Restaurant rescue: Robert Irvine returns to fix ailing restaurants

By Andrew Warren TV Media

Running a business is incredibly difficult, and one of the most challenging businesses to run is a restaurant. The exact rate at which restaurants are forced to close seems to vary, but it’s a nortoriously tough industry to break into. Even the most savvy restaurant owners can sometimes use a helping hand and some outside advice in order to stay afloat.

Enter Robert Irvine. Throughout all 13 seasons of “Restaurant: Impossible,” the chef and restaurateur has made it his mission to help the nation’s most desperate restaurants. Fans have been waiting since 2016 for this series to return, but now there’s good news for both fans and struggling restaurant owners: “Restaurant: Impossible” returns with new episodes on Saturday, April 20, on Food Network.

The episodes are new, but the format is familiar. In each onehour episode, Irvine visits a struggling restaurant that’s on the brink of shutting down for good. He meets with the owners, cooks and staff, tastes the food and assesses the decor. Then the impossible challenge begins: he must turn the restaurant around and give it the tools it needs to succeed, all in only 48 hours and with only a $10,000 budget.

Luckily, Irvine doesn’t have to do it alone. He brings along an interior designer who helps him come up with a plan to modernize and freshen up the restaurant’s decor. Ten thousand dollars may sound like a lot, but when it comes to renovating an entire restaurant — in 48 hours, no less — that kind of cash has a tendency to disappear quickly.

Of course, it isn’t just the atmosphere that can make or break a restaurant: the food is the most important aspect of any eatery. As an accomplished chef himself, the host’s biggest concern is always the menu, and he never hesitates to speak his mind about what’s being served. He’s also more than willing to fix the menu, though, and to work with and retrain the cooks, provided they’re open to learning.

After a three-year hiatus, “Restaurant: Impossible” returns to Food Network with new episodes airing Saturday, April 20.

Sunday, April 14

Noon (8) WDSE Around the Farm Table

1:00 p.m. (9) KAWE Lidia’s Kitchen

2:00 p.m. (9) KAWE The Great British Baking Show Bakers will make simple sandwich cakes, angel food cakes and all things chocolate.

Monday, April 15

1:00 p.m. (11) KARE The Rachael Ray Show Viewers are presented with great recipes and simple solutions for everyday issues.

Tuesday, April 16

11:30 a.m. (9) KAWE Martha Bakes Martha transforms three vintage cake recipes with healthful updates.

1:00 p.m. (11) KARE The Rachael Ray Show Viewers are presented with great recipes and simple solutions for everyday issues.

Wednesday, April 17

1:00 p.m. (11) KARE The Rachael Ray Show Viewers are presented with great recipes and simple solutions for everyday issues.

Thursday, April 18

1:00 p.m. (11) KARE The Rachael Ray Show Viewers are presented with great recipes and simple solutions for everyday issues.

Friday, April 19

12:30 p.m. (9) KAWE Food Over 50 We discuss how much meat is too much, and also concerns about saturated fats in our foods.

1:00 p.m. (11) KARE The Rachael Ray Show Viewers are presented with great recipes and simple solutions for everyday issues.

Saturday, April 20

6:00 a.m. TRAV Food Paradise Take a tour of retro restaurants around the country including a Jewish deli and a diner.

7:00 a.m. (2) KTCA Steven Raichlen’s Project Smoke Salt slab-grilled rockfish & melon mint relish, grilled shrimp with deconstructed pesto. TRAV Food Paradise We’re frying a batch of donuts for every meal of the day.

7:30 a.m. (2) KTCA Lucky Chow Features Andy Ricker preparing Northern Thai Cuisine.

8:00 a.m. (2) KTCA Simply Ming Chef Jacques Pépin joins Ming for a cooka-thon in honor of Anthony Bourdain.

TRAV Food Paradise Only the best barbecue and premier pies pique our interest.

8:30 a.m. (2) KTCA Moveable Feast With Fine Cooking Michelle Bernstein travels to Merrida, a magical Mexican city steeped in colonial charm.

9:00 a.m. (2) KTCA Martha Bakes

TRAV Bizarre Foods: Delicious Destinations From iconic cheese steaks to stromboli, Andrew uncovers Philly’s famous edibles.

9:30 a.m. (2) KTCA How to Cook Well

With Rory O’Connell Red onion, roast pepper, rosemary and anchovy pissaladiere and grilled hake are prepared.

10:00 a.m. (2) KTCA Mexico: One Plate at a Time (N)

TRAV Bizarre Foods: Delicious Destinations Andrew finds out just what makes Hong Kong so delicious; dim sum; congee; roast goose.

10:30 a.m. (2) KTCA Kevin Belton’s New Orleans Celebrations (N)

TRAV Bizarre Foods: Delicious Destinations Andrew explores edible icons including St. Louis-style BBQ and toasted ravioli.

11:00 a.m. (2) KTCA Jacques Pepin’s Heart & Soul in the Kitchen Japanese-inspired broiled salmon with miso glaze is followed by Chirashi sushi.

11:30 a.m. (2) KTCA Lidia’s Kitchen

Noon (2) KTCA Sara’s Weeknight Meals Chef Hung Huynh prepares grilled shrimp and lettuce wraps and roasted branzino.

(9) KAWE America’s Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated

12:30 p.m. (2) KTCA America’s Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated

1:00 p.m. (2) KTCA Jamie’s Quick and Easy Food Jamie cooks Thai style crispy sea bass, a super-quick, flavor-packed fish supper.

1:30 p.m. (2) KTCA New Scandinavian Cooking Niklas investigates the most popular drink in Scandinavia, namely coffee.

2:30 p.m. (8) WDSE To Dine for With Kate Sullivan Howard Schultz tells us about Starbucks and his future mission in this world.

3:00 p.m. (2) KTCA The Great British Baking Show Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood showcase some of their favorite Easter recipes.

(8) WDSE America’s Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated Brainerd Daily Dispatch, MN: Food Apr 14, 2019 to Apr 20, 2019

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