Original subtitles

I'm in Cedar Creek,

a small rural town south of Austin, Texas,

and right by the highway,

you'll find this neighborhood's

only restaurant,

Leo's Italian Grill,

owned and run by couple Leo and Michelle.

If you want to start wiping things down

and getting ready for service. - All right.

I'm Leo.

I'm the executive chef of Leo's Italian Grill.

My wife Michelle and myself opened up

the restaurant in 2019.

We do Italian food with a Southern flair.

Hi. Welcome to Leo's.

How are you today?

Table for two? Awesome.

She'll be right with you, OK? Thank you.

Michelle is just the best. Life doesn't work without her.

You guys doing all right back there?

- Yeah. - Love you.

Love you, too, babe.

We have been married for 10 years.

He won me over with his carbonara.

I mean, 'cause it's, like-- it's a really good sauce.

And I was fortunate enough to inherit his boys.

I've got great relationships with them.

I've been in the restaurant business now for 35-plus years.

I've always had a great love for pastas and pasta sauces.

I'm not Italian. I've never been there.

But I love cooking it, and I love eating it.

What can I get for you?

OK. You got it.

When we first opened, things started out pretty well.

Give me a chicken Parmesan. - Working.

And give me a ribeye on the grill.

But as time went by,

we started slowing down and slowing down.

- Coming up right now. - Order!

All right, I have the ribeye and then the chicken Parmesan.

The business has slowed down a lot.

This past year, it was really tough.

Leo, this lady didn't like her steak.

All right.

We did have to put some of our own money

back into the business for the first time

since we've been open.

It makes your stomach sink.

Coming up.

We're one big family here.

We all love this place.

Burnt on the bottom.

They'd like to replace it with mac, please.

But on a scale of one to ten, I'd rate the food a five.

All right, I've got a chicken Parmesan

that's burnt on the bottom.

We're all concerned about Leo's love and passion.

It's starting to fade.

This is supposed to have chicken in it.

- I have it. - And it's evident in the food.

As the restaurant owner, the stress is really heavy.

Everything rides on me.

Hey, Dad, how long on that chicken Provence?

Give me just a minute.

It definitely does worry me, seeing the state

of the restaurant right now.

It is pretty quiet.

Everything else has been in the window

for, like, seven minutes. - Heard.

And so, seeing how my dad may struggle in the kitchen,

it's definitely really, really tough.

Y'all need any help back here? - Uh...

I'm not seeing the joy of cooking

that he's always had, but I also understand why.

We've been through a lot the last couple of years.

Two years back, my son, Leo III--

his nickname was Bump.

Bump had some medical issues,

and he passed away from an asthma attack.

And sometimes I can talk about it,

and I'm good, and other times, it's not so much.

Bump was an amazing kid.

We had him working at the restaurant,

and he was back there washing dishes.

He was an awesome big brother, you know?

He'd ride with me to work.

He'd be in my car on my way back home.

It's been difficult since Bump passed away,

but I can't really say much to my dad

'cause he won't open up.

It's a hard topic.

Since Bump's passing,

he's definitely in his thoughts,

and it's really affecting the kitchen right now.

The amount of complaints that we've been getting

paints a much different picture

than we've had of ourselves for the last five years,

and it's not a pretty picture.

We're hoping that Chef Ramsay can give us some ideas

to make people want to come back in.

We can't do it without him.

This restaurant is festering.

You cannot be that deluded! Stop, stop, stop.

I promise you, you can't do this.

Smell it! Shut it down!

I'm in beautiful Cedar Creek,

20 miles outside the capital, Austin,

visiting Leo's Italian Grill.

If this place is struggling,

there must be something else going on,

because there are very few restaurants in this area,

so get it right, and you can be

fully booked for weeks in advance.

When I think of Italian restaurants,

I think about the authenticity,

but above all else, the passion.

It doesn't look like

an Italian grill from the outside.

Good morning. How are we?

- How are you? - Oh, very well, thank you.

How are you? - Great.

Thank you. - Hi, Chef Ramsay.

How are you? - And this is--

- I'm Michelle. - Michelle, nice to see you.

One of the owners.

Chef Ramsay walks in the door.

I just think, "OK. We're getting started."

Come over and have a seat.

Thank you. This is Leo's Italian Grill.

This looks like an extension of the garage.

Admittedly, the decor is not

what you would typically expect

from an Italian restaurant.

