- This week Gordon is at a god-awful Italian restaurant in Derby. La Gondola is stuck in a time-warp with naff Seventies cuisine, bad net curtains and no customers. New owner Daniela bought the place because she got married there back in the day but her sentimentality has blinded her to the fact that she's bagged a white elephant. Gordon's biggest problem is head chef Steve, one of the worst he's ever met, and one who'd rather open a tin of tuna or a packet of soup than create a proper meal. Can Gordon get the kitchen cooking again and save La Gondola from sinking?—Anonymous
- Welcome to La Gondola in Darby. The new owner Daniella has invested £ 500 000,- in a sinking ship...
When the Gondola opened in 1968 its italian owners brought the glamour of Venice to Darby. It was thé place to be seen, the new owner Daniela celebrated her 21st birthday and even her wedding at the Gondola. It's a 125 seater restaurant with a 21 bedroom hotel attached..
Automatically Gordon feels like he is in a time-warp. Today 4 are booked for dinner and Gordon really questiones why Daniella bought it. She explaines that she always loved the place and although she did not have any experience running a restaurant she felt that she could make a differance; Her mother died and after her divorce she needed something to keep her going and had always dreamed of the place.
When checking the menu, the usual mistakes become appearent early, a menu of over a 100 dishes that are as outdated as the place.. The portions are huge; a pasta bowl as a starter that could feed two, at a price of £6, 50. The Salmon dish is no different. Quantity not quality ; an obvious 1970's mistake is painfully pointed out by Gordon...
Head chef Steve Straughn started at La Gondola in 1975 (surprise surprise..). Gordon points out to the camera that in places like this very often the staff has become lazy and has started cutting corners, he just wonders how many corners are cut in this place ..
Lunch that day is a 70 year old birthday with 25 covers, this gives Gordon a good insight to how the kitchen and specifically head chef Steve works and manages his staff..10 minutes into service the kitchen is already in trouble, they have run out of fresh tuna steaks. Steve replies to this problem with the words: "plan B" , not surprisingly no one of the staff however knows what this means. Tuna in a tin is what plan B means... Tinned tuna banged onto limb lettuce is a disgrace that even Gordon's granny would be ashamed of serving he says.
It's a shamble, La Gondola wants to be a high-class restaurant but instead they are sending out re-heated catering rubbish. Daniella has lost £75 000,- so far and unless something happens she will be left with just memories and debts. The only person in the kitchen that has any interest or drive is 17 year old apprentice Danny Holden and Gordon gives him some needed support by telling him that he's doing a good job. When inspecting Steve's store cupboard Gordon only finds powdered soups and plastic sauces. It is appearent that Daniella is completely unaware of what is going on in her own kitchen. Gordon gets fedd upp with everybody putting blame on each other and nobody that is taking responsibillity, he therefore decides to teach them the basics by showing them how to make fresh pasta and stuffed tortellini..
However La Gondola's problems are not just in the kitchen, Gordon calls in the help of the boss of the company that does all the PR for Gordon's restaurants; Joe Barns. She and Gordon have an interesting confrontation with marketing and event manager Stella who appearently is not thruthfull with herself about the state and reputation of the place.
The business community is invited to lunch, but once again the absolute lack of organization has dropped the kitchen inn it. Steve is asked to prepare a dish for Gordon made from fresh ingredients and the "rustic" trout that he makes isn't even scaled so Gordon is shocked or "gobbsmacked" as he puts it. A 51 year old chef that produces such a pile of garbage is a shocker that Gordon hadn't expected to be so big. His staff however is no better... a chicken that still is raw in the centre sends Gordon through the roof with anger. A new menu that should be idiot proof is devised... Danny has been put on vegetables and does an excellent job. Now the restaurant has to be refurbished.. a thing from the past to hang on to has been discovered though... Martin the waiter has been asked to flambé tableside and shows his talent.
The day of the relaunch, the dancefloor is back in use and a band has been booked for this night. Steve has asked Gordon to run the hotplate which is not a good omen. All the customers seem happy and the evening has been a success.. Gordon even dances in front of everyone which normally he really hates.. £ 2000,- for this evening is more than they normally do in more then a week. Steve however is still Gordon's biggest concern and when he returns a couple of months later Steve is not there anymore but the place is doing well ..
Enjoy!
-KJG
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