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Shanty on 19th
Gordon Ramsay’s 24 Hours to Hell and Back returns with its second episode of the season. Tonight, the chef will focus on the restaurant Shanty on 19th, which opened in 2013 and is located in Allentown, PA. According to Leigh Valley Live, Shanty on 19th is currently owned by business partners Ron Pickering and Joe Tatasciore.
It is a variation on the restaurant previously known as The Shanty, where Pickering worked as head chef. The Shanty opened in 1968 in the 1900 block of Allen Street, but moved to 19th Street in 1980, where it remained until closing in 2005. “It’s an opportunity to reach back,” Pickering said before the re-opening. “We all spent a lot of time over there. It was a great place to work, and we’d like to bring that back.”
Of the 72 reviews Shanty on 19th currently has on Yelp, most veer towards the middle. It currently has a 3 stars out of 5 rating on the site. In 2015, one Trip Advisor reviewer gave the spot a glowing five stars and said that the dining experience was “just shy of sex.” Read the full review here. In a TV promo for tonight’s episode, Ramsay put on a Phantoms jersey and a thick beard and mustache to dine incognito at the restaurant.
Some of the items on the Shanty menu include the Boom Boom Shrimp Tacos, the Crab Cake Sandwich, and the Portabella Burger. For lunch and dinner, some of the menu items are the Shanty Sandwich, the Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin, the Stuffed Flounder and the Chargrilled Ribeye.
On the official Shanty on 19th website, the about page to the restaurant reads: “An iconic restaurant where generations of people gathered to celebrate special occasions or enjoy a nightcap after a show has been revived in Allentown’s West End Theater District. The Shanty on 19th, which held a soft opening May 22 following yearlong renovations, mixes modern features with familiar sights of the original Shanty, which closed in 2005 after nearly 40 years of business.”
The site also lists some of the features that Pickering and Tatasciore have added since 2013: “Among the new additions are custom-made booths, LED and pendant lighting, a lounge featuring 14 refurbished movie theater seats and a front brick patio offering outdoor dining. Film reels and other theater-themed decor adorn the walls.” In the synopsis for tonight’s episode, FOX reveals that there have feuds developing between the the Shanty’s owners and its staff.
“Gordon Ramsay’s Hell On Wheels travels to the Shanty on 19th, an iconic restaurant living in the heart Allentown, PA’s theater district for more than 40 years,” reads the official synopsis. “After intense investigation and surveillance, Chef Ramsay and his team discover that feuds between the restaurant’s owner and staff have taken a toll, not only on the restaurant’s business, but the personal lives of everyone involved.
“Ramsay will try to bring this failing restaurant back from the brink of disaster – all in just 24 hours,” it adds. “As the clock ticks down and Ramsay and his team transform this restaurant with a spectacular renovation, a fresh new menu and hope for the future.”