I kind of almost feel like you're sitting in a tire shop,

but we kind of just went with what we had.

It's a busy road out there, right?

It is.

Can we get you something to drink?

I'll just have a coffee, please.

And some sugar. Thanks, darling.

Thank you. How are we?

Good to see you. - Leo.

- Yes, ma'am. - Eagle has landed.

Yes, ma'am.

It doesn't look like an Italian grill.

What's with the plastic sheets? me.

- He's at 11. - Yes, ma'am.

I got this.

Afternoon, Chef. - How are you?

I'm well, sir. My name is Neil.

- Neil, nice to meet you. - Pleasure.

Man, this place is bleak. It just feels cold in here.

It doesn't feel like a family run Italian grill.

Yes, sir.

How would you rate the food on a scale of one to ten?

Honestly, I would say five.

A five? Wow.

I know this menu back and forth.

I've eaten every item on this menu.

I'm proud of this restaurant, but honest is honest.

But is it authentic Italian?

It's Italian with what they call a Texas flair.

Bloody hell.

Let's start with the appetizer, shall we?

Let's do the appetizer sampler.

Seven cheese lasagna.

With the seven cheese lasagna,

you get a choice of house salad or a side of spaghetti.

Lasagna with spaghetti?

Why would you serve spaghetti with pasta?

Because there's the Texas flair.

It's Texas portions.

I mean, everything's bigger in Texas.

OK, and what are the seven cheeses?

Asiago, cottage cheese, Parmesan...

That's three. Don't worry.

We're barely halfway there, but don't you worry.

When it is Chef Ramsay at your table,

your brain will wipe clean.

You'll forget where you live, what you drove,

and who you are.

I love the idea of a hand-cut ribeye.

Yes.

So let's do mid rare for the ribeye.

- Sure. - And what would you recommend?

- The carbonara. - Let's go for it then.

- Of course. - Thank you.

Amazing.

Leo, sir, I've got Chef's order.

Heard.

He picked some great items.

I'm pretty excited about making food for Chef Ramsay.

Definitely very excited.

How was--how was lunch?

I got the Granny's lasagna pie.

It's almost like a weird version of a calzone.

I wasn't a fan.

Behind you.

Thank you.

Has chef been served yet? - Yes, ma'am.

Appetizer sampler is coming out.

That was good.

- You deserve it. - OK.

- Your sampler. - And is this popular?

- It is, actually. - All right.

Are they meatballs? - The, uh--

Why are they so gray?

flies. Thank you very much.

That does not look like a meatball.

And if that's a meatball,

then I'm running for president.

Ugh, damn.

Bad to worse.

Uh, Neil.

- Yes, Chef. - Sorry.

Are they homemade meatballs? - Yes, they are.

What a shame.

I'll wait for the next course.

OK.

Would you mind taking that from me?

Yeah, was this from...?

- Yes, ma'am. - All the bad things?

- Yes, ma'am. - OK.

All right, appetizer sampler coming back.

I asked Neil. He said all the bad things.

Here he is. OK.

Thank you. - You're welcome.

OK.

Wow.

Now, when you think of Texas, you think of great steaks.

That is just a great lump.

Is it cooked in a-- - Flat grill.

Flat grill. Is it on?

What a shame. This steak tastes boiled.

I will relay that to the chef.

Appreciate it. hell.

Gray in color, a little more sear.

All right, heard. Thank you.

You're welcome, sir.

All right.

Neil, his carbonara is up here.

- Carbonara. - Oh, bloody hell's bells.

flies.

Let me eat one dish in peace. Gotcha.

Does the chef make the actual carbonara sauce?

- Yes. - Yeah?

Could you ask him how he makes the carbonara sauce?

I'm a massive fan of carbonara.

Just a big bowl of congealed mess.

The carbonara, bacon instead of pancetta,

is that correct?

.

They stink.

That is not fresh.

It is bacon,

roasted red bell peppers, seafood,

shallots, heavy whipping cream,

a four-cheese blend, white wine,

garlic, and fresh oregano. - Wow.

None of those above ingredients are in a traditional carbonara.

Could you smell that for me?

They do not smell good.

Just about to turn. Thank you.

You're welcome. Pardon me.

Oof.

Gordon, what were your thoughts on the carbonara?

Yeah. Yeah, disappointing.

Sadly, the pasta was overcooked.

I was more concerned about the smell from the shrimp.

