Two metro Phoenix restaurants received Gordon Ramsey’s infamous, expletive-filled, tear-inducing makeovers on the first season of the celebrity chef’s new show, “Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service.”
The show, which premiered May 21, differs slightly from previous iterations of Ramsay’s restaurant renovation series, like “Kitchen Nightmares.” In the new series, Ramsay “breaks into” the kitchen at night and monitors the activities of the restaurant from a disguised van parked outside using “cutting-edge spyware” (security cameras) before revealing to the owners how he plans to help transform their restaurant.
In episode two, Ramsay visits Caffe Boa Ahwatukee, an Italian restaurant that opened in 1995 after the owners of Caffe Boa Tempe sold name rights to a former business partner. The two restaurants are no longer affiliated. New owners bought the Ahwatukee location in 2021 and their professional and personal struggles are chronicled with great drama in the show.
A 60-year-legacy: How Mrs. White built a Phoenix soul food institution and living monument to Black history
Episode three, which airs June 4, features Mrs. White’s Golden Rule Cafe, a Phoenix soul food institution founded in 1964. Owner Elizabeth White is still alive at 102, though she has stepped away from restaurant operations. In the teaser for the episode, Ramsay yells at Larry White, Elizabeth’s son, that he needs to protect his mother’s legacy, not destroy it.
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Here’s how to watch these beloved local restaurants on Gordon Ramsay’s new show.
How to watch ‘Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service’
Previous episodes of season 1, including the Caffe Boa Ahwatukee episode, are available to stream for free on Fox’s website and on Hulu.
Episode 3 at Mrs. White’s airs at 8 p.m. on Fox 10 Phoenix on June 4
