Phil Amicone, the new mayor of Tuckahoe?
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- October
- 18
At least, that’s what you’d think after seeing last night’s episode of “Kitchen Nightmares.” I’ll explain …
The show centered on Tuckahoe’s Olde Stone Mill—an establishment on the verge of collapse because of few patrons and abysmal promotion—and Gordon Ramsay’s attempt to save the spot by reinventing it as a steakhouse. The village featured prominently in the show’s opening setup, and throughout the episode you see Ramsay scouting out the competition, visiting a local butcher, and riding around town on his motorcycle. When he finally convinces Dean Marrazzo—the Mill’s temperamental, hotheaded owner—to reopen with a new steak-based menu, a slew of patrons show up for the grand reopening. Among those diners is Yonkers mayor Phil Amicone.
Only, the Yonkers part is conveniently left out. Amicone is referred to repeatedly as “the mayor.” When he sits down, Ramsay talks to the camera about how important it is for “the mayor” to have a great dining experience. The GM fumbles his presentation of meats to “the mayor.” Thanks to the dozens of references to Tuckahoe throughout the first half hour, Amicone thus comes off as the mayor of Tuckahoe.
What’s more, the editors repeatedly cut back to “the mayor”—the designated VIP of the night—to ratchet up the tension. Ramsay ducks outside to speak the camera: “The mayor still hasn’t been served. This is not good.” Marrazzo yells at the chef that the mayor has been waiting 45 minutes. Ramsay points out at the one-hour mark that the mayor still hasn’t been served. Finally, at long last, the mayor gets his steak. “It’s good,” he says. The mayor is happy.
The only slight hiccup in the narrative comes in the wrap-up at the end, when we see a shot of Amicone presenting Marrazzo with what he calls “the key to the city of Yonkers.” Oops.
Still, all in all, great show. And whether he’s the mayor of Yonkers, Tuckahoe, or Uktamuka, Amicone gets props for supporting the local restaurant scene.
(Olde Stone Mill: Stephen Schmitt/The Journal New; Amicone: Angela Gaul / The Journal News; Ramsay and Amicone with plaque: Eric Leibowitz/FOX)
This entry was posted
on Thursday, October 18th, 2007 at 11:51 am by Ted Mann.
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Ted-
I am a big fan of Gordon Ramsay and love that he came here to NY's Backyard to do his show. It looked like it was taped last year since it was cold and there were no leaves on the trees. I only wish I had known, I would have been one of the patrons that night. One thing that was missing from this show was the "update." At the end of the show, they usually tell you how the restaurant is doing a few months after the Gordon Ramsay makover…..no mention in this show. We'll have to get Liz Johnson to go over there and scope it out.
Yeah, I thought that was weird, too. My colleague, Karen, tells me its fantastic.
So glad that you're reading the blog, Jimmy. Your profile in InTown Westchester should be coming out any day now.