Chef Ramsay isn't impressed with anything.

Some of the dishes that he had are some of my favorites.

I mean, I love the carbonara, so it's a little disheartening,

and my heart breaks for Leo.

Embarrassing, seriously.

There is nothing authentic here.

I mean, either the chef's completely lost his way,

or he does not give a .

What a shame.

Neil, how many covers does this place do

on a Friday night? - Lately? Not many.

The decline has affected all of us.

And is it a tight-run ship?

It's the "Titanic."

In the middle of Texas.

Thank you, my man. - You're welcome.

Michelle, can you bring the team over?

Sure, of course.

Ah, there he is, the man. - Yes, sir.

- How are you, bud? - How are we doing?

- You well? - Yes, sir.

- Take a seat. - OK.

Let's get the team together. Let's catch up.

OK, Leo. - Yes, sir.

With a scratch kitchen, the freshest ingredients,

and a great chef,

you won't walk away disappointed.

- Yes, sir. - I'll be honest.

That's not what I discovered.

Well, that's--that's, uh-- that's disappointing, for sure.

You're an hour on the road out of Austin

in a unique position with very little competition

around here to clean up,

but, honestly,

you're absolutely missing the mark.

Young man, what's wrong with this restaurant, truthfully?

I'd say a little bit of quality control

and consistency in the kitchen. - Yeah.

Neil? - I would say consistency.

It's a common thread, isn't it?

I fell in love with meatballs,

having lived in Italy for 12 months.

It's hard to up, if I'm honest.

My meatball was cold in the middle,

gray on the outside, and it just crumbled.

My carbonara was not authentic.

I think of Texas, and one thing

that comes to mind immediately is great beef.

How are you searing it?

- We cook it on the flattop. - Is it seared?

There was no color on it. It was just gray.

I am not feeling the love,

and we are not cooking with passion.

We really need Chef Ramsay's help,

but Leo is not communicating at all.

I need to know what in the hell is going on.

I know I'm not getting the best from you.

This is not going well.

I am not feeling the love,

and we are not cooking with passion.

I need to know what in the hell is going on.

I know I'm not getting the best from you.

Have you given up? Are you pissed off?

Are you upset?

I mean, no, I'm disappointed. Yeah.

I don't get worked up too easy.

I appreciate that, Leo, but it's your name above the door.

You, Michelle, what's wrong with this restaurant?

Maybe just some consistency coming out of the kitchen.

I agree, and that's hard, because that's your husband.

I know.

I'm having a really hard time listening to this right now.

And I respect your honesty. You know that?

I'm here to help. - OK.

I can't just wave a magic wand,

and, hey, here we go. - Yeah.

It feels like we're on this cruise control,

but sadly going backwards.

Where's the love gone? - I don't know.

I, uh--I still love to do it.

You can't love doing that. There's a lot of problems here.

I want to see how this place functions.

I want to see how you operate.

I need to understand how you're pedaling

this bike up a hill, because it's not good.

Get some fresh air, yeah?

Yes, Chef.

It's hard to hear someone tear your husband apart.

It's hard to accept what might be the cause of it,

but it's necessary.

Some things in the kitchen need to change.

Hi, welcome to Leo's Italian Grill.

How are you today? - Hi, guys.

My name's Maitlyn.

I'll be your server, taking care of you today.

I need to show Ramsay tonight that my food is good.

OK, you got it. I'll go put that in.

Buttered, gluten free? Yes, ma'am.

Perfect.

The customer would just like buttered,

gluten-free noodles with grilled shrimp,

and they don't want any seasoning on the shrimp.

Here's that sampler for you guys.

- How's it going, Chef Ramsay? - Hey, bud.

Are you good? - Hi, Chef.

Yeah? Food coming out?

- Yes. - All good?

Where's Leo? - I'm right here.

- Hi, there. - Chef.

Give us a little insight. Who does what?

Andrea is helping me with the grill and doing the frying,

and Chuck's on pizza, and he's kind of

helping us out with anything else we might need.

Gotcha.

How do you know what's going on?

So are you working from left to right?

Yeah, I come and put the tickets,

and when I start taking these off,

I move them closer to him. - Gotcha.

When was last time that was cleaned?

No idea.

I didn't even know that could open.

You didn't know that could open?

- No. - !

.

- Guys, how's that first bite? - It was pink.

A little pink, hers is. - But the meatballs?

Yeah. This was not good.

