In this Kitchen Nightmares episode, Gordon Ramsay visits Le Bistro in Lighthouse Point, Florida.
Le Bistro is owned by Andy Trousdale.
He is a chef who is a British born and trained in Europe.
He met his wife and co-owner Elin whilst working as an Executive Chef in New York.
They opened the restaurant in 2001 in the hopes of being their own bosses.
Andy is very controlling in his kitchen because he believes in his talent.
Lighthouse Point is a wealthy area but the locals don’t appreciate his food.
They are in debt and losing money every month.
Gordon surprises the owners by arriving at the restaurant during a monthly cooking class.
Gordon introduces himself and he sits in the class.
Andy thinks Gordon was disruptive of the class and tells him so once it is over.
Gordon sits down with Andy's wife Elin to talk about the problems at the restaurant.
He finds out he and Andy had similar training to himself in Europe.
Elin believes the food isn't appealing to the locals and Andy remains defensive.
Elin says the locals are not enjoying the restaurant and Andy says they are too demanding.
They both say the restaurant has never worked in the 9 years they have been open.
Gordon asks Andy to show off his food by cooking his signature dishes.
The first meal is a duck rillette.
Gordon bites down on hard cartilage and bone and nearly chipped his tooth.
Andy chases the sever away when he comes with the feedback.
Next is a lamb curry roll, which Gordon finds odd and rubbery.
Gordon sees Andy afterwards to give him feedback on the food.
He tells him the food is too old fashioned as it is stuck in the 80s and it is sad.
Andy claims he wasn’t told of the problem with the duck dish.
The server is called to respond to the claim.
Gordon decided to speak to Andy alone.
He is very defensive and resistant to Gordon.
Gordon later observes the dinner service.
He notices that only one person takes orders.
Andy won’t let the waiters take the customers orders.
Customers are left waiting as only Elin takes their orders.
Andy is the only one who is allowed to cook in the kitchen.
Gordon asks the sous chef Hendrick what he does.
He says he can cook but Andy breaks up their conversation.
Andy says he should get back to work and find something to do.
Andy is argumentative and shouting orders at everyone including his wife.
An hour into the service and only a few orders have left the kitchen.
Almost immediately the food is sent back.
Andy is resistant to the customer’s feedback.
He refuses to correct the meal asking them to choose something else from the menu.
This leads to an argument with Gordon when Gordon confronts him about the issues in the service.
Gordon steps out of the kitchen to cool off.
He gets feedback from the clientele on comment cards.
He gathers the staff and reads out the main points from the comment cards.
On the cards the service is rated 4 out of 10.
Andy defends his system saying since he is the only one cooking.
Only one person taking orders slows it down enough for him to be able to keep up.
Gordon points out there are three people in the kitchen.
He shouldn’t be the only one cooking.
The food was rated 3 out of 10 on the comment cards.
Most of the customers said they wouldn’t come back to the restaurant.
Andy is still resistant and thinks Gordon wants to bully him and put him down.
Gordon asks to speak to Andy alone once again.
Gordon is considering walking out and wants Andy to admit he is open to change and he reluctantly agrees.
Gordon takes Andy and Elin on a boat trip the next day, to meet with former customers of the restaurant.
They say the biggest disappointment was the food, it wasn’t memorable.
The restaurant was dark and gloomy and they had no idea they were still in business.
Andy once again becomes defensive.
He says "are you looking for naked women dancing on the tables, what are you looking for?" to them.
They try to reassure him its not personal and the feedback is valuable for changes.
He is not comfortable hearing what they have to say.
Back at the restaurant, Gordon next focuses on the kitchen.
He asks to make a snapper dish with Hendrick, giving him something to do for the dinner service.
Andy is unconcerned and asks them to do as they like.
They make a snapper dish everyone agrees is delicious.
It is made a special for Hendrick to take pressure off Andy.
Gordon also has a second server work that evening.
Orders come in a lot faster.
Andy is delaying Hendrick making the snapper dish specials while he cooks one dish at a time.
Thirty minutes in and they are behind on orders.
An hour into the service and not one entrée has been sent out.
Gordon decided to go to a neighbouring restaurant.
He orders a tuna dish that they promise would be with him in 10 mins.
