The Restaurant, Season 2, Episode 2: Captain Douchebag vs. the Intern From Hell

It’s dinnertime at Rocco’s on 22nd. Carrie wonders where Rocco is. Rumor has it that he’s very upset about Jeffrey’s involvement with the restaurant. Carrie’s heard he might quit. There’s a lot of speculation from the staff as to what’s going on. Down in the kitchen, the cooks ask Tony if he’s going out with them. Tony, with a big hunk of ham tucked under his arm, jokes, “I am taking my ham and going home.” The rest of the staff meets at a bar. Uzay says that he likes it better when Rocco is in the restaurant. Carrie thinks he should be there more, since he doesn’t know some of the staff. Bill, a new waiter, has never even met him. Shane the floor manager says Rocco used to be more involved, and should be there more. Al misses having him around. Uzay says that Jeffrey Chodorow has a successful formula for opening restaurants, but Rocco is rejecting that formula. Jeffrey gave Rocco five months to try it his way, but it’s not working; Uzay says Jeffrey has no choice but to step in.

The next morning, Jeffrey’s Corporate Task Force assembles. Don’t they sound even more like a team of superheroes when I say that? They should totally wear costumes with capes. Jeffrey brings up the main point: Why is this restaurant losing money? Luke, the chef, says that Rocco’s not being around is a problem. Karine wonders if it would be better if someone else were there. Jeffrey says that he wanted to make this work with Rocco, but it might not. Luke will observe the kitchen, and Scott and Claude will streamline the service upstairs. The Corporate Task Force flies off, ready to fight crime and inefficient procedures!

Rocco and his girlfriend are in bed together, Yvonne sporting a Rocco’s tank top. Rocco says that he doesn’t know what’s going to happen next. He’s never felt so bewildered.

Luke heads down to the kitchen at the restaurant. Mama says hello and asks him if he’ll be cooking. Luke says no, that he’s there to watch and learn. Good for him for being upfront about it. Mama looks a bit suspicious. Antonio, the visiting chef from Italy, asks Tony who Luke is. Tony explains that Luke is the chef for the whole corporation.

Luke meets with Robert, the kitchen manager. Is Robert aware of how much they’re paying dishwashers? Do they earn a lot of overtime? Robert says that he doesn’t know their hourly rates. Luke is very surprised and wonders how Robert can manage the staff and not know how much they get paid.

Upstairs, Drew is at the bar taking notes. He notices a big orange plastic orange juice maker. It’s a bit of an eyesore. He tells one of the staff members that he wants to get rid of it. The guy aggrees that it’s ugly, but says Rocco loves it. Drew also notices a statue of the Virgin Mary and would like to get rid of that too, but figures Mama would be upset.

Mama joins them upstairs. Drew tells her that he hasn’t met Rocco yet, but he’d like to. Mama says that Rocco is a wonderful person, but advises Drew not to get in his way too much. That’s advice from the man’s mother, so Drew would be wise to listen. Drew says that it’s all about respect. If he is treated with respect, he’ll treat other people with respect. This is obviously a big thing for Drew, since he said the same thing last week. Drew introduces himself to Katelin, the hostess, and says that he’ll be working with her. He says that he’ll be watching her and will give her pointers. Katelin is open to the idea.

Sarah, from the Corporate Task Force, talks to the staff. She says that she wants the staff to have as much fun and to make as much money as possible. She asks for feedback and suggestions. Carrie says that they get a lot of complaints from customers about how gross the salt shakers are. Aww, I want to see one! Gross how? Someone else adds that the appetizers aren’t clearly marked on the menu, which leads to confusion. Uzay says that the restaurant has a bit of an identity crisis – are they a “one star spaghetti joint,” or are they something more formal? He says it’s unclear. I remember this same issue being a problem in the first season. Sarah says that Rocco’s should not be fine dining, but rather fun dining. She thanks everyone for their suggestions and promises they will not be ignored.

Matt, the new bartender, enters the restaurant. He meets with Steve, the bar manager. As Steve explains his training schedule – he’ll start by observing – Matt chews his gum and looks bored. But to be fair, the way Matt chews his gum, actively working his entire jaw, would take a lot of concentration. April, a current bartender, watches him from across the room and says he looks like a cow chewing its cud. Steve tells Matt he has to lose the gum, and Matt obligingly sticks it in a cocktail napkin. Greg, the other bartender, tells April that Matt will have to follow the training schedule. April says that will be no problem because, “I’m a woman and I protect my territory.” It seems like April has already decided that she hates Matt, and she hasn’t even met him yet!

Jeffrey arrives. He asks Laurent why the flower bills are so high. Laurent says that it’s for the plants – the topiaries are changed once a week. Jeffrey thinks that’s crazy, since plants are supposed to last.

Rocco is at the Harlem Community Center, teaching a group of kids about food. He asks them to all stick their tongues out and look at each other’s taste buds. He carves up a hunk of pure chocolate for all to taste. The kids can’t believe how bitter it is without sugar. They hate it, but they love the star fruit Rocco gives them. Next, Rocco eats a whole anchovy, much to the disgust of the kids. Rocco says that he may have stained their shirts, but because Rocco stained them, it’s cool. Somehow, I don’t think their mothers will see it that way.