Hey, we need you to add this ribeye.

It's medium well. - All right.

And the gluten-free goes right over here, Jason.

Leo, the meatball sliders were undercooked,

and the ravioli is bland.

That is disgusting.

They weren't deveined. - This is literally so gross.

It's actually inedible.

How are we doing over here?

- My shrimp are not deveined. - OK.

I will definitely take that back.

OK. Thank you.

I need another gluten-free pasta.

No shrimp this time. They're not deveined.

Let's look.

That one was at the top, but if you look at the bottom.

I think more to the point, though,

they're not actually cooked properly.

I know you're starting to get busy now,

but are you using the same pans?

The same pans for the same dishes.

Why would you cook in a dirty pan?

Same sauces.

.

It's all dysfunctional.

The chef cooks dishes

time and time again in the same pan.

I don't know where to start. He's given up.

Fresh? Vibrant? Passionate? Italian grill?

My ass. Oh, my .

Leo, can I have another Tuscan salmon, please?

It doesn't look like it's cooked.

Excuse me interrupting. How are those appetizers?

Pretty rough?

Nothing was edible.

Well, I actually spit my ravioli out.

Wow.

Was that on the sampler plate? - Yeah.

Crazy. Appreciate the feedback.

My apologies. - Yeah, thanks.

How's that pizza? Everything OK?

- The dough-- - Uh-huh?

Is not cooked all the way through.

It feels not great,

almost every table sending something back.

It's so oily.

It's just mixing with the sauce.

depressing.

I just don't like mine.

There are so many negative feedbacks

with this food, and a chef that doesn't care.

So all those pans there on the left-hand side

will get reused when the same dish comes up.

Never seen that in my whole career.

All right, more complaints about

there being too much pepper.

All right.

He is lost, man.

Holy !

Uh, Leo? - Yeah.

Just ten seconds, just with me.

Very quickly. Can you take over?

Can you do a carbonara? - Yes.

Are you OK? Are you sure?

- Yes, sir. - Yeah?

When food comes back, you go back

to the same dirty old pan.

I can't remember if I used the same pan or not.

- No, I was watching you. - OK.

But you know this is not normal, right?

Because I'm gonna tell you the truth,

nothing but the flat, honest truth,

'cause I came here to help you.

Show me the spark, man. Show me.

Show me. Show me something.

Right now, between you and I, struggling.

Yes, Chef.

Too much seasoning on the croutons,

too much vinegar in the Caesar.

The feedback that I got from chef--

I guess I'm in my head, you know, just...

My son's on my mind,

and so, yeah, just thinking about Bump.

Does he always shut down like this?

Does he never talk? - You'll kind of notice that.

Yeah.

I've never seen a chef like him behind the line,

just go through the motions like that.

Oh, my God.

Michelle, does he--

got this massive wall in front of him.

It's crazy.

I can't argue with what he's saying

because I'm seeing it.

This past year, actually, Leo hasn't been talking.

It's like he's withdrawing and just shutting down.

Can I just have two minutes with you?

Yeah.

It's definitely had an impact on the quality

of the food that's coming out of the kitchen.

We've got to address it and fix it.

We do need Chef Ramsay's help.

Has he-- has he shut down?

The business is dying. The business is failing.

Um...

he's a little bit lost.

And why is he lost?

- I'm sorry. - No.

When our son passed away, you know, his heart broke.

- I'm so sorry. - There's a hole here.

There's a hole in his heart. - That's, uh--that's awful.

This is his dream,

but the light is gone in his eyes.

- Yeah. - I can definitely say that.

Has Leo shut down?

Um...

He's a little bit lost. - Mm-hmm.

And why is he lost?

- I'm sorry. - No.

Our son passed away.

You know, his heart broke.

And it's just-- - I'm so sorry.

Thank you. We called him Bump.

- Bump. - That was his nickname.

Leo had custody of Bump since he was six months old--

raised him as a single dad-- and Bump had special needs.

He was born without an esophagus,

so they had to make one out of his stomach.

He had pretty bad asthma he had developed,

and so that's what we were dealing with

the last couple of years. - Right.

And have you have you seen a decline in Leo?

There's a sadness.

The light is gone in his eyes. - Yeah.

- I can definitely say that. - Yeah.

- This is his dream. - Sure.

And that's one of the reasons why you're here

is to help us so that he can keep living that dream.

I really appreciate your honesty.

