Kitchen Nighmares season finale - Chef finally walks

[fma_fanatic]

It wasn't that he hadn't seen one before, it was that it was too heavily laden with powdered sugar. Even I would have a problem with that much sugar. I also prefer the open faced version of the sandwich over the traditional.

[Kaylyn]

Ah, ok. I've never ordered one myself; the idea of the sandwich doesn't appeal to me. So I didn't know how much was too much. It just came across like he was baffled at the idea of sugar on it in general. Apologies for the minor threadjack! :P

[fireheart]

What the hell is a Monte Cristo sandwich and why does it have powdered sugar on it?!

[Kaylyn]

What the hell is a Monte Cristo sandwich and why does it have powdered sugar on it?!

Ham and turkey sandwich with swiss dipped in egg batter and deep-fried, with powdered sugar on top.

[Smapti]

As someone who used to run a restaurant, I doubt there's a money-laundering angle myself - rather, I'm seeing the Dunning-Kruger Effect in action. Basically, these two have no background in working in a restaurant, managing a restaurant, or running this kind of business in general, and don't even know enough to know what they're doing wrong. Samy's the only person working the POS because he doesn't know how to train a new cashier (believe me, I've been there); he has no experience cashiering at a competently run business, so he doesn't know how to cashier, so he can't teach someone how to do something he doesn't know how to do himself, and he's let himself become convinced (no doubt due to exposure to his psychotic wife) that it's everyone else's fault. He knows enough to know that his bank account is the only thing keeping the place afloat, but he doesn't know how to fix it because he doesn't know how to run a restaurant, and he's sure as hell not going to convince Amy that anything's wrong.

And as for Amy - it's clear she doesn't know how to run a kitchen or design a menu, and I doubt she has any formal culinary education at all. She's basically decided she wants to play chef, and her husband happens to have enough money to stroke her ego. She can't handle criticism of her "God-given" cooking talent and her confrontational mentality is COMPLETELY inappropriate for running a business and dealing with employees and the public - but again, she's shielded from the consequences of her behavior because of Samy's bankroll, so as far as she's concerned everything must be going A-OK.

They'll stay in business either until Samy gets deported/runs out of money/finds a younger blonder trophy wife who doesn't have crazy-eyes, they get shut down by Labor or the IRS (I doubt either of them even knows how to fill out a W-2, let alone a W-4, an I-9, or any of the other paperwork involved with hiring and firing 100-plus waitstaff in a year), or Amy has a full-on breakdown and gets sent to jail after pouring a pot of boiling soup over someone's head.

[eltf177]

As someone who used to run a restaurant, I doubt there's a money-laundering angle myself - rather, I'm seeing the Dunning-Kruger Effect in action.

Some excellent observations there! As for the final outcome, cast my vote for the IRS fining them out of business...

[PepperElf]

The MC's I've had in the Navy always tasted like French Toast sandwiches. I gave up trying them and started calling them "Monte Crisco".

Granted the cooks always told me "it's not french toast" but batter-fried bread is french toast to me (in both appearance and taste).



now back to the AmySamy show. It's possible they're not laundering (although their actions are similar enough to it to explain why many people think they are). But I do agree that they have zero experience and that Samy shields Amy from reality. He went as far as to actually say that on the show even (part 2).

and yes, I think they'll fold if Samy gets deported. I don't think he'll leave her - he's stayed with her for this long fully knowing her mental issues. At the same time I think they'll also get a new butthole ripped by the IRS. (which may also aid in getting Samy deported).

What I don't know is... how Amy's going to manage without him. How long ABC will remain open. And whether or not she falls prey to the temptation of all those lovely SSNs on her employee's W2 forms.

[dendawg]

Ham and turkey sandwich with swiss dipped in egg batter and deep-fried, with powdered sugar on top.

So basically, kinda like deep fried french toast with lunchmeat?

[XCashier]

I'm too afraid to watch it though I imagine it's like reading Nightlight, or whatever it was--it was a bad parody of Twilight (which I have never read). I had to keep taking breaks it was so bad.

I've read both. If you've read Twilight, you'd understand Nightlight better. Twilight is really, really bad. I had to force myself to finish it, it was that bad. Nightlight is pretty much a spot-on parody of it.

As someone who used to run a restaurant, I doubt there's a money-laundering angle myself - rather, I'm seeing the Dunning-Kruger Effect in action. {snip} They'll stay in business either until Samy gets deported/runs out of money/finds a younger blonder trophy wife who doesn't have crazy-eyes, they get shut down by Labor or the IRS (I doubt either of them even knows how to fill out a W-2, let alone a W-4, an I-9, or any of the other paperwork involved with hiring and firing 100-plus waitstaff in a year), or Amy has a full-on breakdown and gets sent to jail after pouring a pot of boiling soup over someone's head.

I think you've hit it right here. Like everyone else has said, it's a train wreck in action; you can't tear your eyes away and you're wondering just how horribly it will end.

They do need help (mental, emotional, financial, you name it), and I wish they would admit it and get it. I thought they had before, but apparently not.

[fma_fanatic]

Pretty much. It's best with black forest ham sliced thin and turkey taken off a freshly cooked breast...if you like this sort of sandwich, that is.

Dang it, now I want one.

[Pixilated]

I struggled 2/3 of the way through the first Twilight book -- and that took a few months -- before it somehow got kicked under my bed, where it sat, surrounded by increasingly large dust bunnies for a few more months ...

Eventually I fished it out and forced myself to finish it, even though by then I could barely remember what had happened in the first 2/3 of the book (but NO WAY was I going to go back and re-read it). I have had no desire whatever to read the rest of the books or see the movies.

Nightlight, on the other hand ...

As for Amy and Samy, they definitely do need various types of help, but I think in order to accept that help, they would first have to actually consider that they've been doing almost everything wrong up until now, including their horrible treatment of their staff -- and their philosophy obviously involves never saying you're sorry for or about anything, or to anyone. Even if (when) their restaurant finally flames out and crashes, they'll blame it on everybody from Ramsay to low-class customers and ungrateful staff to rampaging Martians.

[fma_fanatic]

It seems nothing has changed:

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/b....html?page=all

And just for laughs:

http://youtu.be/BfD8L1euBuk

[catcul]

It looks like a business called "Mr. Scrib's" took advantage of the problems that Amy's Baking Company is having. Click here for the link.

MOD EDIT - Image resized out of courtesy to others. Click image to enlarge

[smileyeagle1021]

I love the two security guys in the background of that picture

[PepperElf]

yeah especially since they're shooting from the street. they can ask the photographer to leave but... if they're on the street it's more a courtesy thing rather than a "you must obey" thing.