That was painful for us to watch. Gross is the only word appropriate for that kitchen. OMG at the behind the scenes stuff going on you would never dream. We've been going to that restaurant for a decade - it's a local landmark. Makes my stomach churn seeing the kitchen.

Yes, they are still in business but I can't imagine they will be for long? The kitchen was so gross I'm imagining even the Inn might be in jeopardy. They also have another Inn located along coastal Maine that the family has owned since the 1960s (or thereabouts). I think the Dyer family purchased The Inn at Mystic about 1980.

Since these people have been very good to us I'll leave my comments at this but suffice to say I'm very disappointed & I'm sure Dunkin Donuts will be buzzing this A.M.

/tricia

Well, I've been fortunate to be behind the scene in a number of restaurants. I have no formal connection with the food industry, however. In general (not in the Mystic case) kitchens in older restaurants tend to be cramped and ugly. In fact, just a year ago, the Italians that we have befriended moved into a hole in the wall existing restaurant that had a dirt floor in the kitchen. How the heck did that pass inspections???? They have made countless changes and created a wonderful little place that is booming!

Ah, but doesn't "Restaurant Impossible" fix them all up and make them clean and shiny and perfect again? So it should be OK now for a few months until it gets all dirty again.

Having owned a restaurant in the past and knowing all the health inspectors I can say that if you spent much time in restaurant kitchens you'd never eat out again.

Annie

Myself I have trouble understanding why Restaurant Impossible invests time and effort on a merchant who in my view has already thrown in the towel. Why not help someone with high standards and some self respect about their establishment. Someone like these folks, in my humble opinion, will be right back to those same shocking conditions in the blink of an eye. Yuck is right.

Kate

Tricia, what about the menu changes? How is the food?

Because, Katefisher, it doesn't make for exciting "reality" television. If they just came into an OK restaurant and made suggestions for improvement, there's no drama. They want to see the cockroaches and the broken floor tiles and the inept wait staff, so there's a miraculous difference in just two days. And there's always a problem with the time and the designer and the chairs and the floor, gotta keep it dramatic.

Yeah, it's "reality". Ahem.

I do hope that some of these people will decide that they can keep up the changes and make their places better. Hey, that could be the sequel for the show, a tour of all the places to see how it is a year or two later!

Annie

Sushipup,

The new menu is strange, at best, for a coastal New England inn.

Who, pray tell, comes to Mystic for a Cajun roasted sweet potato??? Look what Irving did to our wonderful, local (as in 1/2 mile away) diver scallops. You've got to be kidding! Blue crab with sriracha aioli? Cripes! People could stay home & find that on a menu. It's not New England & especially NOT Mystic.

The new menu looks just like any ordinary semi-upscale northeast restaurant. Even the menu wording is unappealing, to me. It reads just like 1,000 other places 100 miles west. Zip local character.

The only thing positive I have to say is that the lobster crepes have been returned to the menu (Robert Irving removed them)! Those crepes are delicious & iconic to Mystic. By local demand, they never actually disappeared but after Irving was through customers had to make a special request to get their crepes. They were shortly returned to the printed menu.

How's the food? To be fair, I don't go to restaurants anymore & take-out service wouldn't do it justice even if it is good. I just don't like the new choices compared to the old menu. Irving stripped all local flare so there's no appeal or reason to give it a try. Just another restaurant.

You can see the restaurant, pre Irving, in the Inn's video. They also caught our home & boat in the video. We're practically spitting distance. It's a lovely property & will be a shame if it sinks.

/tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: New Menu - Floodtide

You have to take 'reality' TV with a grain of salt. At this point I know people who have been on The Apprentice, Hell's Kitchen, and - yes - The View. I haven't spoken with the apprentice since, but the other two have pretty strong things to say about the staging that was forced on them. Google this episode and you'll see comments about how the staff was told to roll their eyes or act this way or that. Reality, yeah right.

Sushi - I did check foodnetwork, and couldn't find anything scheduled other than the original airing last night and the late-night replay. Am I missing something? My interest is piqued.