Logan Johnson was stoked.
Her birthday dinner was made by her favorite chef, Gordon Ramsay, even though he wasn’t there to cook it himself.
“It was amazing,” the 51-year-old Marysville woman said at Tuesday’s reopening of Prohibition Gastropub in downtown Everett. “I’ve been waiting for this.”
She polished off her plate of short rib stroganoff and enjoyed some nibbles of the tender pork shoulder her husband ordered.
Ramsay and his “Kitchen Nightmares” ninja elves took the place by storm last week for an episode of his Fox TV reality series. The bossy British chef revamped the menu and added a splash of color to the struggling restaurant that formerly served up Southern dishes and belly dancers.
He also changed the name from Prohibition Grille to Prohibition Gastropub.
“Basically, it’s like opening a brand new business,” owner Darlene “Rishi” Brown said. “It’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Early in the evening there were about as many customers as workers. She wasn’t concerned. She was still too overwhelmed by it all.
The decor changes are not drastic. Most obvious is the bar, which Ramsay’s crew painted deep bright red. The brick walls are accented by jagged gold stripes and brass frames. The tables have new cloth covers.
But the menu got a total makeover. It is shorter and less expensive, with eight appetizers, seven entrees and three desserts, priced at $4 to $16.
Appetizers range from $5 onion soup to $12 duck leg salad. Entrees include pan-seared king salmon for $15, bacon-wrapped meatloaf for $11 and chicken pot pie, also for $11. Ten bucks buys a burger. Desserts are $4 and $5.
The desserts were the only menu choices that met the approval of Miles and Rebecca Stanley of Everett. They sent two dishes back to the kitchen.
“The thing that was good was the bread pudding,” Rebecca Stanley said.
“It was to die for,” her husband added.
Still, they said they’d stick with their usual buffet restaurants rather than come back.
The Johnsons praised the food, service and price.
“With cocktails, it was less than $50. Our server was wonderful,” Dennis Johnson said. “We’ll definitely be back.”
A Fox TV publicist in New York said the episode is scheduled to run in late February or March.
Andrea Brown; 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com.
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