Levanti’s Kitchen Nightmares Update – Open Or Closed?

Episode Recap

Levanti’s American Bistro was a Beaver, Pennsylvania restaurant featured on season 6 of Kitchen Nightmares. The episode aired in February 2013, but Gordon’s visit and filming took place earlier in June 2012. It was episode 7 of season 6.

In this episode of Kitchen Nightmares we are taken to Levanti’s American Bistro, owned by Dino Fratangeli, in Beaver, Pennsylvania (not too far from Pittsburgh).

It was Dino’s dream to own and operate his own restaurant, so in 1998, Dino’s father invested his life savings of $250,000 into Dino’s dream.

The restaurant was busy at first, but instead of welcoming this success, Dino instead became overwhelmed with the work the restaurant demanded from him.

Dino’s sister, who sold her florist business to help out at Dino’s restaurant, believes the restaurant’s business declined as a result of a rival restaurant opening on the same block of Levanti’s.

However, the staff disagrees with Tina’s claim and believes the reason for Levanti’s problems go much deeper than that.

The staff believe Dino and Tina are the problem as they argue too much and don’t know how to run a restaurant, claiming that Dino is clueless in the kitchen.

Upon arrival, Gordon sits down with the siblings to discuss the restaurant. Gordon quickly learns of the dysfunctional dynamic between Tina and Dino and discovers that the two can’t even agree on who owns the restaurant.

Gordon then decides to sample the menu and orders: stuffed banana peppers, filet mignon, and the chicken carletta capellini. Gordon also requests to taste the bread and oil he sees another table eating, claiming that the oil tastes like fryer oil rather than olive oil.

Gordon discovers that the months old dessert samples are rock hard and smell bad. When his filet arrives he claims it was raw and firmly believes the filet was frozen. Gordon begins looking around the restaurant and notices how filthy it is.

Finally, Gordon’s food arrives and the stuffed banana peppers are frozen and watery and the chicken carletta has too much garlic and rock hard chicken in it.

Gordon claims that it is the worst Italian food he has ever tasted and believes the owners no longer care about the restaurant.

Later that night, Gordon observes the dinner rush to see how the restaurant operates when it is busy.

As the evening begins, Gordon discovers that half of the stoves in the kitchen are non-functioning, there is no one expediting the food, and the food is being sent back to the kitchen due to customer complaints.

Gordon then decides to tour the fridge and discovers green, slimy chicken and a molded fermented sauce that is being served to customers. Gordon is furious and demands that the kitchen stop serving the food instantly.

That night the restaurant is given a makeover.

Gordon discovers that there is a gap in the local market for an American Bistro so Gordon decides that that is the direction Levanti’s will take. Instead of being Levanti’s Italian Restaurant, it will be renamed to Levanti’s American Bistro.

Gordon and his team then transform the restaurant with modern decor and a new POS system that doesn’t make obnoxiously loud noise.

Gordon revamps the kitchen and adds top of the line equipment, he also changes the menu to feature American classics.

The night of the relaunch the customers are impressed with the restaurant’s new decor, however, they aren’t happy with how long their food is taking, due to Dino struggling to keep up.

But after everyone steps up, the night runs smoothly and the relaunch was a total success.