Mill Street Bistro - Kitchen Nightmares Update - Open or Closed?

Mill Street Bistro Kitchen Nightmares

In this Kitchen Nightmares episode, Gordon Ramsay visits Mill Street Bistro in Norwalk, Ohio.

Mill Street Bistro was opened by Joe Nagy after he lost his job in food sales.

Joe bought a livestock ranch and then later opened the bistro as he thought it would complement the ranch.

He imagines that his place is a fine dining restaurant but according to his staff he is delusional.

He claims the food is fresh and made form scratch but he cuts corners.

Chef Tom reveals that it is actually frozen and freezer to table.

Servers Rebecca and Amy aren't happy about the way he treats them or the food they are serving.

He is rude to his staff and customers have made complaints against him.

Joe seems oblivious to his part in the problems they have at the restaurant.

He believes he is a kitchen nightmare as he has no customers in the restaurant.

Gordon meets Joe at his ranch, where he shows him all his livestock including his pet goat, Skinny.

He starts spinning his tales to Gordon saying he is a trained chef and was trained by European experts.

Skinny the goat tries to charge at Gordon.

Gordon leaves the ranch and visits the restaurant.

He sees a fake fire on in the reception.

Gordon isn't impressed with the staff name badges and asks Amy to take hers off.as the restaurant is not a chain.

She tells him Joe is the problem and he victimises customers if they have any complaints about anything.

They refer to their specials as features, which puzzles Gordon.

Gordon orders from the menu and is shocked the steak dishes are so expensive.

Gordon orders the elk feature, the fish trio, scallops en croute, vegetarian ravioli primavera, onion soup, oyster rockefeller and the elk quesadilla.

Gordon talks to server Bill and finds out there is no marketing and he would rate the food a five.

He says that Joe is arrogant and thinks the restaurant is too good for the locals.

Gordon gets all the staff to introduce themselves and drop their name tags.

First to arrive is the French Onion soup they say Joe made himself.

It is greasy, watery, has too few onions and the cheese is not melted.

Next is Oysters Rockerfeller and the oysters are bitter, which means they are frozen.

Joe goes out to meet Gordon after hearing feedback and offers to make a new Onion soup but Gordon said he wants to move forward.

Gordon also gives him some feedback on the oysters and sends it back with him.

Next the chocolate cake arrives in a big tray with flowers.

Gordon has him and the staff play like it is hearse in a funeral procession sending it back to the kitchen.

The Scallops en Croute arrives and there are micro carrots on the plate.

Joe explains he gets them from a local farm.

The rest of the meal he finds disgusting as the pastry is raw and the scallops are as tough as rubber.

Th Elk Quesadilla is chewy and tough and Gordon says that Elk should not be in a Quesadilla.

The vegetarian ravioli is ice cold and he sends it back to Joe who is not happy.

The Catch of the Day is three fried fish that are dry, rubbery and greasy and they taste frozen.

The Elk feature arrives with some decorative flowers but it is tough to eat.

Joe tastes it and he has no problem with it and sends a message back to Gordon disputing all he has said about the dishes.

Gordon describes the food as farm to garbage can and is shocked to hear the elk feature costs $35.

He leaves to eat at another place as he is hungry and has barely eaten anything.

Gordon returns for dinner service and to give his opinion of the food, he wasn't impressed and did not take more than 2 bites of anything.

Joe reveals that the fresh catch of the day is actually frozen, is defensive of his food and Gordon tells him he is in denial.

Joe then claims he is not a chef after claiming he was.

Gordon calls him out as pretentious, and says that his ideas are sinking the restaurant.

He says that he is shortchanging people charging them high prices for poor quality meals.

Joe is insulting saying he is the same with Gordon and they get abusive towards each other.

Gordon leaves and Joe talks to his staff.

He is complaining loudly and customers that are wating to be seated hear everything.

Gordon comes back to observe the dinner service and he sees a big ‘Quiet’ sign.

Joe tells Gordon there is no talking in the kitchen.