It is ready within time and delicious.
He quickly goes to tell Elin who is still waiting on food in the kitchen.
Gordon encourages Hendrick to start his dishes and the dishes get great reviews from the customers.
The original menu is not getting positive feedback and much of the food is sent back.
After service, Gordon tells Andy he is in the service industry but acts like he hates his customers.
He has to be a less of a snob and stop throwing his opportunity away.
Andy finally has a breakthrough.
Gordon’s team works through the night to transform Le Bistro.
The next morning, they all meet to see a new sign outside.
The interior space has been opened up as the booths have been removed.
The dining room has a new, fresh look with a theme of blue and a leather walled area.
Gordon cooked side by side with Andy on the new menu dishes, which they present to the delight of the staff.
Gordon has a surprise for them as he has invited several VIPs for dinner.
If they do well, they will have customers trouping in on their recommendations.
On relaunch night, the customers arrive and orders start pouring in to the kitchen.
The food leaves the kitchen in a timely manner and customers are loving the new food.
Not long into service, Andy goes quiet again.
Substandard food is about to be sent out and Gordon takes him aside for a pep talk.
Andy was not responsive but when he is back to work he is communicating more.
Hendrick is supporting him.
The rest of the relaunch goes well and customers are happy with the food.
After the service, Gordon says goodbye to the owners and staff before he leaves.
What Happened Next at Le Bistro?
Andy told the local press that he was glad to have taken part in the show for the PR assistance.
Gordon revisits on a Kitchen Nightmares revisited episode and the restaurant is busy.
Andy has changed a lot, he actually looks less tired and stressed!
Gordon asks Andy to surprise him with his lunch, and Gordon thought it was delicious.
A LOL moment is Andy's face when Gordon jokes that lunch was on the house!
Le Bistro is open and also offers private dining and delivery/takeaway.
Andy is still doing cookery classes.
The owners have expanded into providing produce to a local market.
They regularly post photos of dishes on social media.
Le Bistro Yelp reviews and Trip Advisor reviews following Gordon's visit are excellent.
Planning a visit? Check out their website for opening hours and more information.
Le Bistro aired on March 11 2010, the episode was filmed in July 2009 and is Kitchen Nightmares season 3 episode 6.
Read About More Kitchen Nightmares
Previous episode - Lido di Manhattan
Next episode - Casa Roma
Some people are proud and it is hard for them to hear what they are doing wrong. Obviously the business was in the toilet, that should have been said something but it took Ramsey to initiate change.Glad to see they are doing well. I may have to visit one day.
ReplyDeleteThis may be a case of stubbornness as a good quality. It may have taken forever for Gordon to break down the walls and get Andy to embrace change. But perhaps due to that same stubbornness, he's stuck with it, unlike a lot of owners.
ReplyDeleteIt was nice to see someone wake up, not just feign it on TV. It seemed so sudden and without the usual catastrophe to prompt it. But, of course, it's often difficult to tell with the very limited and partial picture we get.
DeleteUsually the owners/operators are lazy, and waking up requires more work. When the show's over, many revert back many/all changes to be lazy again.
This man had a clean kitchen and fridges or we'd have seen it; he was just running his business, treating employees (and his wife), and delegating authority horribly. Since his problem wasn't laziness, he didn't have that to hold him back from making the necessary changes.
Folks, what matters is that Andy's place is still open. If he were anything close to what he was, we would be seeing this place closed. Something has changed... give him that much. Whether he is in here commenting or not, being "open" seems to speak for all us consumers. Someone must like the food and service. Just my $0.02 worth.
ReplyDeleteThe man was able to turn his business around and make it a success. Isn't that the point of this show....redemption? The fact that this fella' was able to accomplish that yet unnamed individuals still spill vitriol and clamor for his failure is rather disturbing. Frankly to us viewers this was a television program, to that man and his family, that's their lively hood. Wishing that it crashes and burns....is frankly as perverse as strangers wishing the worse for you or your loved ones.
ReplyDeleteClearly the owner and couple were going through a rough time; we got a few snap shots at their lowest ebb. Yet us sitting at the other side of the screen are obliged by perceived free reign and requisite right to judge a man, his character, and his marriage, based on these few fleeting moments? Preposterous. I don’t know this man personally and conceivably nor do most that are commenting on him, his business, and his wife---even if we did I think we would be hard pressed (nor be careless enough) to judge on the complexities of their marital dichotomy based off a 40 minute television docu-drama.
