the producers (and our management) couldn’t handle. Too bad though, I would have loved to work with Chef Ramsay. I am addicted to the BBC version of the show, where he is a much nicer person and the program is more food-focused.
Word is the wid game place on lincoln ave will be on kicthen nightmares