You want him back,

and you want this place to work.

- Mm-hmm. - So there's some issues here.

And we need to dig deep. - OK.

- OK, stay close. - OK.

Wow. It's sad, very sad.

Clearly, a man that has never regained

his own self-esteem from losing his son tragically.

The kitchen is the engine room

and the heart of every restaurant.

The engine room at Leo's isn't working,

and I think it's because the heart is broken.

Now it's starting to unearth just how far gone Leo's is,

but it starts with the man himself.

When Bump died, a piece of him died too.

A piece of all of us went with him.

- Uh, Leo? - Yes, sir.

Can you just get out of here for two seconds?

My hope for Leo is that he can recognize

that maybe that's what the issue is

and deal with that.

I'm so sorry you lost your son.

Awful.

He was up here that night doing dishes.

Right.

The next morning, I found him.

I had to do CPR.

- . - Yeah.

So, you know, I mean, it's definitely been--

we didn't take any time off. I didn't take any time off.

- What? - Yeah, no, uh-uh.

He died on a Sunday. We're closed on Sunday.

I was here Monday morning. - Leo, stop.

Come on, man. - Yeah.

I was the last one to talk to him,

last one to give him a hug,

tell him I loved him before he went.

.

Yeah, I was here the next morning at work.

That's how I dealt with it.

You didn't seek any help?

No.

I don't show my feelings very much.

And just kind of-- - I can see that.

And what kind of toll did that put on Jason?

He's about like me.

He kind of keeps things to himself.

But I--

I don't know what was harder, you know, doing the CPR stuff

or having to go tell Jason that his brother died,

because they were tight. They were real close, so...

Putting your hands up and asking for help,

support, it's not a sign of weakness.

You know that. It's strength.

I've always been the rock.

- But rocks crumble... - They do.

- From time to time. - They do.

You can't continue like this.

You're gonna put yourself 6 foot under.

The practices and what you're doing,

this business is not gonna survive much longer.

Do you want to do this? - I definitely do.

We need to change direction for the better.

You've got to-- you've got to find that flame.

Do it for the family and show Bump

why you opened this place.

So shut that place down. It needs a good clean.

You don't need me to tell you that, OK?

'Cause we're gonna start again.

Let's go. - Yes, Chef.

Come on.

All right, we're done with service.

We've got to get this place cleaned up.

All right.

Today was an eye opener.

Since Bump's passing, obviously,

it's affected my drive here at the restaurant.

I guess I just haven't learned how to live again yet.

Thank you.

It almost feels like ripping off a Band-Aid.

And maybe that's what needs to happen, you know,

so that the wound can heal.

- Can we take a break? - Yeah.

I'm hoping that he recognizes that.

There's a light in your eye, babe, that hasn't been there.

I understand why.

But this place right here is your passion.

Bump was your passion. You know what I mean?

We've already lost one, and we can't lose another.

I agree.

We can't move forward

if we don't have the hard conversations.

I'm ready to open my eyes, and just try

to, you know, push this thing forward.

I think if Bump was here, he'd say, "You got this, Dad."

- I love you, baby. - I love you, too, baby.

We got this.

After an intense evening at Leo's Italian Grill,

I'm spending some quality time with the man himself.

How are you feeling this morning?

- Very emotional. - Yeah.

You never strike me as the kind of guy that's

looking for a pity party. - No.

No, but you strike me as the kind of guy

that is incredibly stubborn and takes a lot on his shoulders.

- Yes. - Yeah?

Yes, Chef.

And those first steps are tough.

- Right. - You know that?

For sure.

That's probably why I haven't really taken them, I guess.

Sure.

And so we'll start moving things forward

with this amazing restaurant, but with Bump front and center.

- Yeah. - Yeah?

Yes, sir.

I want to take you somewhere for a little bit

of inspiration. - Yes, Chef.

So I'm going to take you to meet a very, very cool chef,

someone who is putting Italian food

on the map in Austin. - Oh, wow.

And this kid's young. He's half our age.

But I think it's time now to start putting

some excitement back into Leo.

Are you ready? - I am.

- Let's go meet Cole. - All right.

Cole, good morning.

- Leo. - Cole. Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

Now, Italian food, it's all about

the Italian produce. - 100%.

And the better the ingredients,

the little it needs doing to them.

It's that naked, basic, incredible flavor.

Yeah.

And so let's just cook and have some fun.

- Sounds great. - 100%.