Perhaps one can draw disdain for the Owners or Ramsey’s on air persona/personality but to make any further sweeping assertions surpassing the superficial based on the limited available information tantamount to lunacy.
Genuinely shocked this one is still open. I thought for sure Andy's ego would have him going back to his old menu rather than cook from someone else's recipes.
ReplyDeleteHis wife is a goddess and he is a berk but at least he turned the business around after he was hit over the head (figuratively) a number of times.
ReplyDeleteHe seemed to be a good chef. He worked at 3 star Michelin restaurants. He mainly seemed angry and frustrated with how things were going, and proud. I don't think he wanted the show t make him look like an idiot.
ReplyDeleteHonestly one of the best chef transformation from Gordon's kitchen nightmare. From angry andy to relaxed and stubborn (in a positive note: for learning and sharing knowledge)
ReplyDeleteKudos to your success! Great team andy and wife!
Godbless to your family and business!
Frankly, I think the poor man was depressed at the beginning and already blaming himself. Most men will justify themselves in that position. He's not perfect, but he's a real man for accepting - eventually - that change was needed. His wife knows him better than anyone else, and she didn't leave. I'm really glad to see the outcome and if the place is still running, good. He obviously had good hygiene in the kitchen, as well. I never saw these shows on TV, so they are all new to me. There are some places that you know are never going to make it. But this guy is a hard worker and I hope they succeed for as long as they are in business.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading some of the clueless comments from some of you closet reality show shrinks, no wonder our country is such a mess. He disrespects his customers, his wife, and his staff. That isnt being stubborn. He was a pompous bully and he needed to be brought down to size which Gordon did. He was a jerk and and a bully.
ReplyDeleteYou're lucky you are posting in 2016.... Otherwise you would've been attacked by "Andy" aka the guy writing responses several paragraphs long defending this guy on every negative post about him.
DeleteLe Bistro is still open over 7 years after filming. That in itself is enough evidence as to why Andy is not posting comments on here. He has a very successful business thank to Ramsay's help.
ReplyDeleteI have visited Le Bistro many times. Let me assure you that Andy, in person, is NOTHING LIKE the person depicted on KN. The fact is, the producers chose to use the best TV moments from an EIGHT DAY SHOOT. Having studied television production myself, I can tell you that with the right editing, Mother Teresa could be made to look like Charles Manson, and vice versa.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the restaurant is still open nearly ten years after the filming of the episode is a testament to Andy and Elin’s determination and dedication to their craft. Always experimenting with new menu items, a recently revamped decor and continued excellent food and warm ambiance make this restaurant a “must-visit” spot in south Florida.
WOW Le Bistro is still open today with 4 star on yelp?! Fantastic! Thanks to Gordon Ramsay guidance that change Andy attitude to make a fabulous success on his restaurant. Keep your excellent job and happy new year 2019!!
ReplyDeleteThis episode is a good example of editing magic. Andy seems to be a stubborn chef who won't listen to anything GR or his customers say. Suddenly (seemingly for no apparent reason) he changes 180 degrees. As a couple of people have already said, most likely he was not as stubborn or stuck in his old ways as he was made out to be. It is possible that unrelated comments were spliced together with Ramsay's criticism which made it look like Andy would not listen. I think perhaps he did not agree with some of GR's criticism. Nonetheless if he was truly the way he was at the beginning then his sudden transformation makes no sense, especially since nothing drastic happened that would explain the sudden transformation. I'm glad the restaurant is not only open, but doing very well, something that is rare with these Kitchen Nightmares businesses.
ReplyDeleteI have eaten here a few times. The first time I wasn't even aware it had been on Kitchen Nightmares. All I can say is the food was pretty good, but the service staff didn't live up to my expectations.
ReplyDeleteI[m so happy Le Bistro is still open and doing wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI dont know if people realized it that on this restaurant Gordon really didnt care much about the hygiene and stuffs. He was basically just had to make him realize that his pride isnt worth it if he is losing the restaurant.
ReplyDelete