This article is from the NEW LONDON DAY:



Food Network program intends to revamp Flood Tide
Mystic - Come Wednesday, the only thing that may remain the same at Flood Tide could be its hilltop view of Long Island Sound.
A new Food Network show, "Restaurant: Impossible," is in town to bring dramatic changes to the Mystic restaurant, long regarded as one of the top restaurants in the state.
But that perception, said executive chef Bob Tripp, has hurt the Flood Tide, with many thinking it is an elegant, high-priced restaurant suitable just for special occasions.
"I think that this will be the rebirth that the Flood Tide restaurant is really looking for," said Tripp, who has worked at the restaurant on and off since 1989. "We've been combating the special occasion restaurant thinking for years ... And then when this economy came, it really hit the skids."
"Restaurant: Impossible" aims to help restaurants "on the brink of failure." Celebrity chef Robert Irvine, who has hosted the show "Kitchen: Impossible," will spend Monday and Tuesday at Flood Tide before the restaurant reopens on Wednesday.
"They're way, way, way ahead of me, as far as being modern," said owner Jody Dyer. "I've been here at the Flood Tide for a long, long time. We try to run a very nice restaurant and do a nice job, and they will have a lot of critiques about us and I'll listen to them, because you can always learn something more."
The new series starts with Irvine and his crew observing how the restaurant operates, then he oversees an overhaul of the venue's design and menu.
Tripp said he is eager for the opportunity to work with Irvine and his team from Food Network.
"I think it's gonna be really something else, and we're going to make a really good episode," Tripp said. "We're just so excited about it."
Tripp said early information from Irvine indicates that the restaurant's new menu will focus largely on new, creative dishes made with fresh, local ingredients.
The restaurant will be closed on Tuesday for overhauls and will reopen to the public on Wednesday night, when cameras will record the restaurant's first evening open with changes implemented by "Restaurant: Impossible."
"This is crazy. This is really nuts," Tripp said. "This is the big time. This is as big as it gets."

* I loved working at the floodtide and am so excited for them...