America's first televised Restaurant

Rocco DiSpirito; Photo - NBC Gothamist cannot wait to go to "Restaurant," the new restaurant/reality series from Rocco DiSpirito (Union Pacific), Mark Burnett (Survivor), and NBC (Channel 4 here in NY). There's nothing we like more than food and a little insanity. The Times Styles section looks what seems to be a hilarious casting/hiring process, as employees need to be competent but cute. But in a city of actors who work as watiers, Gothamist has to hand it to the genius of Mark Burnett to capitalize on it.

We wonder what Anthony Bourdain would make of this, as his portrait of life in restaurants. Restaurant is on East 22nd, in the former Commune space, so Bourdain will be close by enough to snicker.

See the NBC press release, as well as specs for applying.

Rocco thinks he lost the James Beard Award for Best NY City Chef to Marcus Samuelsson because of his involvement with Restaurant (not because Marcus might have been a great chef this year? Boo hoo...). And, yes, Rocco is sexy, we get it already.

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By Jen Chung in Arts and Events, Food, News on May 12, 2003 2:44 PM

Comments [rss]

j0sh

yeah i happened to be walking by the old commune space while they were doing the casting for this thing.. it was nuts... i'd say there were over five thousand people standing in a line that snaked several blocks... some people just have too much time on their hands.