Post-Gordon Ramsay Departures, Controversy at El Greco

Eater Austin hears from a James Holbrook, a former bistro cook at El Greco, that internal dealings at the restaurant have been heated over the past few weeks since the Kitchen Nightmares taping, and that several of the staff have left.

Austin diners, themselves, have been debating the quality of El Greco since the transformation.

Holbrook left El Greco earlier this week, and he tells Eater Austin, "After Kitchen Nightmares his Lead Cook (and the owner's friend of 5 years) quit on us during the first week of the new menu."

Eater Austin found a job posting on Craigslist from El Greco, looking for line cooks and servers for immediate hire.

El Greco is owned and run by Chef Jake Konstantinidis, who moved to Austin from New York City, along with his mother Athena.

Holbrook continues:

Jake is very controlling and degrading to work with [...] He doesn't come downstairs from his condo unless he has to, I don't know exactly whats going on up there, but I know it it isn't any good (wait till you see the episode of Kitchen Nightmares). I have seen him make waitstaff pay for walked tables out of their tips.Seen him flip out and threaten staff with kitchen utensils etc.

On the quality of the menu and his hopes for the restaurant after Gordon Ramsay's taping, Holbrook says:

The quality of the produce used is steadily going downhill. Every corner imaginable is being cut from Ramsay's new menu [...] I was hoping things would turn around, that I could help him get out of his "Restaurateurs Slump". El Greco was a waste for Kitchen Nightmares

Chef James Holbrook, no longer working at El Greco, is enjoying a new, better job as a cook in downtown Austin.

· Did Gordon Ramsay Change El Greco for the Worse [EATX]
· Gordon Ruined El Greco, Can It Be Saved? [CH]

· All El Greco Coverage on Eater Austin [-EATX-]

El Greco [Photo: David R. / Yelp]