Let's hope that Gordon Ramsay doesn't walk off the job this week while he's in Denver filming footage for Kitchen Nightmares, the Fox reality show that most recently made headlines after Ramsay, the acerbic mouthpiece who hosts the show, concluded that Amy and Samy Bouzaglo, who own Amy's Bakehouse in Scottsdale, Arizona, were the epitome of stupid (he's right), causing Ramsay, for the first time in the show's history, to strut away from filming.
Beginning tomorrow night, Pete and Paulette Fafalios, who own Pantaleone's Pizza, will undergo similar scrutiny when Ramsay attempts to revamp the decades-old restaurant, whose signage claims it's home to "Denver's Best Pizza."
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And judging from the reviews on Yelp, Urban Spoon, Trip Adviser and other social media sites, there's a lot to like about the pizzeria, which averages four stars on Yelp, and even more on Urban Spoon. In fact, the most recent Yelp review -- a five-star review, mind you -- is particularly praiseworthy: "We stopped by for dinner the other night for the first time in years, and I've been kicking myself ever since wondering why we let so much time pass. Hubs used to frequent the place all the time as a kid, and always went on and on about how great it was, but I always wondered if it was really *that* good. It is. Period," writes Jen B.
Then again, Shy Y, who panned the joint, wrote: "To add insult to injury the staff in this establishment propped open the door and blasted religious christian music while saying "you're all going to burn in hell!" Shy Y goes on to point out that she "won't be trying their food and I will be telling everyone I know not to go there either."
Ramsay, of course, will be the ultimate judge, as will several diners, who are currently being recruited to occupy the tables during filming, which takes place all week. To be considered, send an e-mail to [email protected] be prepared to answer a rather extensive questionnaire that asks, among other questions, "What are the best known pizza places in Denver?" and "Have you ever eaten at Pantaleone's?"
Best of luck to the Fafalios clan, who will hopefully take Ramsay's criticisms better than the owners of Amy's.
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