- Shall we? - Yes, Chef.

- Thank you. - Good to see you, man.

Right. - Thanks, Cole.

Yeah. All right, sir.

We're going to be doing a traditional carbonara.

All right.

What's so great about this is it's so cost-effective.

I mean, it's the name of the game, right?

Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

You have a carbonara on your menu, correct?

I do, yeah.

It's one of my favorite recipes.

It's a phenomenal dish, right?

Traditionally, carbonara is rendered guanciale,

which is the cured pork jowls.

You get super good flavor from it.

Pasta water, egg yolks, black pepper with your cheese.

I'm looking forward to working it.

Yeah, absolutely.

So we've got some heat here.

Before I drop my pasta in, what I'm gonna do

is I'm just going to add some pasta water to this pan.

Is that just to add some-- some liquid?

Yes, instead of using a cream sauce,

we're using that salted pasta water.

- Gotcha. - It's nice and delicious.

And so tell me what really inspired you.

What was that initial spark to open a restaurant?

Well, I got my first cookbook when I was about

ten years old from my uncle,

and when I was 14, my mom dropped me off

at this little restaurant in New Braunfels,

and they put me on the flat top grill.

OK.

I just, you know, worked my way up.

I worked under some great chefs,

and it was always a dream of mine to open up my own place.

We opened up Leo's about five years ago, so...

- Awesome. - Yeah, it was pretty cool.

I feel pretty good right now. I'm having a great time.

It's really good to meet Chef Cole

and get his take on some things.

Microplane some cheese in.

Traditionally, it's Pecorino.

We are using Parmesan-Reggiano.

It's just an easier cheese to source,

so I figured, hey, it works great.

It's a totally fine substitute.

He's full of energy and knows all about

the fresh ingredients,

and it's a lot of fun working with him.

This is gonna really help

kind of bring everything together

and make it make love. - There you go.

Make it make love.

There's my Texas saying of the day.

Seeing all these new ideas and these new ingredients

and stuff, it's an eye-opener, you know?

So Leo, when's the last time

that you've, like, even just, you know,

got in the kitchen, cooked with a friend,

you know, and just had fun while you're doing it?

It's been a couple of years for me.

We lost my son a couple of years ago.

Wow.

So I want to start loving what I do again, I guess.

Yeah.

I want to not be stuck in the past

and start learning new techniques

so we can bring that back to the restaurant

and get things going again.

All right, so carbonara,

so to plate, you don't have to do anything fancy with it.

Plop it on the plate and finish with a little bit of cheese,

and there's a carbonara. - Awesome.

Go ahead and give it a taste. Great ingredients.

It's super cheap, simple,

while the dish itself screams Italian.

Yeah.

That's absolutely delicious. - Good.

- Thank you. - Yeah, thank you.

Right now, I'm re-inspired,

and I feel the spark growing in me,

and I'm looking forward to moving the restaurant forward.

I'm super excited.

- It's a pleasure, sir. - Thank you so much, man.

It was a pleasure meeting you. - Thank you.

Now that Leo's passion for cooking is reawakened,

it's time for the next step.

My renovation crew have been working around the clock

to give Leo and Michelle the fresh start they deserve.

You know, we're definitely nervous to see the restaurant.

We're afraid that part of us is gonna be gone from there.

When it comes to the decor,

there are things that I would change,

but while I would like to see something different,

I wouldn't want it to be too upscale

because that's not who we are.

- Go ahead, Dad. - Oh, my God!

What's happened?

At Cedar Creek, Leo's Italian Grill

has had a total overhaul.

Wow!

- Oh, Wow! - Oh, my God.

- What? - No way!

Dang!

Oh, we got new tables and chairs.

It's so cool.

This looks awesome.

Gone are the stark, unwelcoming furnishings

and car workshop vibe.

Now, the subtle colors, soft textures, and accessories

lure diners in for a more Mediterranean experience.

Oh, my gosh! The bar looks amazing.

What was the uninspiring bar area

is now full of character and charm,

and we've kitted out the kitchen with everything

they'll need to take the food to the next level.

That looks really, really cool right there.

It's like a whole new place.

Chef Ramsay knocked it out of the park.

I love that it doesn't look like a tire shop anymore.

I'm finally smiling. I'm not crying.

Oh, hi, Chef! Oh, my gosh!

Thank you so much. - Oh, my God!

- Thank you, Chef. - How are you, Captain?

