Kitchen Nightmares - Season 1

Chef Gordon Ramsay of HELL'S KITCHEN fame is back, and this time he's hitting the road, exposing restaurants that are barely staying afloat. This week, Ramsay visits a small, family-run Italian restaurant in Babylon, NY. He's faced with a hot-tempered Godfather wannabe, Peter, who is driving his family crazy and the business into the ground. See if Peter can survive the wrath of Chef Ramsay when he comes to take over the restaurant.

Chef Gordon Ramsay is hitting the big city in an attempt to revamp Indian restaurant Dillons and make it one of the hottest venues in town. Only steps away from Ramsay's own New York restaurant, he quickly changes things inside and out, in preparation for a grand reopening celebration.

Gordon visits The Mixing Bowl, a small restaurant in Bellmore, NY. With the owner in the kitchen and an inexperienced manager running the front of the house, things are going downhill fast. And with coupons and special discounts being this restaurant's specialty, it's no wonder they aren't making money. Gordon has to make some major changes to keep "The Mixing Bowl" afloat.

Gordon visits Islip, NY, where a mother-son team is running their beloved family restaurant, Seascape, into the ground. A hard-headed chef, mixed with an inexperienced general manager, is a recipe for disaster. Gordon needs to make some serious changes if this restaurant is going to last through dinner service, and if the employees can't take the heat, they'll be kicked out of the kitchen.

Chef Gordon Ramsay takes a trip to Tuckahoe, NY, to help turn around The Olde Stone Mill, where restaurant owner Dean and his wife have poured their lives into renovating, but the service and food are horrible. Chef Ramsay and the owner clash when it comes to making changes.

Chef Gordon Ramsay visits Burbank, CA, restaurant Sebastian's, which is in a state of pure chaos. Between the wait staff trying to put on a show in hopes of landing an acting gig in Hollywood, and the owner's dreams of franchising his restaurant, they've forgotten what's really important. Gordon goes head-to-head with owner Sebastian when he attempts to turn the complicated menu into a more diner-friendly version and get rid of frozen food once and for all. Will Sebastian let Chef Ramsay make the changes that he wants, or will he chase him out of the restaurant? Chef Ramsay takes on "Sebastian's" .

Chef Gordon Ramsay takes a trip to West Hampton, NY, where a family-run restaurant, Finn McCool's, is in serious financial trouble. Retired dad Buddy poured all of his life savings into running this restaurant and has never cashed a paycheck. His son Brian, who serves as head chef, doesn't respect his father or his job, and is currently making everyone unhappy - including the customers. Chef Ramsay needs to make some serious changes that could affect this family forever.

Chef Gordon Ramsay visits Pomona, CA, to try to rev up business for Lela's, an upscale restaurant in desperate need of clientele. When Gordon gets in the kitchen and starts criticizing the menu items, the executive chef is less than thrilled and they have a showdown in front of the entire staff. Find out if the changes stick and if Lela stands for this type of behavior in her restaurant .

Chef Gordon Ramsay heads to Fair Lawn, NJ, to visit Campania, an Italian restaurant that's losing more money than it's making. With the wait staff hanging out in the kitchen as if it were a high school cafeteria, food rarely hits customers' tables. Serious changes are needed or this restaurant will be forced to close its doors for good. With Gordon's changes in place, they have a grand reopening, but just when everything seems to be going smoothly, the cops crash the party.

Chef Gordon Ramsay visits Secret Garden in Moorpark, CA, to help French chef and owner Michel try to put his restaurant back on the map. When Gordon arrives, the restaurant is deserted and the décor reminds him of a frilly palace. Michel does not want to accept Gordon's changes, which leads to an all-out screaming match and Gordon storming out of the restaurant. Will Gordon return to get Secret Garden through dinner service, or will Michel be on his own?