Makeover

TV Producers Invite Dan’s Papers to Review Restaurant in Westhampton

By Victoria L. Cooper

Last Thursday, three co-workers and I were invited to review the food at Finn McCool’s Family Restaurant and Irish Pub in Westhampton Beach for Dan’s Papers. That night was the grand re-opening of the restaurant and to help revitalize and redesign the menu and décor, the owner of Fin McCool’s, Buddy Mazzio, had been working closely with celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay. The outline of events included live bagpipers, traditional Irish dancing, and videotaping for the upcoming Fox reality television series, “Kitchen Nightmares.” At the time, we did not know what we were in for.

We promptly arrived at the restaurant for our reservation at 7 p.m. Once we actually found parking, along Riverhead Road in Westhampton Beach (the parking lot was full) we noticed a large crowd outside the restaurant. There were lights, rotating video cameras, and a long line of people eager to eat and celebrate at the grand re-opening. After waiting outside for twenty minutes, we decided to tell one of the Fox producers that we were the invited food critics and that we wanted to be seated as soon as possible. So we signed release forms, had Polaroid headshots taken and were then shuffled into the crowded restaurant.

Once inside, we were asked to wait at the bar until our table was ready. Apparently they had said the same exact line to another sixty people because the bar area was packed shoulder to shoulder. So we did what any group of twenty-something reviewers would do, we ordered drinks. Every resident from Westhampton Beach must have been there and I am not exaggerating. From firemen to local businessmen and women, Westhampton Beach was eating and drinking at Fin McCool’s. As we enjoyed our drinks and some fine conversation, video cameras and people walking around in dark clothing with earpieces, headphones, microphones and heavy equipment seemed to linger around every corner.

Now, I have never been on reality television before and neither had any of my co-workers. We were slightly distracted by the cameras but more than anything else we were curious. And suffice it to say, I believe the cameras were just as curious about us and what we had to say, too.

After some time had gone by, I checked my cell phone to see that it was 8 p.m. We had not been seated yet. David Rattiner, decided to take some initiative and ask the producers and the bartender why it was taking so long to be seated at the table that had been reserved. As we had thought, the kitchen was swamped and clearly, a seating of the entire population of Westhampton Beach, which according, the 2000 Census, was 1,902 persons, is not the ideal setting for a quick bite to eat. We were promised a table in a half hour.

We have all seen reality television, and if you haven’t, I am scared to ask what rock you’ve been hiding under. Reality television presents supposedly unscripted, dramatic or humorous situations and features ordinary people instead of professional actors. It’s on almost every network and covers just about every subject matter. This night included dramatics and humor, essential criteria for a profile of a restaurant on its grand re-opening night.

When I took another glance at my cell phone to see the time, I noticed that it was 8:30 p.m. Although our empty stomachs had been filled with a few spirits, we were hungry, and our nerves were running short. Like Moses parting a red Irish sea, Mazzio’s son, Jay, came through the crowd with four menus and seated us. We were eager to try as much as we could and started by ordering an ample amount of appetizers. This was then followed by our choice of entrée and I decided to try the signature dish of the night. Camera crews and meddling microphones circled our table like vultures as we ate our meal. I thought the food was excellent and you can find a complete review of our dining experience on page 47, written by Sabrina C. Mashburn.

Live Celtic music played and a troupe of traditional Irish dancers performed a few numbers on the mock dance floor near the bar. The ambiance was enjoyable and the celebration ensued. Some critics say that reality television is a misnomer, because in some programs like “Survivor” and “The Real World,” producers manipulate the environment and create a completely fictional world in which the drama plays out. Yet the environment at Fin McCool’s last week was not contrived, and from the likes of the food and the rare dining experience, I am sure the crowds will keep coming.

To see what really went down at Finn McCool’s, you are just going to have to wait until the episode airs on “Kitchen Nightmares” this summer.