- It looks amazing. - So first impressions?

It blew me away.

I was so afraid the essence of us was not gonna be here,

but it's everywhere.

And then my favorite part, paying respect to Bump.

Oh, those are all Bump's pictures.

Are those the pictures he took?

Those are his photos.

Yeah, that's all Bump's stuff.

Seeing a picture of Bump there with his camera--

photography was his passion.

It's just-- it's a little overwhelming.

- Wow. - Right.

Come on. Line up over here.

Let's take a menu, and let's have a chat please.

Oh, thank you.

Let's start off with this beautiful arancini.

So easy, vibrant.

Meatballs, big house speciality--

simple and authentic. - Yum.

A little bucatini.

We have made an incredible sauce.

An easy pickup and ready to go.

Butternut squash risotto. The seasoning is on point.

The sauce is delicious.

Ribeye steak, it's grilled,

done with a lovely salsa verde.

That looks so good.

Now, the menu is easy to execute,

but more importantly, everything is gonna be

a notch up from where we were.

Any questions? - You got a fork?

Dig in, guys.

- Thank you so much. - It's very good.

- Oh, so good! - It's good, isn't it?

Wow. The food is amazing.

I'm ready to get back in that kitchen tonight

and make all this come to life.

With the restaurant now looking the part,

Leo's Italian Grill can show the good people of Cedar Creek

just what they can do.

Tonight's the new beginning for us, OK?

Let's have fun, let's take care of the guests,

and let's have hot, fresh, delicious food.

We've got a lot of work to do,

but I'm so proud of you. - Thank you, baby.

I'm seeing the glimmer in your eye tonight.

It's gonna be good. It's gonna be great.

I love you very much. - I love you, too, baby.

I'm very excited about tonight's dinner service,

but I'm nervous about it as well.

I'm praying that Leo can maintain his focus

and communicate,

and I hope that we can just deliver.

One, two, three, Leo's!

Welcome to Leo's.

How are y'all doing this evening?

Table for three?

All right, please come this way.

All right, Dad, are you ready?

- Yes, sir. - First table.

All right, let's do it.

Word is out, and the locals are keen

to experience the new Leo's.

- Meatballs and arancini? - Yes.

- We'll do that for right now. - Order.

I need meatballs working and two orders of arancini.

- We good? - Yes.

- Are we good? - We're good, Chef.

- How are those pans? - Oh, I love them.

- I hope so. - Table for three?

- Yes, ma'am. - All right, awesome.

Even Chef Cole is here to check out the menu.

Cole's just arrived. Yeah, let's go, guys.

Ooh, good choice.

The chicken Parmesan. Thank you.

Butternut squash risotto, ribeye steak mid rare.

How are we looking on the arancini?

- They're ready to go. - All right, you guys.

We've got the arancini. - Oh, thank you.

Thank you.

Andrea, can you get that in the window for me please?

It's good. Delicious.

The first couple of plates start coming out,

and it's beautiful. People are loving it.

They're loving the food.

It's great to see that back in this restaurant.

It's electrifying.

Did we decide on an appetizer?

The meatballs are very good.

I need a meatball down please.

All right, I'm waiting on a risotto.

- Risotto just went out. - I need another one.

Started off the night, you know,

everything's running smoothly,

but the food's not coming out right now,

and it's not good.

- How's my risotto? - 30 seconds.

- Yeah. - I need that plated now, now.

Tonight's relaunch is as important,

if not more important than our first day ever being opened,

and so food needs to start pumping out.

Hopefully, our meatballs come soon.

We're so hungry.

How are we doing on the meatballs?

I thought you put those in the window already.

OK, 'cause I've got a white ticket here

and no meatballs. - It's crazy.

We've got a packed house,

and I'm seeing a line of tickets

that they haven't even looked at yet.

It should be out shortly, guys.

You guys doing OK over here? OK, all right.

All of us servers are kind of just

standing around the window, like, come on, you guys.

Are you guys getting this? What's going on?

What's next, Leo? Talk to me, my man.

Hey, the brigade are here to plate for you, OK?

So you've done the hard part. Tell them what to plate.

Um...

I'm watching Leo. He's getting quiet.

I heard 30 seconds on the risotto

more than 30 seconds ago.

I see him starting to kind of clam up again.

That light's starting to dim a little bit,

and we can't have that right now.

This is killing me.

Oh, my God. - .

