Chef Gordon Ramsay takes Richmond's Southern Kitchen to "Hell and Back" on the episode airing on Tuesday, February 11.
When a woman in a wide-brimmed hat and her Sunday best stands up in your restaurant and summons you (the owner) by name, it’s probably going to be an interesting day. But then, when that woman takes off that wide-brimmed hat—and then the wig underneath—and she’s actually celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay? Well, things are about to get really interesting. For approximately 24 hours, to be exact.
A Richmond restaurateur and owner of Southern Kitchen, Shane Roberts-Thomas, witnessed this very scenario several months ago. We’ll get to see how it all plays out on Tuesday, February 11, when the episode airs on Fox TV’s Gordon Ramsay’s 24 Hours to Hell and Back.
Gordon Ramsay, the famed British chef and TV star known for his boisterous personality and even more boisterous vocabulary, takes restaurants from rags (and sometimes rats) to riches. You can expect yelling, crying, stomping of feet, and gnashing of teeth as the team goes (figuratively, but perhaps, somewhat literally) to hell and back.
Located at 541 N. 2nd Street in Jackson Ward (across from the historic Hippodrome Theater) Southern Kitchen serves Southern-inspired comfort food with local ingredients. Menu items include country style meatloaf, shrimp po’ boys, Southern fried chicken and shrimp, chicken livers and onions, blackened catfish, and chicken and waffles. It’s always interesting to see how Ramsay revamps the menu and brings new concepts to floundering restaurants.
In case you’re wondering, yes, Richmond will be featured in the episode. In an interview with the Times Dispatch, Roberts-Thomas said,
“It’s good for Richmond because it puts us on the map. This is for the whole city. People think we're a small town. We're not. Richmond’s not going anywhere. We deserve it. [This episode] is for everyone who’s paid their dues."
Ramsay is the owner of several fine dining, family-friendly and Michelin-starred restaurants across the world, including Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe, Gordon Ramsay Steak in Baltimore and Kansas City, Gordon Ramsay Pub and Grill in Atlantic City, Union Street Café in London, Le Pressoir d’Argent in France, and the three Michelin-starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London.
Along with restaurateur and restaurant rehab titles, Ramsay also has author, philanthropist, and television star on his resume. Television shows include Hell’s Kitchen, MasterChef, MasterChef Jr., and The F-Word. The Gordon and Tana Ramsay Foundation partners with the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity to fund research, medical equipment, and support services for sick children.
Richmond isn’t the only Virginia city recently visited by Ramsay. Lowery’s Seafood restaurant in Tappahannock recently underwent a makeover as well.
The Southern Kitchen’s 24 Hours to Hell and Back episode airs on Fox at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, February 11, 2020.
Please note: Southern Kitchen will close at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, February 11, so that the staff can watch the show. (Wouldn’t you want to?)
Have you ever visited or witnessed a Ramsay restaurant rescue? Are you a fan of Gordon Ramsay? Let us know in the comments.
