Gordon Ramsay films Kitchen Nightmares at Big Lake restaurant
Gordon Ramsay films 'Kitchen Nightmares' at MN restaurant
World-famous chef Gordon Ramsay filmed "Kitchen Nightmares" at a restaurant in Big Lake. FOX 9's Maury Glover has more.
BIG LAKE, Minn. (FOX 9) - The world-famous chef and TV personality brought his cameras to the north metro, and fans showed up in full force.
Big Lake gets a celebrity visit
What we know:
The Lake Cafe in Big Lake closed for several days to make way for a taping of "Kitchen Nightmares," the hit show starring Gordon Ramsay. The production drew attention from across the community, with neighbors and fans gathering outside to catch a glimpse of the celebrity chef at work.
"There's been just a stir in our community," said Josiah Melodzik of Ember Coffee Company, the shop located next door to The Lake Cafe.
"People are talking about him," Melodzik said.
'I can't believe that he is here in my hometown'
What they're saying:
Few fans made as much of an impression as Brianna Lund, a self-described Gordon Ramsay superfan who camped out for three days with her three kids just to catch a glimpse of the taping.
"I almost pulled the kids from school. We got here at 7 a.m.," said Lund.
Her dedication paid off — she got to meet Ramsay twice. He signed her daughter's apron and a T-shirt for her son.
"He actually came out, and he was like, oh, you girls are so beautiful. And then he said, I'm so sorry to keep you waiting," Lund said. "Very personable, everything I thought he would be as a celebrity, so."
A fan moment years in the making
Local perspective:
Lund's love for Ramsay runs deep. She and her family are devoted followers of his television work.
"MasterChef, Secret Service, Kitchen Nightmares, of course, those are our favorites," said Lund.
She had even dreamed of traveling overseas to meet him one day.
"I told my husband when his documentary came out that we wanted to fly to London so I could meet him. But I didn't know he would fly all the way here to me," Lund said.
What we don't know:
It is not yet known exactly when the Big Lake episode of "Kitchen Nightmares" will air, only that it is expected sometime within the next two to five months.
Lake Cafe reopens with new menu in works
What's next:
Lake Cafe reopened Wednesday with a limited menu.
"We welcome you, but please be patient with us. We just went through five overwhelming, whirlwind days," the restaurant said in a Facebook post.
The restaurant says they are working on a new menu with the items that Ramsay put together for them, and will update customers on when it will be available.
The Source: Information in this story comes from FOX 9 reporter Maury Glover's interviews with Big Lake residents and the Lake Cafe Facebook page.