The food leaves the kitchen at a reasonable pace without Joe telling them where it is going and many dishes are returned.

A diner finds a stone in her ravioli and Joe tells Gordon he is over critical.

Gordon has reached out to a former employee, who he meets in the middle of dinner service.

Teresa says she was hired as a prep cook but ended up doing that along with extra tasks.

She was doing dishes, cleaning, making prep lists and being Joe’s scape goat for his frustrations.

She quit a month ago after being constantly criticised.

Teresa also shared pictures of the steaks, vegetables, bloody meat that look old but had been stored and served by the restaurant.

Gordon goes to the storage room to see meats without dates, half frozen and half thawed.

There is frozen blue cheese, frozen vegetables, frozen oysters and frozen shrimp.

Gordon witnesses Joe put raw onions in a French onion soup about to be sent out.

Meanwhile his chef knows not to put raw onions in a soup of caramelised onions and has tried to tell him.

Gordon and Joe descend into a massive yelling match and Joe throws Gordon out the kitchen


Mill Street Bistro Part 2

After some time beating him over the head with the things that are not working Joe accepts he has lost sight and asks for help.

The next day, Gordon talks to the staff in a staff meeting and they say all they have been too afraid to say to Joe.

Joe is secretly watching the meeting on a monitor in another room.

They say he is the problem of the business and he is demeaning to staff in front of customers.

They say he has a temper, he has a low standard for the food, customers run when they see Joe is around.

They think Joe is not complementary of staff and he stresses them out during the service.

Gordon reveals that Joe has been listening in to the meeting from another room.

The staff are scared finding out Joe has been listening in and are worried how he will react to their criticism.

When he comes in, he is apologetic and says he has been tough but he will work on softening.

Gordon brings in some fresh ingredients he bought for $89 to highlight his prices are an issue.

With these customers can make 5 days-worth of tasty homemade dinners.

Gordon then talks Joe into adding cheaper dishes including burgers to the menu.

Joe says the staff did not want a $10 burger, which the staff say isn’t true/

Gordon proceeds to make a burger and a fish dish made with a local fresh fish.

The staff love try the dishes and love the taste of them.

For the dinner service the new specials are added and the ‘Quiet’ sign is removed so the staff communicate with each other.

Joe has problems remembering the order of the ingredients in the burger.

Entrees are ready before appetisers because of Joe’s error and when Gordon talks to him, he is unresponsive.

Fish dishes have been made with no tickets so the severs do not know where they are going.

It is clear that Joe doesn’t communicate well and Gordon has to shout at Joe to get him to give instructions.

The dinner service starts well but then the wait time increases to an hour as Joe struggles to make the burgers.

Gordon encourages Joe to bounce back but instead they break out into another heated argument.

Gordon sends him out of the kitchen so he and Tom can finish the dinner service without him.

Joe talks bad about Gordon to his customers in the dining room.

Sitting down with Gordon afterwards Joe blames his staff.

Gordon tells him he should not be in the kitchen anymore if he wants the restaurant to succeed.

Gordon stays late to prepare a new menu for the Bistro.

In the morning, he unveils it to the staff when they come in.

There isn’t a remodel as in other previous episodes as the restaurant doesn’t need it.

The staff love the new menu and especially the taste of the dishes that they try.

Joe accepts what Gordon has said and that he should not be in the kitchen.

Gordon introduces Chef Brian Goodman who will help set up the kitchen and help them interview a new chef.

Gordon spends some time with the community donating to the cancer society in the restaurant’s name at a charity walk.

He also invites the community to the relaunch.

For the relaunch Joe is front of house supporting staff.

The kitchen staff are amazed at how efficient Brian is in the kitchen.

Great food goes out on time and the customers are delighted with the dishes.

Joe is helping servers with waters and wines.

Joe tries to be helpful in serving food but takes it to the wrong table.

Replacement dishes have to be made and a complementary dish is given for the confusion.

The relaunch night ends well and everyone is happy at how it went.



What Happened Next at Mill Street Bistro?

