Kriti Mehrotra
As a Gordon Ramsay-led reality television series that lives up to its title in every way conceivable, Fox’s ‘Kitchen Nightmares’ is equal parts baffling, entertaining, and intriguing. After all, it follows the renowned celebrity chef as he visits troubled restaurants in an attempt to revive them with the help of a complete makeover as well as a perspective shift. Its season 9 episode 10 is thus no different — it actually focuses on Blake Cressey’s first semi-fine-dining establishment, Blake’s Place.
Blake’s Place Was its Owner’s Dream, But It Lacked Vision
It was back in 2023 that Blake Cressey launched her first true restaurant at 724 Dublin Street in the Riverbend neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana, after years and years of working towards it. She had kickstarted her career in this industry by selling hot plates out of her home nearly a decade prior, only to learn from her experiences and evolve to the best of her abilities. That’s how she made a name for herself locally and on social media, which ultimately even resulted in her garnering a lot of success in the form of an always-busy food truck, Tasty Treat.
Blake admittedly wanted to build an empire with her own eateries, lines of seasonings, and utensils (pans, pots, and air fryers), so she opened Blake’s Place as a stepping stone. However, by the time of filming, the Owner-Executive Chef and her husband-turned-investor were over $200,000 in debt owing to her ventures not doing nearly as well as they had hoped. Her Creole-Italian establishment is facing issues because of poor taste and quality, and her side hustles are also stagnant with no sales, making it clear she needs outside help.
Shortly after launching Blake’s Place in 2023, she learned she was expecting twins, so there was suddenly a lot more on her plate than she could have ever imagined. The demanding and difficult nature of her pregnancy didn’t help either, resulting in her letting go of some control for a while and causing problems once she did return to work full-time. It soon becomes evident there is a lack of vision despite her ambitions, driving all her hard work to the ground even with the support of her friends, chefs, and investor husband.
Gordon Ramsay is Quick to Clock All of Blake’s Place’s Problems
The moment Gordon Ramsay sets foot into Blake’s Place, he notices it is quite far removed from what he knows a Creole-Italian restaurant in such a busy area of New Orleans should be like. However, it isn’t until he tastes some of the dishes on its menu that he realizes why – nothing is authentic, fresh, or even remotely good enough for him to think it was made with passion and attention to detail. The crab cakes he receives are mushy, the Riverbend Fries with Crawfish is a bland, watery mess, and even the Dumaine Treat specialty he ordered is a gimmick that is simply too salty and overseasoned.
What’s worse is that when Gordon shares his honest feedback, Blake decides not to season his final order of the Catfish Platter, which is a mistake since it only raises the chef’s concern. The fact she has no remorse for her actions and has a wall around her when the professional later tries talking to her doesn’t help either, but she does share that they are struggling financially. That’s when Gordon decides to have a one-on-one conversation with her husband and investor, Nelson, learning he helps out in every way he can despite being a successful photographer himself.
Nelson actually has a studio, but he often finds himself there only in the evening or late at night because of his commitment to family or his wife needing him at her dream restaurant. This understandably doesn’t sit too well with Gordon, nor does the fact that Blake spent over $50,000 on her cookware without sales and now has to spend money just to keep it in storage. Therefore, he decides to observe her service that same evening before having a candid conversation with her to really see what’s going on, unaware he would find out she uses just pre-made sauces with her seasoning blends on top.
It Takes Blake Some Time to Realize She Has Focused Her Energies on the Wrong Things
While dinner service is going on, Gordon notices that several dishes are being sent back to the kitchen with the same complaints he had, so he realizes his gut feeling of something being wrong is true. That’s when he has a conversation with Blake’s Chef de Cuisine, Cece, who admits the food is a 2 out of 10 and that she probably wouldn’t have stayed at Blake’s Place for as long as she has if Blake wasn’t her friend. This discussion takes place in a separate room that is technically supposed to be a private dining area, but it has evolved into a storage room so the chef sees all the pre-packed sauces.
This is how Gordon learns that Blake’s dishes only comprise produce, pre-made sauces, and her spice blends, making him realize she is more focused on building her empire than being a true chef. He expresses the same to her before angrily adding he wouldn’t allow her to use him and his crew to gain more media attention, which causes her to walk away shortly after he leaves. It is Nelson who later comes in to help her crew close down the kitchen, just for her to also return not long after and finally express her true feelings.
Blake doesn’t like the narrative being painted — of her husband “having” to invest in her business when the reality is different — but she ultimately agrees to move forward with the makeover and menu change. She realizes she needs to focus on herself in the kitchen first before she can even think of expanding her brand to the level she still dreams of because there needs to be passion and love in food. Ultimately, with the help of this new perspective, a menu that is more authentically New Orleans, as well as an aesthetically brighter place with a proper private dining area, Blake’s Place begins flourishing.
Blake’s Place is Rising to Meet The Expectations Its Owner Had Originally Set
With a rejuvenated stance thanks to its fall 2024 transformation, Blake’s Place is slowly yet surely rising to meet the standards Owner-Executive Chef Blake Cressey had initially thought of. This could be credited to Gordon Ramsay and his team, but the truth is she is the one who has held the fort all by herself ever since getting a push from the former, albeit with the unwavering support of her husband, chefs, servers, as well as loyal customers. In fact, that’s how she has a rating of 4.3 on Google Reviews as of writing, with customers praising not just the service as well as the casual yet cozy ambiance of the restaurant but also its delicious, mouth-watering food.
It’s also imperative to note that over the past six months, Blake’s Place has begun hosting more and more private events, all the while also perfecting its menu, introducing catering services, and much more. The fact they now have Happy Hours, R&B Brunch specials every Saturday and Sunday, and live music on some evenings has also helped them a lot. Thus, it is no surprise that the establishment was even highlighted in the NFL’s Guide to New Orleans in early 2025, just before Super Bowl LIX was held at Caesars Superdome in the city on February 9, 2025.
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