We're falling apart.

What's next, Leo? Talk to me, my man.

Hey, the brigade are here to plate for you, OK?

So tell them what to plate.

Um...

Leo, you're the only one moving right now.

You've got to talk. - Oh, my God.

Two seconds, come on.

You've got to talk. You're doing the hard part.

Let them serve that.

And then that way,

you're in control, coming up next.

But they're standing, staring, watching.

They should be working alongside you,

not behind you, so get them plating now.

Come on. - Yes, Chef.

- Come on, let's go. - Ready to plate?

Hey, I need two chicken Parmesan setups right now.

Come on, let's go. - There you go. Yeah?

Right now, I just need to reset,

make sure everything's ready,

and keep the communication open

and just make sure this food starts going out.

All right, guys, so let me tell you something.

Let's make sure we're talking. OK?

- OK. - OK.

That's the only way we're gonna get through this.

- Heard. - All right.

Back on track. - Meatballs up.

Take it. Take it.

Here you go, guys. Here's your meatballs.

- Oh, yay! - Thank you.

After giving him a little bit of a break

and giving the kitchen a chance to catch up,

that spark is back in Leo. I mean, he's smiling again.

He's communicating again. - There we go.

We can sell that for me, please.

I need a pan pickup, please. - Good.

Love the communication, Leo. - Thank you, Chef.

Yeah.

It's good.

Yeah, much better.

Finally, Leo has found his voice.

Remember? Stir, stir, stir.

It's good to see him opening up and talking.

I need this eggplant on the fly, please.

With the voice comes confidence.

With the confidence comes happy customers.

- That's really good. - How cool is that?

Right, how's that rib eye?

Oh, it is perfection.

It's delicious. It tastes really fresh.

Oh, my God!

OK, it was worth the wait.

How are we doing over here, y'all?

The potatoes are so crispy.

I can't stop eating this.

Dinner service tonight has been phenomenal.

How was everything?

Yes, ma'am.

My dad tonight has been talking.

He seems super excited.

I saw the sparkle in his eye again, you know?

I feel like that's what Chef Ramsay's

done tonight for us.

I love seeing him in the dining room.

- Yeah. - Honestly.

- I love being in here. - I love the smile on his face.

I know. His smile is so big.

Right, listen, my time is done.

You've got something really unique here.

- For sure. - Protect it.

Look after it.

Look after each other, yeah? - Of course.

Thank you so much. - Thank you.

It's so good to see that spark back.

I knew you had it. - Thank you, Chef.

Thank you for everything you've done for us.

The thing that I'm the most thankful for

with Chef Ramsay coming here is ripping off the Band-Aid.

- Good luck. - Thank you.

I appreciate this.

Wounds can't heal unless they get some air.

- Look after Mum and Dad. - Yes, sir.

We will always miss Bump,

but we have to live our lives,

and I'm grateful that we were able to discover

what we hadn't been able to see ourselves.

- Fantastic. - Awesome.

I mean, delicious.

I think tonight went really well.

Thank y'all for coming out tonight and joining us.

And we'll keep-- very much keep in contact.

Yeah, absolutely. - All right.

I know that Bump sees all this.

He's watching over us,

and he would say, "Love you, Dad."

Now that's what I call a turnaround.

Honestly, when I first got here,

I found out there was so much more

going on underneath the surface.

Leo has never had a chance to grieve

the sad passing of Bump,

and dealing with grief is hard,

but now, with the support team around Leo

and proper direction in the kitchen,

I think finally Leo's Italian Grill

is really gonna shift into gear.

What a guy.

My goodness, me. What a guy.

Two months later,

Leo, Michelle, and Jason continue to deliver

a taste of Italy to Cedar Creek.

Things are back on track here at Leo's Italian Grill,

and the guests are loving the food.

I can feel the fire burning. I'm excited now.

Can I get a pan pickup please?

Leo has taken the first brave steps

to deal with his grief, seeking therapy,

and the family are feeling positive about the future.

Next time on "Kitchen Nightmares"...

Hey, y'all. It's Chef Blake.

My goal is to become the next Gordon Ramsay.

- Pots and pans up there. - Yeah, it's her brand.

- Her five-piece pot set. - Oh, my God.

What in the are you doing?

This is Creole Italian.

You want to be the celebrity before the talent.

I feel pissed off!

I felt like you were just using me for more TV,

and I'm not here to be used.

I am absolutely done.