In the months that followed, the menu at Mill Street Bisto in Ohio had been changed but some of Gordon's changes were kept.

Mill Street Bistro staff were fired including servers Jen, Kayleigh and Rebecca are gone as well as Chef Tommy.

Joe is back in the kitchen as Head Chef.

In December 2013, Joe Nagy renamed and redecorated the restaurant.

Mill Street Bistro in Ohio was relaunched as Maple City Tavern, a family friendly restaurant and the reviews are mostly negative.

In January 2014, Joe from Mill Street Bistro sued Gordon Ramsay's production company for missing items and damage to the restaurant. He settled the claim for £900 compensation.

Mill Street Bistro closed in February 2016 as Joe felt it was the right time to sell up.

The restaurant was sold for $140,000 in March 2016.

Most of the recent Yelp reviewsprior to closure were 1 star reviews and reviews on Trip Advisor were not much better.

The negative reviews are mostly due to poor quality, bland and over priced food.

Mill Street Bistro was aired on March 1st and 8th 2013, the episode was filmed in July 2012 and is Kitchen Nightmares season 6 episode 10 and 11.


Read About More Kitchen Nightmares

Next episode - Nino's Italian Restaurant

Previous episode - Yanni's

This post was last updated in March 2023.

28 comments:

  1. No way this place stays open beyond this year. As the epilogue already stated, nearly half the staff has already left... and, even worse, Joe has managed to worm his way back into the kitchen after swearing he wouldn't. Alongside Sebastian and David from the Black Pearl, Joe's gotta be the most arrogant, delusional, clueless d-bag/blowhard of an owner in US KN history. : P

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    1. I think Amy's Bakery completes the trifecta of worst owners of US KN history ever!!! Sad because there are more deserving, appreciative struggling restaurants out there that would truly benefit from Chef Ramsey's expertise and business makeover.

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  2. When I hear that this place is closed I'll smile. And Joe reminds me of a crazy lunatic, he makes Sebastian look normal.

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    1. Along with Alan Saffron from Burger Kitchen. They can all complain about the online bullies together.

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  3. Sad, sad, sad... what a guy that Joe is. Sad

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    1. Pretty confident Joe has a a psychological disorder. No expert beyond my "studies" in college and other such "readings".
      Very socially awkward. Entire episode was cringeworthy.

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  4. I guess it wouldn't make for good TV... but I have learned so much about cooking well from Ramsay's various series... if I were to meet that man (Gordon) in person, I would absorb every bit of his advice and ask for more. If he stayed up all night to prepare a new menu for my restaurant, I would be right beside him, taking pictures, making notes and asking questions. To kick Gordon as Joe did is the stupidest thing he could do... but stupid does as stupid is... Gordon wasted his time trying to educate Joe. I doubt that overpriced restaurant will last a year.

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  5. Did he fire the staff, or we're they smart enough to get the hell out of there on their own!

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    1. He probably either fired them or made their lives so miserable they were forced to quit. He seems that petty.

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  6. the owner seems to think that he is the first restaurateur to use the direct from Ranch/farm to table. It has been very common in Vermont, and the Northeast in general.

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  7. So, GR didn't back any of the employees and Joe fired everyone that was disloyal? Ummm, well, unless Joe has an entirely new staff down to the last person, I doubt the validity of those statements. The episode I watched, well, "everyone" criticized Joe's character, leadership, cooking and management skills.

    I am shocked that this place is still listed as "OPEN". Truth be told, a manager as slippery and deluded as this one would have fired his employees with or without someone's support. Having worked for pathetic bosses before, I can tell you this... where there is a will, there is a way. The bad bosses will build such a case.

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    1. Agreed; I thought for sure this place's doors would've been shut for good before 2013 was out. : / I can only hope Joe is sinking every last cent he owns into it as a means of putting on airs to Ramsay and the rest of us until he has to file for bankruptcy. ; )

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  8. Chef Ramsay has used the same approach of "staff has a gripe session while the owner secretly observes via monitor from another room" in many of these episodes; it ALWAYS makes me very uncomfortable. I know it probably doesn't make for "good TV" to the same extent, but I prefer when he has the staff write comments on cards to be read to the owner anonymously.

