I’ve discovered a new reality show to like. It’s called Last Restaurant Standing and it’s been airing on BBC America in the US on Tuesday nights for the past couple of weeks. You can find a review here.
The premise of the show is that nine pairs of people have been given the chance by Raymond Blanc, a prominent British restauranteur, to set up their own restaurants. One person takes reservations, hires waitstaff, and generally runs the front of the house; the other person is the chef. They do get assistant chefs. The couples doing this range from a cook in the Royal Marines and his wife to a mother and son team. Not only are the teams expected to provide good food, they’re also expected to make a profit. Each week, Mr. Blanc sends people from his staff to check out the food and service at the restaurants. The three couples who’ve done the worst are given a challenge. Whoever does worst at the challenge is out. The winner gets a restaurant backed by Mr. Blanc.
So far, the gentleman and I’ve enjoyed it. Now, keep in mind, neither of us are all that good at cooking, and we’re both a bit anti-social. The people on the show may be pursuing their dreams, but it’s our nightmare. On the other hand, it’s interesting seeing what’s involved in doing all this and I’ve only seen one team which didn’t seem likable. There’s a jazz drummer and his actress wife who seem like very nice people but don’t have a clue about running a restaurant. As for the mother and son team, I’d bet that it was the son’s idea to show off his mother’s cooking.
Is anyone else watching this? If anyone is, do we want to do a weekly thread, or should we just keep reviving this one?