    Even much less vindictive individuals than Joe may have a tough time not taking criticism personally; for an unabashed-jerk such as Joe, knowing the source of each comment is just giving him *way* too much fodder to use to retaliate. Although his former employees are likely well rid of him from a mental health vantage point, in today's job market some might have preferred to hold on to their job, even one that required them to work under less-than-optimal conditions.

    In a just world, guys like Joe would go down in flames - there's just no excuse for treating anyone as poorly as he treats his staff, not to mention the fact that he is a miserly liar who was willing to compromise the health of his customers for a few extra dollars in his pocket. I guess we'll have to see what happens.

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  9. Still can't believe he filed a police report just after filming, alleging that the KN crew stole a container of elk steaks and vandalized the premises, damages he estimated to be about $1,500... The disrespect he showed for Norwalk's residents throughout the first episode pretty much doomed the bistro (as indicated by some of the locals' posts on UrbanSpoon). And heaven forbid that a world renowned chef and wildly successful restauranteur might have a few useful tips to help save his floundering business!... It's hard to comprehend the level of unmitigated ignorance it must have required to so defiantly challenge Chef Ramsay, every step of the way...

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    1. What did the crew allegedly vandalize? I have a very hard time believing that anyone from the show would steal or damage property. They fix and renovate, not break and destroy!

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  10. Can't believe this place is possibly still open. I love the comments he made on Yelp to one of the customers who complained about the wait. Don't restaurant owners know that you can't say sorry, and then lay blame on the customer and pile on a dozen excuses? Arrogant non-apologies are just going to drive away business. A successful service business has to lose all ego.

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  11. This guy suffered from short bully syndrome. Throughout his life people stepped down to his arrogant attitude and believed his BS lies. Then Gordon brought his little world crashing down.

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    1. Did you say "his little world" on purpose as an added dig toward this man regarding his stature?

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  12. Gordon is one of the Executive Producers. He helps pick the restaurants and how the show looks.

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  13. Could someone who lives in the area confirm what happened to the staff that left? Were they fired or did they leave because they were sick of the owner? If they were fired, did Chef Ramsey get them a job in one of his restaurants? He said he had their back, and they trusted him with their honesty. I love Gordon and agree with his methods, I love the way he deflates arrogant owners by exposing them publicly. I agree with others that Sebastian is King of the Delusional! lol Joe is a close second.

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  14. My favorite line, as he throws a tortilla at Joe... "and take this with you! Elk quesadilla! Breaking news in Mexico!" LOLOL! hilarious!

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  15. English Chefs, don't you just love em 👍

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  16. Do people even need permission to do what they want in the U.S
    It seems that anyone can do anything they want in the U.S. even if they are completely clueless as to what they are doing.

    There is a reason potential business owners have to jump through hoops in the U.K to run a food business. Not just buy one.

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    1. It varies from state by state, but this guy was in the food sales industry before opening his restaurant (after he had lost his job), so it's not like he was completely ignorant. Most of the owners in the series had previous food experience (from being chefs of various degrees of skill, to catering, to waitressing), a few don't (Amy and Sabastian come to mind), and a few inherited the business from their parents. As far as buying a business, what's wrong with that? As long as you know what you're getting into and make sure you have staff to cover your lack of knowledge in areas (a skilled chef and experienced kitchen crew, wait staff, managers, etc.)

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  17. Did the staff quit or were they systematically fired? Men like Joe don't learn to be civilized, they only double down and become more tyrannical.

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  18. Men like Joe Nagy don't become civilized overnight. They just double down and punish everyone else for what goes wrong. Men like this are to be avoided at all costs.

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  19. No wonder this place closed. Joe is a guy who would never work for me and one I would never work for. Nothing genuine about him and his only consistency is his bs. Another ungrateful know it all who thought he was better than a Michelin star chef. I hope all of the staff moved on to something better.

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